Most advice about hiring a trade tells you to get three quotes. Far less of it tells you which documents you should be holding before anyone lifts a tile. At Level Plumbing Tamworth we work to the NSW requirements on every job, so this page sets out what those documents are and when each one should reach you.

This matters more in a bathroom than in most rooms, because the work usually combines licensed plumbing with building work, and the two sit under different requirements. Knowing which threshold your project falls under tells you what protection you are entitled to.

 

What Should You Have Before Work Starts?

For residential work in New South Wales, the following apply:

  • A contractor licence number you can check. NSW Fair Trading requires a licence for specialist work such as plumbing whatever the job costs, and the public register lets you verify it.
  • The Consumer Building Guide. NSW Fair Trading requires the contractor to give you this before you enter into a home building contract.
  • A written contract once residential building work is valued above $5,000. Fair Trading publishes a standard form covering work over $5,000 and up to $20,000.
  • A different contract above $20,000. Work over that figure uses the Home Building Contract for work over $20,000.
  • Home Building Compensation cover on work over $20,000, provided before any money is taken and before work begins.
  • A deposit of no more than 10 per cent of the contract price, which is the cap set under the Home Building Act 1989.

Not every bathroom job crosses the $20,000 line, and a straightforward fixture replacement may not reach $5,000 at all. The thresholds are still worth knowing, because they decide which of the protections above apply to your project.

 

Why the Threshold Changes What You Are Owed

Below $20,000 you are entitled to a written contract, a licensed contractor and a capped deposit. Above it you are also entitled to Home Building Compensation cover, which exists to protect you if the contractor cannot finish the work. Either way, put variations to the agreed scope in writing, so that a change made on site does not turn into a disagreement at the final invoice.

These requirements are set by NSW Fair Trading and can change over time. Confirm the current thresholds and contract forms with NSW Fair Trading before you sign anything, rather than relying on figures quoted in an article.

 

Ask Us for the Paperwork Up Front

If you would rather not chase any of this, ask for it at quote stage and we will hand it over. See our full bathroom renovation plumbing service, or contact our team to request a written quote. At Level Plumbing Tamworth we hold NDIS provider registration number 4050010264 and can supply our licence and insurance details with any quote. Call 02 6765 3235 for a quote.