Are you planning to quote full renovations, supervise building work for an employer or set up a company that signs the contract? NSW treats those as different situations, and each can require a different licence or certificate.
Before applying, decide who will sign the contract and who will supervise the work. Then prepare the qualifications, project experience, referees, police check and personal history required for that application. Building Commission NSW looks at the whole submission, not only the certificate on the wall.
Contractor licence or qualified supervisor certificate?
This is the first practical decision.
- Contractor licence: lets the holder contract, subcontract and advertise for the work shown on the licence.
- Qualified supervisor certificate: supports supervising the work but does not let the holder contract or advertise in their own name.
- Company or partnership contractor licence: lets the business contract, with the required nominated supervision in place.
For example, a carpenter supervising jobs as an employee may be looking at a qualified supervisor certificate. The same carpenter planning to quote and contract directly with homeowners will usually need to pursue a contractor licence, subject to the regulator’s requirements. A company that signs the contracts needs its own licence arrangement as well.
A general building licence needs broad experience
“Builder licence” can mean different scopes. General building work is broader than a single trade, and the experience must match that breadth.
For general building work, NSW currently requires at least two years of relevant industry experience, with most gained within the previous ten years. The experience needs to cover a wide range of building construction work. Experience limited to one trade is not enough by itself for a full general building licence.
That does not make trade experience irrelevant. It means the application needs to show how your work developed beyond the trade itself. Useful projects may demonstrate planning, sequencing, supervision, coordination of other trades, quality control, compliance and responsibility across more of the build.
Show what you actually did on each project
A list of addresses or a résumé is rarely the full story. Strong project evidence explains:
- what was built or renovated
- when the work happened
- your job title and actual responsibilities
- which stages or trades you coordinated
- who supervised you and can confirm the work
- how the project relates to the NSW category you want
“Ran jobs for a builder” leaves too much unanswered. “Coordinated subcontractors and supervised the structural, lock-up and finishing stages of two residential extensions under a licensed builder” is clearer and easier to verify.
Choose referees who directly know the work. Speak with them before lodgement, check that they remember the projects and make sure their account will match yours.
Get the other application checks ready
Building Commission NSW also considers identity and fitness and propriety matters. This can include financial, criminal, disciplinary and compliance history, complaints and Tribunal orders.
For current individual contractor licence and qualified supervisor applications, NSW requires a National Police Check issued by state or federal police and no more than four months old at lodgement. Private accredited-provider certificates are not accepted under the current guidance. Check the current application form before ordering one because the rule can change.
A past issue does not automatically answer the application. The important point is to read each declaration carefully and provide what the regulator asks for rather than leaving it until lodgement day.
Check how your application must be lodged
Current NSW guidance requires individual contractor licence and qualified supervisor applications to be lodged in person. Company and partnership contractor applications can currently be lodged online or in person. Specialist categories may differ, so follow the current route for your application type.
Before lodgement, check that names, dates, project details, qualifications and referee information agree across the documents. If the regulator has to ask what a project was or who supervised it, the application was not as clear as it could have been.
A practical pre-lodgement list
- whether you will sign building contracts, supervise as an employee or apply for a company licence
- the likely licence, certificate and work category
- the qualification required for that target
- at least the required breadth and period of relevant experience
- projects that show your responsibility clearly
- referees who directly know and can verify the work
- a current, acceptable police check where required
- honest answers and supporting detail for declarations
- the correct application route for you or your business
Get the right NSW application ready to lodge
Builders Licence Success checks whether you are applying to contract, supervise or license a company. We then help select the projects and referees that show the required experience, identify missing documents and prepare the material for lodgement.
The NSW builder and trade licensing hub explains the state requirements. You can also read about individual builder licence support and company licence support.
Planning to quote full renovations, apply as a qualified supervisor or license a NSW building company? Check your NSW application and tell BLS who will sign the contracts, who will supervise and which projects show your experience.
FAQ
Is a qualified supervisor certificate the same as a contractor licence?
No. A qualified supervisor certificate supports supervision. It does not let you contract or advertise for the work in your own name.
Is two years in one trade enough for a general building licence?
Not by itself. NSW requires general building experience across a wide range of construction work, not experience limited to one trade. Building Commission NSW decides whether the evidence meets the requirements.
Can I apply before my referee evidence is ready?
That creates avoidable risk. If referees are required, organise them early so the project history and the referee account are consistent before lodgement.
Does BLS decide whether the licence is granted?
No. Building Commission NSW makes the final decision. BLS helps prepare a clear, evidence-supported application.