Check your scope and authorisations
Review the description for task type, measurements, photos, suburb and requested timing. Only offer work within your registration, licence, experience and insurance coverage.
New to taking on private work? Jobs for tradies covers the ABN, GST, white card, registration and insurance to have in place first.
Ask questions before pricing
Clarify missing details and site conditions. Identify any uncertainty or work that needs inspection before a firm quote can be supplied.
Price transparently
Explain labour, materials, travel, GST, call-out fees, exclusions and how variations would be approved. State any assumptions rather than silently adding them later.
Protect customers and your business
Avoid requesting passwords, sensitive documents or unprotected advance transfers. Keep agreements and invoices accurate and clear.
Review availability honestly
Do not promise an attendance time you cannot meet. For safety-critical work, direct customers to appropriate emergency and regulated services.
Example: assessing a leaking tap request
A listing says “tap dripping in rental kitchen, afternoon access, no water beneath sink”. Before estimating, ask whether the homeowner or rental provider is authorised to arrange plumbing work, whether the fitting can be identified from a photograph and whether a licensed plumber is needed. Explain that inspection may reveal a different issue from the visible symptom.
Do not advertise a definite repair price without a sufficient scope. Clarify the call-out fee, travel, parts, testing and what approval is required if the initial work changes.
A quick screening checklist
Before replying, check your trade registration and insurance, availability, location, job description, safety risks and the person authorised to approve work. Do not rely on a platform listing as evidence that the property is safe or the customer has approved all proposed changes.
- Confirm the trade and relevant registration or licence
- List missing measurements, photos and access details
- Separate inspection from a fixed-price repair where necessary
- State assumptions, exclusions and expected paperwork
- Document acceptance and any agreed variations
When to decline or refer
If a task requires authorisation you do not hold, involves a suspected immediate hazard or has an unclear property owner or approval process, do not proceed on assumptions. Refer to an appropriately qualified practitioner or the appropriate emergency service. This protects both the customer and your business.
Find tradie jobs, and what customers will check
Browse current trade jobs in Melbourne, filtered by trade and urgency. TradieToday's guides tell customers to check your licence or registration on the official register, look up your ABN, and expect a compliance certificate or Certificate of Electrical Safety where the work needs one. Having your numbers ready, and putting them on your quote, saves a round of questions. Customers are also told the legal limits on deposits for building work.
Official information and further reading
Regulatory requirements can change. Check the relevant Victorian authority before arranging regulated work.