Jobs for tradies in Victoria: what to have in place first

Where the work comes from

Private jobs from homeowners and renters come through referrals, repeat customers, sites where people post jobs, and sometimes door-knocking. Whichever way you find them, the customer will check you, and the paperwork below is what they'll look for: how customers check a tradie's licence shows the registers they use.

On TradieToday, homeowners around Melbourne post jobs and tradies respond. Reading a job post and quoting it well covers that part.

An ABN

You're entitled to an Australian Business Number if you're carrying on or starting an enterprise in Australia, but not for work you do as an employee. Applying through the Australian Business Register is free.

Customers can look you up on ABN Lookup, so the name on your quotes and invoices should match the one registered to your ABN.

GST

You must register for GST once your GST turnover is $75,000 or more. Say on every quote whether the price includes GST, so customers can compare like with like.

The registration or licence the work needs

Victoria licenses the work, not the job title, so check what each job needs before you quote it.

• Building work: domestic building work worth more than $10,000, counting labour, materials and GST, needs a registered builder, and a builder must be registered to enter a major domestic building contract. Domestic Builder Limited classes cover single trades such as carpentry
• Plumbing: each class (such as drainage, gasfitting, sanitary or roofing stormwater) has two levels, registration and licence. Registration doesn't let you supervise other plumbers or issue compliance certificates: only licensed plumbers can issue a compliance certificate
• Electrical: an A grade licence doesn't let you contract for electrical installation work for profit. To do that you must also be a Registered Electrical Contractor with Energy Safe Victoria

A white card for construction work

Anyone doing construction work on a site in Victoria needs a construction induction card, the white card. WorkSafe Victoria issues it only after face-to-face training with an approved registered training organisation: online white card courses aren't accepted.

Insurance

Registered builders must take out domestic building insurance for domestic building work over $16,000, before asking for or receiving any payment under a major domestic building contract.

Public liability insurance isn't required for every trade: business.gov.au says some states and territories require it for certain occupations. Many customers ask for it anyway, so know what yours covers. If you employ staff you need workers compensation insurance, which doesn't cover you as a sole trader.

Contracts and deposits

Most domestic building work worth more than $10,000 needs a major domestic building contract. The deposit can be no more than 10 per cent if the contract price is less than $20,000, and 5 per cent if it's $20,000 or more. Paying a tradie is the same rules from the customer's side.

If you door-knock for work

Agreements made at someone's door or on the phone without them asking you to come are unsolicited consumer agreements under the Australian Consumer Law, unless they're worth less than $100. The Australian Consumer Law's rules for them are strict, and the ACCC enforces them.

• Visit only on weekdays between 9 am and 6 pm, or Saturdays between 9 am and 5 pm; never on Sundays or public holidays
• Give the customer a written agreement
• The customer has 10 business days to cancel, starting the first business day after they sign or receive the agreement
• In that time you can't supply services or take payment, except for electricity, gas or emergency repairs

Subcontracting for a builder

Businesses that mainly provide building and construction services report what they pay contractors for those services to the ATO, in a taxable payments annual report due by 28 August. The ATO uses the reports to find contractors who aren't meeting their tax obligations, so the income you're paid as a subcontractor is visible to it.

Whether you're a contractor or an employee depends on the whole working arrangement, not just the label. The ATO looks at the rights and obligations in your contract, and the Fair Work Act has used a whole of relationship test since 26 August 2024. Sham contracting, calling an employee a contractor, is illegal. Even for a genuine contractor, super may be payable if the contract is principally for their labour.

Before you take on a job

• An ABN in the name on your quotes
• GST registration once turnover reaches $75,000
• The registration or licence each job needs
• A white card from an approved course
• Domestic building insurance over $16,000
• A written contract and a lawful deposit
• Door-knocking hours and the cooling-off rules

Ready to find work? Browse Melbourne jobs, then use reading a job post and quoting it well before you respond. Availability depends on real postings, and you can apply to list your business.