Buying · Australia
Choosing between builder quotes: the checks that matter
The public-record checks worth running on each builder before you compare quotes - licence, insurance and company status. Draft, pending review.
Last updated 2026-07-12
In short
A quote tells you a price, not whether the business behind it holds a current licence, carries the required insurance, or is the same company it was last year. Each is a separate public-record check: the licence on Service NSW, HBCF cover for your project, and the company's status on ASIC. Run the same three checks on every builder before you compare quotes.
As at
A quote tells you a price. It does not tell you whether the business behind it holds a current licence, carries the required insurance, or is the same company it was last year. Those are separate questions, and each has a public record. This guide gathers the checks; it does not compare prices or recommend a builder.
| Check | What to confirm | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Current NSW licence for the class of work, name matches the quote | Service NSW licence check |
| Insurance | HBCF certificate in place for your project before deposit | Service NSW / icare HBCF |
| Company | Registration date, status and officeholders | ASIC registers |
1. The licence
Confirm each builder holds a current NSW licence for the class of work, using the Service NSW licence check, and match the licence name to the name on the quote.[1]
2. The insurance
For residential work over $20,000 in NSW, confirm HBCF cover is in place for your project before you pay a deposit. Eligibility for cover is not the same as a certificate of insurance for your job.[2]
3. The company
Look up the company behind the quote on ASIC's registers: its registration date, its status and its officeholders. A company's age and history are facts on the record, read as at the date you check them.[3]
Comparing like with like
Two quotes are only comparable once you know both businesses clear the same public-record checks. A lower price from a business whose licence or insurance you cannot confirm is not the same product as a higher one you can. We report what the registers hold; the decision, and any advice on your contract, stays with you and your solicitor.
Sources
- A builder's NSW licence and the class of work it authorises can be confirmed through the Service NSW licence check. Service NSW - Check a builder or tradesperson licence (retrieved 2026-07-04)
- For residential work over $20,000 in NSW, HBCF cover must be in place before a deposit is paid. Service NSW - Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) (retrieved 2026-07-04)
- A company's registration date, status and officeholders can be looked up on ASIC's registers. ASIC - Search ASIC registers (retrieved 2026-07-04)
Property Assurance is an independent information service. We are not a government body, insurer or credit provider. This guide explains public records; it is not legal or financial advice.
Common questions
- What should I check before comparing builder quotes?
- Three public records: each builder's current NSW licence for the class of work, HBCF insurance for your project, and the company's registration date and status on ASIC. Only then are two quotes comparable.
- Why is the cheapest builder quote not always comparable?
- A lower price from a business whose licence or insurance you cannot confirm is not the same product as a higher one you can. Clear the same checks first, then compare like with like.
Checking a specific builder? See builders we have checked.
See what the registers say
Construction accounted for 2,142 of 7,742 companies that entered external administration - about 27.7%, the largest share of any industry - over July 2023 to March 2024.Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), media release 24-077MR
Reads the public registers directly. Sources named and dated.