Guides
How to hire a tradie without getting burnt
79 guides to choosing, checking and paying an Australian tradesperson — each backed by what 66,104 trade businesses actually publish about themselves.
WhoToHire publishes 79 guides on hiring Australian tradespeople, covering how to check a licence in each state, what an ABN does and does not prove, how to read reviews, how to compare quotes, your rights under Australian Consumer Law when work goes wrong, and measured data on 66,104 trade businesses.
There is no cost guide here, and that is deliberate. “How much does a plumber cost” is the most-asked question in this space and we hold no price data, so anything we published would be a guess dressed as research. Everything below is something we can actually show you.
Choosing who to hire
- How to read tradie reviews without being fooledThe median Australian trade business has 40 Google reviews. Here is why a five-star rating from a handful of them tells you less than a 4.6 from three hundred.
- How to compare tradie quotes properlyThree quotes is standard advice and half the job. What matters is whether the three are quoting the same work — and usually they are not.
- Red flags when hiring a tradieThe warning signs that show up before the work starts — door-knocking after storms, cash-only pricing, large deposits, and a licence number nobody will give you.
- How to find a good tradie near youDistance matters more than most people admit, and less than proximity-ranked directories imply. How to use location properly when hiring, across 201 Australian locations.
- What trade do I need? 35 common jobs and who does eachNobody wakes up needing "a plumber" — they wake up to a cold shower. 35 household and vehicle jobs mapped to the trade that does each, and 66,104 Australian businesses to compare once you know which one you want.
- How to get to a shortlist of three in about ten minutesA repeatable way to go from a job to three businesses worth ringing, using checks that are free and take seconds — and skipping the two things everybody looks at that tell you almost nothing.
- What should be in a quote from a tradespersonThe eight things a quote has to show before you can compare it with another one, the difference between a quote and an estimate, and why the cheapest number is often the least complete.
- How to write a job brief that gets comparable quotesThree quotes against three different understandings of the job cannot be compared. A short written brief is the cheapest thing you can do to make them comparable — and it takes about fifteen minutes.
- Handyman or licensed tradesperson: which do you need?A handyman is not a licence category. What a handyman can legally do, where the line sits, and why the answer is absolute for electrical, plumbing and gas work.
- The questions to ask before work startsTen questions that take five minutes and prevent most of what goes wrong. Grouped by what they protect you from, so you can skip the ones that do not apply.
- Why the cheapest quote often costs the mostThe lowest number usually differs in scope rather than in margin. How to tell a genuinely competitive quote from an incomplete one before you accept it.
- Getting your home ready before the trades arriveWhat to move, what to photograph, what to agree about access and pets, and the ten minutes of preparation that prevents most damage disputes.
- How to choose a builder in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a builder, and what 9,049 Australian builders actually publish about themselves — 18.2% a checkable ABN, 6.2% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a roofer in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a roofer, and what 1,369 Australian roofers actually publish about themselves — 24.2% a checkable ABN, 6.3% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a tiler in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a tiler, and what 621 Australian tilers actually publish about themselves — 22.1% a checkable ABN, 5.9% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a painter in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a painter, and what 1,277 Australian painters actually publish about themselves — 17% a checkable ABN, 7.3% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a fencing contractor in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a fencing contractor, and what 1,007 Australian fencing contractors actually publish about themselves — 16.7% a checkable ABN, 7% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a garage door installer in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a garage door installer, and what 584 Australian garage door specialists actually publish about themselves — 20.9% a checkable ABN, 10.7% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose an electrician in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire an electrician, and what 3,996 Australian electricians actually publish about themselves — 25.1% a checkable ABN, 6.8% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a plumber in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a plumber, and what 3,553 Australian plumbers actually publish about themselves — 25.1% a checkable ABN, 9.3% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose an air conditioning installer in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire an air conditioning installer, and what 2,138 Australian heating & cooling actually publish about themselves — 22.7% a checkable ABN, 7.6% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a solar installer in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a solar installer, and what 1,516 Australian solar installers actually publish about themselves — 18.3% a checkable ABN, 8.5% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a locksmith in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a locksmith, and what 1,003 Australian locksmiths actually publish about themselves — 21.5% a checkable ABN, 7.1% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a landscaper in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a landscaper, and what 2,259 Australian gardeners & landscapers actually publish about themselves — 15.8% a checkable ABN, 4.7% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose an arborist in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire an arborist, and what 918 Australian arborists actually publish about themselves — 19.2% a checkable ABN, 6.2% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a pest control company in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a pest control company, and what 1,396 Australian pest controllers actually publish about themselves — 17.8% a checkable ABN, 10.5% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a pool service in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a pool service, and what 1,444 Australian pool services actually publish about themselves — 17.9% a checkable ABN, 8% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a cleaner in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a cleaner, and what 3,843 Australian cleaners actually publish about themselves — 12.7% a checkable ABN, 6.5% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a removalist in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a removalist, and what 1,234 Australian removalists actually publish about themselves — 9.9% a checkable ABN, 5.7% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a mechanic in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a mechanic, and what 19,898 Australian mechanics actually publish about themselves — 24.2% a checkable ABN, 7.3% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a car detailer in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a car detailer, and what 1,251 Australian car detailers actually publish about themselves — 14.3% a checkable ABN, 9.3% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a car wash in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a car wash, and what 1,573 Australian car washes actually publish about themselves — 5.7% a checkable ABN, 7.7% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a photographer in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a photographer, and what 2,463 Australian photographers actually publish about themselves — 6.7% a checkable ABN, 2.6% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a pet groomer in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a pet groomer, and what 2,171 Australian pet groomers actually publish about themselves — 10.6% a checkable ABN, 5% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
- How to choose a driving instructor in AustraliaWhat to check before you hire a driving instructor, and what 1,541 Australian driving schools actually publish about themselves — 17.2% a checkable ABN, 4.2% a phone number that contradicts their own website.
Checking who you hire
- How to check an Australian tradie's licenceThere is no national licence register in Australia. Here is the regulator for every state and territory, what each one covers, and what to do when a trade isn't licensed at all.
- What an ABN tells you about a tradie — and what it doesn'tAn ABN is free, public and takes a minute to check — and only 19.5% of 66,104 Australian trade businesses publish one. Here is what it proves, what it doesn't, and how to look one up.
- When a tradie's phone number doesn't match their own website4,495 Australian trade businesses list a phone number that contradicts the one on their own website. Sometimes it is a stale listing. Sometimes it is a lead reseller between you and the person doing the work.
- 29.7% of perfect 5.0 ratings come from fewer than ten reviews23,455 of 66,104 Australian trade businesses hold a perfect 5.0 — and 29.7% of those have fewer than ten reviews behind it. The full distribution, and what to read instead.
- Only 4.3% of Australian trade businesses say which suburbs they cover2,828 of 66,104 businesses publish a service area, so distance is usually the only thing anyone can measure. How this site handles that, and the question to ask before you book.
- How to check a tradesperson's licence in New South WalesHow to confirm a NSW tradesperson is licensed, which register to search, and what 20,174 NSW businesses actually publish — only 21.5% have an ABN you can check.
- How to check a tradesperson's licence in VictoriaHow to confirm a VIC tradesperson is licensed, which register to search, and what 16,588 VIC businesses actually publish — only 17% have an ABN you can check.
- How to check a tradesperson's licence in QueenslandHow to confirm a QLD tradesperson is licensed, which register to search, and what 14,912 QLD businesses actually publish — only 21.7% have an ABN you can check.
- How to check a tradesperson's licence in Western AustraliaHow to confirm a WA tradesperson is licensed, which register to search, and what 7,106 WA businesses actually publish — only 17.8% have an ABN you can check.
- How to check a tradesperson's licence in South AustraliaHow to confirm a SA tradesperson is licensed, which register to search, and what 4,338 SA businesses actually publish — only 16.9% have an ABN you can check.
- How to check a tradesperson's licence in TasmaniaHow to confirm a TAS tradesperson is licensed, which register to search, and what 1,197 TAS businesses actually publish — only 15.3% have an ABN you can check.
- How to check a tradesperson's licence in Australian Capital TerritoryHow to confirm a ACT tradesperson is licensed, which register to search, and what 1,052 ACT businesses actually publish — only 16.3% have an ABN you can check.
- How to check a tradesperson's licence in Northern TerritoryHow to confirm a NT tradesperson is licensed, which register to search, and what 681 NT businesses actually publish — only 20.9% have an ABN you can check.
- Why the number you rang isn't always the person who turns up6.8% of the businesses we measured list a phone number that contradicts the number on their own website. Sometimes that is a stale listing. Sometimes it is a lead reseller between you and the tradesperson.
- How to spot a fake or bought reviewThe patterns that give bought reviews away, and the one thing this site openly cannot check — the median business here has 40 reviews and we hold no dates for any of them.
- Compliance certificates: what they are and when you must get oneElectrical, plumbing and gas work usually requires a certificate confirming it complies with the standards. What the certificate does, who issues it, and why it matters at the point you sell.
- Does your tradesperson need insurance, and how do you check?Public liability, workers compensation and home warranty insurance do different jobs and cover different people. Which ones matter for your job, and how to verify a policy actually exists.
- Door knocking, storm chasers and the roof you didn't know was brokenThe pattern is always the same: unsolicited, urgent, and a price that only holds if you decide now. What the law gives you, and why the urgency is the tell.
- How to check a business online in ten minutesA repeatable sequence of checks you can run before letting anyone into your house, in the order that eliminates the most risk per minute spent.
Your rights
- Your rights when tradie work goes wrongAustralian Consumer Law gives you guarantees that cannot be contracted away. What they cover for trade work, and the order to escalate in.
- What to do when trade work goes wrong in New South WalesThe order of steps for a NSW dispute over defective or unfinished work: consumer guarantees, NSW Fair Trading, and NCAT.
- What to do when trade work goes wrong in VictoriaThe order of steps for a VIC dispute over defective or unfinished work: consumer guarantees, Consumer Affairs Victoria, the conciliation step that comes before the tribunal, and VCAT.
- What to do when trade work goes wrong in QueenslandThe order of steps for a QLD dispute over defective or unfinished work: consumer guarantees, the Office of Fair Trading, and QCAT.
- What to do when trade work goes wrong in Western AustraliaThe order of steps for a WA dispute over defective or unfinished work: consumer guarantees, Consumer Protection, within the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, and SAT.
- What to do when trade work goes wrong in South AustraliaThe order of steps for a SA dispute over defective or unfinished work: consumer guarantees, Consumer and Business Services, and SACAT.
- What to do when trade work goes wrong in TasmaniaThe order of steps for a TAS dispute over defective or unfinished work: consumer guarantees, Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS), and TASCAT.
- What to do when trade work goes wrong in Australian Capital TerritoryThe order of steps for a ACT dispute over defective or unfinished work: consumer guarantees, Access Canberra, and ACAT.
- What to do when trade work goes wrong in Northern TerritoryThe order of steps for a NT dispute over defective or unfinished work: consumer guarantees, NT Consumer Affairs, and NTCAT.
- Variations: how a job grows after you agreed the priceA variation is any change to the agreed scope, and it is where fixed-price jobs stop being fixed. What a variation must contain, when you have to agree, and how to stop them accumulating.
- Paying a tradesperson in cash: what you give upA cash discount is not free money. What you lose is the paper trail, and with it the practical ability to enforce a warranty, claim on insurance or prove the work was ever done.
- What unlicensed work actually costs youThe problem with unlicensed work is not the fine — that lands on the tradesperson. It is that the consequences attach to your property, your insurance and your sale, and they outlast the person who did it.
- Who pays for repairs: renter or landlord?Landlords are responsible for keeping a rental in repair; renters are responsible for damage they cause. What counts as an urgent repair, and what a renter can do when nobody responds.
- When a tradesperson doesn't turn upNo-shows are the most common complaint in the trades. What to do the first time, when it becomes a breach, and how to end an arrangement that has stopped working.
- Strata repairs: who is responsible for whatThe dividing line in an apartment is common property versus lot property, and it does not follow your front door. Who arranges the tradesperson, who pays, and what to do when a leak crosses the line.
Our data
- How we check every business, and what we get wrongThe five checks run against all 66,104 businesses in this directory, how often each one actually succeeds, and the things this method cannot see.
- Only 19.5% of Australian trade businesses publish a checkable ABNWe checked 66,104 Australian trade businesses. 19.5% publish an ABN that can be confirmed against the national register — from 25.1% of electricians down to 5.7% of car washes.
- 6.8% of Australian tradies list a phone number that contradicts their own websiteOf 66,104 Australian trade businesses, 4,495 publish a phone number that contradicts the one on their own site. 59.8% match. The rest could not be checked.
- The median Australian trade business has 40 Google reviewsReview volume across 66,104 Australian trade businesses, by trade and by state — from a median of 129 for car washes down to 14 for builders.
- Australian trade businesses by state: what the evidence looks likeHow 66,104 Australian trade businesses compare across 8 states and territories on ABN registration, contact accuracy and review volume.
- Which Australian trades are best and worst documentedRanking all 23 published trades on how much verifiable evidence they publish about themselves — ABN, contact accuracy, website reachability and corroboration.
- 15.5% of Australian trade businesses have no website at allOf 66,104 Australian trade businesses, 10,273 publish no website anywhere — and of the 37,038 sites we did fetch, 82.6% responded. What a missing website does and does not tell you.
- Only 5.6% of Australian trade businesses publish their opening hours3,721 of 66,104 Australian trade businesses publish hours anyone can read — which is why "open now" is the least reliable filter in any directory, and what to do at 11pm instead.
- How many trade businesses are there in Australia?66,104 across 23 trades are published here, from 565,935 records scanned and 26,740 deliberately withheld. What that number counts, and what it cannot.
- Where Australia's trade businesses are: 201 locations, ranked66,104 Australian trade businesses mapped across 3,523 suburbs — which locations have the deepest choice, which have almost none, and why that changes what you should ask for.