BLOG
What to have on file, and why
Plain guides on licences, insurance, method statements and the rules that apply on an Australian construction site.
- LICENSINGHow to check a builder or tradie licence in the ACTCheck the Access Canberra public register for the licence holder, class and status before a builder or tradie starts work in the ACT.31/10/2026, 3 min read
- LICENSINGHow to check a builder licence in the Northern TerritoryCheck the Building Practitioners Board register for the holder, class and status before a builder or contractor starts work in the NT.31/10/2026, 3 min read
- LICENSINGHow to check a builder licence in South AustraliaCheck the Consumer and Business Services licensing register for the holder, licence scope and conditions before a builder starts work in South Australia.31/10/2026, 3 min read
- LICENSINGHow to check a builder or subcontractor licence in TasmaniaCheck the licence holder, class and status on the Tasmanian licence search before a builder or subcontractor starts work, and keep a record of the check.31/10/2026, 3 min read
- LICENSINGHow to check a white card in Tasmania and Western AustraliaWhat a general construction induction card proves, how to check and record one in Tasmania and Western Australia, and what to do when a card is lost.31/10/2026, 3 min read
- ESTIMATING · COMMERCIALHow to compare subcontractor quotes like for likeThree quotes for the same job rarely cover the same work. Here is how to put them side by side so the cheapest price is not just the one that left the most out.27/10/2026, 4 min read
- SAFETY · COMPLIANCEPermit to work basics for small buildersHot work, confined spaces, work at heights, digging and isolations. What a permit to work is for, who does what, and why the task should wait for it.27/10/2026, 5 min read
- ESTIMATING · CLIENT EXPERIENCESend a client a price they can accept onlineA PDF in an email invites a reply of "sounds good". Here is what to show a client, what to keep private, and how to end up with an acceptance you can point to.27/10/2026, 4 min read
- PROJECT DELIVERY · COMMERCIALStarting work with no price: what it really costsEvery builder has started something "and we'll sort the price out later". Here is what that tends to cost, and a simple rule that keeps it deliberate.27/10/2026, 4 min read
- BUSINESS OPERATIONSHow small Principal Contractors run a tighter businessFive specific things to actually change this week, not five things to think about, a subbie checklist, a claim-response habit, a weekly number to check, and where to draw the line on what still needs to be you.30/08/2026, 6 min read
- PROJECT DELIVERY · OPERATIONSA defect texted to a subcontractor vs. one that's tracked: what happens after handoverA defect noted on a walkthrough and texted to whoever's responsible works fine right up until the defects liability period, when nobody can agree on when it was raised, who was told, or whether it was ever actually fixed.28/08/2026, 5 min read
- LICENSINGHow to verify a subcontractor’s licence in Western AustraliaCheck the relevant WA register, licence class, holder and conditions before engaging a subcontractor for regulated work.23/08/2026, 3 min read
- PROJECT DELIVERY · OPERATIONSAn RFI by email vs. one with a timestamp: what actually goes missingA Request for Information sent by email works fine right up until you need to prove when it was asked, who answered, and what they actually said — which is usually exactly the moment it matters most.20/08/2026, 5 min read
- PAYMENTS · OPERATIONSWhat a disputed subcontractor payment claim actually costs a Principal ContractorA rejected claim with no reason attached doesn’t end the dispute — it just moves it to a phone call, then an email chain, then a resubmission nobody can point to. Here’s where that time actually goes, and what a paper trail changes about it.19/08/2026, 6 min read
- COMPLIANCEPayday Super and subcontractors: what general contractors actually oweFrom 1 July 2026, super has to be paid every payday, not quarterly — and it doesn’t stop at your direct employees. Here’s the subcontractor test most Principal Contractors have never had to think about.12/08/2026, 6 min read
- ASBESTOS · COMPLIANCEAsbestos register basics: what general contractors actually need on fileA pre-2004 building, or one where the construction year isn’t even known, needs a real asbestos register before work starts — not a PDF someone half-remembers uploading. Here’s what has to be on it, and where it should come from.05/08/2026, 4 min read
- LICENSINGHow to verify a subcontractor’s licence in QLD (the QBCC register explained)A practical walkthrough of verifying trade licences against the QBCC open register — what it actually covers, the one thing that trips up a manual check, and how to avoid the admin that usually falls through the cracks.05/08/2026, 6 min read
- SWMS · COMPLIANCEJSA or SWMS? The difference between a JSA and a SWMS, and which one you needConfusing a Safe Work Method Statement with a Job Safety Analysis — or handing over a JSA when a SWMS is legally required — can get a site shut down on the spot. Here’s how to tell them apart.02/08/2026, 7 min read
- WHS · SUBCONTRACTORSDoes a subcontractor bringing their own crew need a worker-management agreement?When a subcontractor brings their own tradies onto your site, WHS due diligence doesn’t stop at their own paperwork — here’s what a worker-management responsibility agreement actually covers, and when you need one.01/08/2026, 5 min read
- LICENSINGHow to verify a subcontractor’s licence in NSW (without waiting on hold)A practical walkthrough of verifying trade licences against the NSW government register — what to check, how often, and how to avoid the manual admin that usually falls through the cracks.20/07/2026, 6 min read
- SITE INDUCTIONWhite Card compliance tracking: what general contractors actually need to get rightWhite Card (General Construction Induction) requirements are simple in principle and surprisingly easy to get wrong in practice across a large or fast-moving job. Here’s what trips people up.10/07/2026, 5 min read
- LICENSINGHow to verify a subcontractor’s electrical licence in Victoria (REC vs. individual licences explained)Victoria splits electrical licensing into two genuinely different things — a business registration and an individual worker’s licence — and checking one doesn’t tell you anything about the other. Here’s how the Energy Safe Victoria register actually works.25/05/2026, 6 min read
- COMPLIANCEWhy insurance certificates need their own tracking, not just licencesA trade licence expiring and a public liability certificate expiring are two completely separate failure modes — treating insurance as a footnote to licence tracking means one of them is quietly going unmonitored.18/05/2026, 5 min read
- LICENSINGSA’s Building Indemnity Insurance changes: what Principal Contractors engaging SA subcontractors need to knowFrom 10 November 2025, South Australia’s minimum Building Indemnity Insurance cover rose from $150,000 to $250,000, and the domestic work threshold that triggers the requirement rose from $12,000 to $20,000. Here’s what actually changed and who it affects.11/05/2026, 5 min read
- SWMS · COMPLIANCEWhy your SWMS template citing "WHS Regulation 2011" is wrong in VictoriaVictoria never adopted the model WHS laws every other harmonised state and territory runs on — a SWMS template built around Schedule 2 of the WHS Regulation 2011 is citing the wrong law entirely for a Victorian site.04/05/2026, 5 min read
- WHS · SUBCONTRACTORSWhen your regular subcontractor can’t show up: the compliance problem nobody plans forA subcontractor calling in a same-day replacement is normal on a construction site — and it quietly breaks every compliance check you already did for the person who was actually supposed to turn up.27/04/2026, 5 min read
- WHSPsychosocial hazard reporting on construction sites: what Principal Contractors are actually required to doBullying, excessive workload, and fatigue are WHS hazards now, under the same duty of care as a fall risk — most sites still have no real channel for reporting them. Here’s what’s actually required, and why anonymity is the part that makes it work.20/04/2026, 5 min read