What trade do I need? 35 common jobs and who does each

Short answer

Work out the job first, then the trade. Hot water, blocked drains, burst pipes and gas go to a plumber; anything behind a switchboard goes to an electrician; a leaking roof goes to a roofer rather than a builder; a tree goes to an arborist. The table below maps 35 common jobs to the 22 trades that do them, and 11 of those jobs are usually happening right now.

Directories are organised by trade because that is how the data arrives. People are not. Being asked to name the trade before you can search is being asked to already know the answer — and getting it wrong wastes a callout fee, because the person who turns up is not licensed for the work.

The job, and who does it

The jobTradeUsually urgent
Hot water repair and replacementPlumbersYes
Blocked drainsPlumbersYes
Burst and leaking pipesPlumbersYes
Gas fittingPlumbersYes
Bathroom and kitchen plumbingPlumbers—
Power faults and switchboardsElectriciansYes
LightingElectricians—
EV charger installationElectricians—
Rewiring and new circuitsElectricians—
Air conditioner repairHeating & CoolingYes
Air conditioner installationHeating & Cooling—
Roof leak repairRoofersYes
Gutters and downpipesRoofers—
Roof restoration and replacementRoofers—
Tree removalArboristsYes
Lawn mowing and garden maintenanceGardeners & Landscapers—
Landscaping and pavingGardeners & Landscapers—
New fencingFencing Contractors—
Garage door repairGarage Door SpecialistsYes
Lockouts and lock repairsLocksmithsYes
Renovations and extensionsBuilders—
Carpentry and repairsBuilders—
House paintingPainters—
Tiling and waterproofingTilers—
Pest controlPest ControllersYes
End of lease cleaningCleaners—
House cleaningCleaners—
House movingRemovalists—
Pool maintenance and repairPool Services—
Solar installation and repairSolar Installers—
Car servicing and repairMechanics—
Car detailingCar Detailers—
Dog groomingPet Groomers—
Driving lessonsDriving Schools—
PhotographyPhotographers—

Where two trades both do the work

Plenty of jobs sit on a boundary. A leaking roof is repaired by roofers and by builders; a blocked drain by plumbers and by drainage specialists; a new deck by builders and by carpenters. The rule used here is: the trade you would call FIRST, which is the one that turns up for the emergency version of the job. That is when getting it wrong costs the most.

The exception worth knowing is electrical and gas work. In every Australian state it is illegal for an unlicensed person to do it, and that includes a licensed tradesperson in a different trade. A builder cannot legally connect a cooktop.

If it is happening right now

These are the emergency surfaces on this site — a trade and a location where at least ten businesses say they take emergency callouts. The count beside each is how many.

Once you know the trade

Every trade in the directory, with how many businesses are listed under it:

Common questions

What trade fixes a hot water system?
A plumber. Electric and gas hot water units both come under plumbing and gasfitting in Australia, and the electrical connection on an electric unit needs a licensed electrician only where new wiring is involved.
Do I call a roofer or a builder for a leaking roof?
A roofer. A builder will often subcontract the same work to one, and the roofer turns up for the emergency version of the job.
Who removes a tree — a gardener or an arborist?
An arborist. There are 785 listed here, against 1,744 gardeners and landscapers, and removing a large tree near a building is arborist work.
How many trades does this directory cover?
23 trades and 51,127 Australian businesses, across 201 locations.

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