The Office of Fair Trading licenses all builders and tradespeople that carry out work in the residential building industry in NSW.

Contractor Licence authorises that holder to contract and advertise to carry out the work described on their licence card.

Qualified Supervisor Certificate allows the holder to carry out the work as described on their licence.

Nominated Supervisor is an individual who holds a qualified contractor licence or a supervisor certificate, and who is registered against a contractor licence as the person supervising the residential building work or specialist work. All companies, partnership and unqualified individuals holding a contractor licence must nominate a supervisor.

The classes of residential building work are:

Reduction of red tape

Effective 29 April 2008 the Commissioner has approved the use of a previously held licence as meeting the qualification requirements for certain classes of licence or certificate issued under the Home Building Act 1989.

This change removes a major cost to former licence holders who would otherwise need to pay to have their former licence and experience recognised as being equivalent to the current qualification through the recognition of prior learning process.

This change creates a quick and simple pathway for former licence holders to obtain a new licence and return to the industry.

All the classes listed above have benefited from this change with the exception of:

• Demolishers (no longer licensed by Fair Trading from 2 May 08)
• Building consultancy
• Restricted electrical licence.