The reading room

Resources and checklists for home owners.

This is the reference shelf: the checklists and plain English explainers that help you hire well and ask better questions. It does not matter whether you are booking an electrician, a solar installer, an air conditioning installer or a roofer. The habits are the same everywhere in Australia, and the paperwork is what protects you after the job is done.

Start here

The one thing to check before you book anyone

Ask for the tradesperson's licence number and check it with the licensing regulator in your state or territory. Each regulator publishes an online register or search tool, and you should use it directly rather than relying on a screenshot or a number typed into a quote.

This guide comes first because so much of the trouble home owners describe traces back to skipping it. A licence does not guarantee a perfect job, but you want to know who you are dealing with before any work begins.

The library

Checklists worth bookmarking

Each one is written for a householder, not a tradesperson. They are quick to read and they help you compare quotes and keep the right paperwork.

Hiring

Before you hire an electrician

Check the licence with your state or territory regulator, confirm who will actually do the work, ask for the quote and scope in writing, and confirm what certificate you will receive at the end.

Read the checklist →
Solar

Before you hire a solar installer

Confirm the licence and accreditation details, ask who designs the system, ask what the written quote includes for panels, inverter and mounting, and ask what documentation you will be given on completion.

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Air conditioning

Before you hire an air conditioning installer

Ask about the licence for the electrical and refrigerant side of the job, confirm the unit model and capacity in writing, and ask where the indoor and outdoor units will sit before anything is ordered.

Read the checklist →
Roofing

Before you hire a roofer

Check the licence with your state or territory regulator, ask for the scope in plain words, ask how the site will be kept safe, and confirm what written warranty comes with the work.

Read the checklist →
Quotes

What to ask for in a written quote

A written quote should spell out the licence number, the scope in plain words, what is included and excluded, the products and models, the payment terms, and what documentation you will receive.

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Paperwork

What to keep after the job

Keep the quote, the invoice, any certificate of compliance or electrical safety certificate, product manuals, and the warranty terms. Store them together so they are ready if you sell or claim.

Read the checklist →
Field notebook

Four things a written quote should always spell out

If any of those four are missing, that is not a red flag on its own, but it is a perfectly reasonable question to ask before you commit.

After the job

Paperwork to keep once the work is finished

Paperwork is the part most home owners forget, and it is the part that matters later. Keep everything in one place, ideally both a paper folder and a digital copy.

Licence checks

How to check a tradesperson's licence

Licensing is handled by each state and territory, and the rules and registers differ. The safest approach is to go directly to the licensing regulator for where you live and use their official lookup tool.

Not sure which regulator applies to you? Search for the licensing authority in your state or territory, or check the service directory on your local or state government website.

Common missteps

What home owners most often get wrong

“I got several quotes and picked one in the middle. It turned out the quote had not allowed for an extra board. The lowest quote was actually the most complete. I just had not read the scope carefully.” Home owner, New South Wales

“The downlights flickered for a year. I thought it was the globes. The electrician found a loose connection behind the switch and fixed it quickly. I wish I had read a guide like this first.” Home owner, Victoria

Stories like these are why this page exists. The information is out there, but it is often buried under jargon and marketing.

Read the guides

Want the fuller guides?

The guides go deeper on hiring, quotes, paperwork and how to compare what you are offered.

Read the guides