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Checking a builder or developer before you sign

How to check a builder or developer's registration, insurance and deposit terms before signing — Victoria and Western Australia in detail, NSW's insurance cover, other states not yet researched.

Jurisdiction: All 8 states and territories — VIC, WA, QLD, SA and the ACT compared in detail; NSW, TAS and NT insurance/register cover cited·Sources last verified: 18 Aug 2026·Written by: Delora editorial team·Last reviewed: 2026-08-28·Change history
Key points
  • Check the builder's registration or licence — name, number and type matching — on the state regulator's free register before getting quotes.
  • Get the required insurance certificate (protecting you if the builder dies, disappears or becomes insolvent) before paying any deposit, not after.
  • A deposit above the state's cap (6.5% in WA for contracts $7,500-$500,000) is a genuine red flag, not just an inconvenience.
  • Industry association membership (HIA, Master Builders) isn't a substitute for checking state registration directly.
  • Get at least three written quotes, see completed examples in person, and check the registration number itself for any disciplinary history.

ACT: developers themselves are becoming licensed, not just builders

The ACT is doing something genuinely different from every other state and territory: from 1 October 2026, under the Property Developers Act 2024, the developer itself — not just the builder — must hold a licence for any residential project of 3 or more dwellings. That covers anyone applying for development approval, arranging the building work, or selling or advertising an off-the-plan sale (ACT Government (City and Environment Directorate, Planning), verified 12 Aug 2026). Getting licensed requires passing a "fit and proper person" test and providing an independent capacity/capability rating report (currently only available from one approved provider, Equifax) — a meaningfully higher bar than most states apply to the builder alone. A public register of licensed developers is planned but doesn't exist yet, since the scheme itself isn't mandatory until October 2026 — check directly with the ACT Government for the current status if you're buying an ACT off-the-plan property. Separately, the ACT also runs its own free public register of licensed builders via Access Canberra (Access Canberra / ACT Government, verified 12 Aug 2026).

Check the licence or registration before you talk price

Before getting quotes or signing anything, confirm the builder or developer is actually registered — name, registration number and licence type all matching. In Victoria, the Building and Plumbing Commission maintains a free public register of practitioners (Building and Plumbing Commission (Victorian Building Authority), verified 29 Jul 2026). In Western Australia, building work of $20,000 or more generally requires registration with Building and Energy, checkable on its free online licence search (Consumer Protection WA (Government of Western Australia), verified 12 Aug 2026). In Queensland, the QBCC runs a free online licensee register searchable by name, company or licence number — confirm the licence is current, not suspended or cancelled, and covers the right class of work (Queensland Building and Construction Commission, verified 12 Aug 2026). In South Australia, Consumer and Business Services maintains a public register of licensed builders and tradespeople, plus a separate public assurances register listing any business with official concerns raised about its past work (Government of South Australia (Attorney-General's Department), verified 12 Aug 2026). The ACT runs its own free public builder register too (see above, alongside its new developer-specific licensing scheme) (Access Canberra / ACT Government, verified 12 Aug 2026). In the Northern Territory, check the Public Register of Building Practitioners on the NT Land Information System (Northern Territory Government, verified 12 Aug 2026). In New South Wales, NSW Fair Trading's free Verify Licence register covers contractor, tradesperson and builder licences under the Home Building Act 1989 — confirm the licence is current and covers the right class of work before you commit (NSW Government (NSW Fair Trading), verified 18 Aug 2026). Tasmania also licenses builders through Consumer, Building and Occupational Services, though this guide hasn't yet sourced its specific public register-search tool.

Insurance: get the certificate before the deposit, not after

Every state runs some form of insurance that protects you if the builder dies, disappears, or becomes insolvent during the build — but the details genuinely differ, and the one thing that's consistent everywhere is that you should have the certificate in hand before paying any deposit, not after. In Victoria, domestic building insurance covers work worth more than $16,000 for 6 years from completion (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 31 Jul 2026), with a broader Home Warranty scheme applying to eligible contracts signed from 1 July 2026 (Victorian Government (vic.gov.au), verified 7 Aug 2026). In Western Australia, ask for the home indemnity insurance certificate before you pay a deposit — don't accept a promise that it's "on its way" (Consumer Protection WA (Government of Western Australia), verified 12 Aug 2026). In NSW, Home Building Compensation cover protects up to $340,000 for work over $20,000, with major defects covered for 6 years and other losses for 2 (State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) NSW, verified 12 Aug 2026). In Queensland, the Home Warranty Scheme is compulsory for work valued over $3,300 and pays up to $200,000 on claims, running for 6 years and 6 months from whichever is earliest of contract date, premium payment or work starting (Queensland Building and Construction Commission, verified 12 Aug 2026). In South Australia, building indemnity insurance is required for work that needs council approval and costs $20,000 or more (Government of South Australia (Attorney-General's Department), verified 12 Aug 2026). In Tasmania, holding a builder licence itself requires the builder to carry $5 million public liability insurance and Contract Works insurance (Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) Tasmania, verified 12 Aug 2026) — worth asking to see, even though this guide hasn't sourced a Tasmania-specific consumer register or deposit cap yet. In the Northern Territory, owners of new homes (including duplexes and units up to 3 storeys) must have residential building cover against defective or incomplete work, obtained via a fidelity fund certificate (Northern Territory Government, verified 12 Aug 2026).

Deposit limits exist for a reason

A builder asking for an unusually large deposit upfront is a genuine red flag, not just an inconvenience — it increases how much you stand to lose if something goes wrong before any work is done. In Western Australia, the deposit on a building contract worth $7,500-$500,000 is capped at 6.5% of the contract price (Consumer Protection WA (Government of Western Australia), verified 12 Aug 2026). In South Australia, a deposit on a contract worth $20,000 or more should be no more than 5% of the total — the SA Government itself describes any other upfront payment beyond genuine costs like council approval or soil testing as risky (Government of South Australia (Attorney-General's Department), verified 12 Aug 2026). Other states set their own limits — check the figure for your state specifically rather than assuming another state's cap applies.

Practical checks beyond the paperwork

Get written quotes from at least three builders so you have a genuine basis for comparison, not just the first number you hear. Ask to see examples of completed work, ideally in person, not just photos. Check online reviews and, where available, any public disciplinary or complaints history against the registration number you've already verified — not just the business name, since builders who've had problems sometimes trade under a new entity. Ask directly how long they've held their registration, and be wary of a newly formed company with directors who have a history of insolvent building businesses.

If something goes wrong

In Victoria, raise a dispute directly with the builder first; if that doesn't resolve it, Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria offers free conciliation and generally must be tried before a tribunal claim (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 31 Jul 2026). Other states run their own equivalent building dispute services — check with that state's consumer affairs or fair trading regulator for the process that applies where you're building.

Common mistake: treating a builder's membership in an industry association (like the HIA or Master Builders) as equivalent to state registration — it isn't a substitute, and only the state licence register confirms they're legally entitled to do the work.

Practical checklist

Before you sign or pay a deposit

  • Search the builder's name and registration number on your state's official licence register
  • Confirm the licence type covers the specific work you're having done
  • Get the insurance certificate in hand before paying any deposit
  • Compare at least three written quotes for the same scope of work
  • Check what the deposit cap is in your state, and query anything above it

Questions for a professional

  • Can you provide your current registration number so I can verify it myself?
  • Can I see the insurance certificate before I pay a deposit?
  • What's included and excluded from this quote, in writing?
  • What's your process if there's a dispute during the build?

Official resources

Important limitations: This is general education, not a recommendation for or against any specific builder or developer. Registration requirements, insurance schemes and deposit caps vary by state and territory and change over time — always confirm current details with your state's regulator before signing. Tasmania's and the Northern Territory's insurance prerequisites are cited but their exact deposit caps have not yet been sourced. The ACT's property developer licensing scheme is not yet mandatory (from 1 October 2026) and its public register does not yet exist — confirm current status directly.

Sources and methodology

Figures on this page are drawn from Delora's local knowledge graph, refreshed from these primary sources and checked for changes on a regular schedule. If a figure here looks out of date, the official source above is always the authority — please let us know.

Evidence record
Written by
Delora editorial team
Jurisdiction
All 8 states and territories — VIC, WA, QLD, SA and the ACT compared in detail; NSW, TAS and NT insurance/register cover cited
Content type
Guide (general education, not financial advice)
Last reviewed
2026-08-13
Sources
See "Sources and methodology" above for cited sources
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