TradesField

QBCC licence search

Search any Queensland contractor by name, ABN or licence number: companies, trusts and sole traders. See the licence, its classes and whether it is current.

From the QBCC licensee register. Free, no signup.

What a QBCC licence search does not show

A current licence says a contractor may do the work. It does not show what is on the other registers. The Construction Background Report reads them all. Licence status stays free.

  • Australian Business Register
    On this page: ABN status, entity type, GST and business names
    In the report: The same, dated
  • ASIC
    On this page: Registration status and date
    In the report: Name changes, strike-off, external administration and insolvency notices
  • QBCC
    On this page: Licence numbers, status and classes
    In the report: Conditions, nominee, demerits, directions to rectify, exclusions and bans
  • NSW Fair Trading
    On this page: Licence numbers, status and classes, where held
    In the report: Disciplinary action, tribunal orders and statutory insurance claims
  • VIC Building and Plumbing Commission
    On this page: Registration numbers, status and category, where held
    In the report: Disciplinary action
  • NSW Building Commission
    In the report: Building work orders, and whether each is still in force
  • Courts and tribunals
    In the report: Matters in Queensland, New South Wales and the federal courts, open and closed
  • Security of Payment
    In the report: Queensland adjudication decisions: who brought the claim, who it was against and what was awarded
  • TradesField Rating
    In the report: A grade from A to E and a score out of 100, with the reasons

How to check a contractor before you sign

Search the business named on the quote or contract, not the person you spoke to. Check the licence is current and its classes cover the work you are paying for.

Check the licence is held by that business: a director's individual licence or a related company's licence does not cover it. Confirm the ABN is active and matches the invoice, and ask for current insurance certificates. For a large contract, read the Construction Background Report.

QBCC licence questions

About the QBCC register, and about checking a company before you engage it.

How do I check a QBCC licence?

Search the contractor's name, ABN or licence number above. You will see the licence number, each licence class and whether it is current. Then confirm it on the QBCC licensee register before you sign or pay a deposit, because licences change daily.

When does a contractor need a QBCC licence?

In Queensland, most building work valued over $3,300, including labour and materials, must be carried out by a contractor holding a QBCC licence of the right class. Some work needs a licence at any value, including plumbing and drainage, fire protection, building design and site classification. Electrical work is licensed by the Electrical Safety Office, not the QBCC.

What is the difference between a company licence and an individual licence?

A company licence belongs to the company, which is the business that signs your contract and sends your invoice. An individual licence belongs to a person. A director's individual licence does not license their company, so check the licence is held by the business named on the contract.

What is a nominee supervisor?

A licensed company must have a nominee supervisor, a person whose own licence supervises the company's work. A nominee supervisor licence does not let that person contract for work in their own name, and it is not the company's licence.

What does a licence class mean?

Each class names the work the licence covers, for example Carpentry, Plumbing and Drainage or Builder - Low Rise. A licence in one class does not cover work in another, so check the class matches the work in your contract.

What is in a Construction Background Report?

Insolvency and court records, Security of Payment adjudication decisions, licence standing and conduct records from the state registers, and the TradesField Rating. Every report lists the registers checked and the date of each.

Why check a subcontractor or builder before engaging them?

Many construction companies that fail had records lodged months earlier, such as a winding-up application or an adjudication decided against them. Those records sit with ASIC, the courts and the licensing authorities, not with the business you are about to sign.

What is the TradesField Rating?

A grade from A to E, with a score out of 100, that shows a company's standing in the Australian construction industry. It is built from official filings, court records, licence history and adjudicated payment disputes, and every company is scored the same way. Nobody can pay for a better grade.

Is this a credit check?

Not a consumer one. The report covers businesses, not individuals, and does not access or affect anyone's personal credit file. It does not assess workmanship.

Browse licensed contractors in Queensland

Results show the register as we last read it. Confirm a licence on the QBCC licensee register.

TradesField brings public register records together so checking a contractor is quicker. It does not replace the authorities that keep them. Records can change after we read them, and a register can hold something we have not matched, so check licences, company status and court records directly with the QBCC, ASIC, the courts and the relevant state regulator before you rely on them, sign a contract or pay a deposit. TradesField is independent and not affiliated with any government authority. Information here is general and is not legal or financial advice.

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