The checklists to take
to the kitchen table.

The free ~5-minute routine. Run it in order; if any check fails, don’t sign.

• State trade licence

  Number + class verified on your state regulator’s register. Covers the actual work.

• Public liability certificate

  Current Certificate of Currency, $5M–$20M by trade. The insurer’s page, not “I’m covered”.

• Workers compensation

  Current cover if they bring any workers onto your property.

• ABN verified active

  Checked on abr.business.gov.au; entity name matches the licence; 12+ months old.

• Specialist endorsement

  SAA accreditation for solar installer/designer (CEC for approved products), ARCtick (HVAC), asbestos class, HRW ticket, roof-plumbing endorsement — where it applies.

• Reviews & dispute pattern

  Volume, recency, repeated complaints; tribunal decisions (NCAT/VCAT/QCAT/SACAT).

• Three recent references

  Jobs in the last 6 months you can drive past or call. “Would you use them again?”

Line up every quote against the same anatomy. A wild spread usually means they’re pricing different jobs.

• Same scope named

  Each quote states exactly what work it covers — so you’re comparing like for like.

• Itemised, on letterhead

  Scope · materials · labour · waste/disposal · allowances. Numbered and dated.

• Materials specified

  Brand, grade, quantity, AS standard where it applies — not “standard”.

• Variation rule + ceiling

  What’s open, what triggers a re-quote, and a dollar cap on the open items.

• Licence number printed

  On the quote itself, matching the register and the ABN entity.

• Travel / site fees disclosed

  Any surcharge already in the quote — not a surprise “site fee” on the invoice.

• Three quotes, one question

  Ask each: “Which scope are you pricing, and what would change it?”

Any one of these is a reason to pause. More than one is a reason to walk.

• Deposit over the legal cap

  NSW 10%; QLD tiered 20% / 10% / 5% by job value; VIC 10% / 5% by threshold; other states vary. Always check your state regulator before paying.

• “Cash gets you a discount”

  No receipt voids your statutory warranty, consumer protection and insurance.

• “I’ll send the licence later”

  They’ve had time to prepare. They didn’t. They never will.

• Pressure to sign today

  Manufactured urgency. Real trades book weeks out.

• Door-knock / storm-chaser

  “We did your neighbour’s roof.” Never a quote you went looking for.

• No fixed scope in writing

  If it doesn’t say what you’re paying for, you’ll pay for whatever they decide.

• Verbal-only variations

  “We’ll sort it as we go” is how budgets blow out by 40%.

What you should be holding (or have on email) at handover. This is the file that wins a dispute.

• Compliance / safety certificate

  The certificate for the trade (e.g. electrical CCEW/COES, plumbing CoC, waterproofing, pool).

• Final itemised invoice

  Matching the quote and any signed variations — no unexplained additions.

• Warranty in writing

  Statutory · workmanship · materials (and insurance-backed where required), with limits + triggers.

• Manufacturer warranty PDFs

  Product warranties; the manufacturer name matches the supplier invoice.

• Dated completion photos

  Before/after, taken at handover — the cheapest insurance you’ll ever have.

• Defects / callback terms

  The defects-liability period and how callbacks work in the first months — in writing.

• Maintenance schedule

  What to do, and how often, to keep the warranty and the work intact.