ACT Builder Licence Check: Access Canberra Register Guide

An ACT builder licence check confirms whether a builder holds a current construction occupation licence, in the correct class for your project, before you sign anything. The official tool is Access Canberra's "Find a licensed design and construction professional" search, which sits behind the Construction Occupations Registrar's public licence register. It is free, takes a few minutes, and is the right first step before you commit to a build, renovation or duplex in the ACT.

Here is the direct answer: you can check whether a builder is currently licensed in the ACT, and which class they hold, through Access Canberra's public registers. This tells you whether the builder is legally entitled to take on the type of work you are planning. It does not tell you whether the builder is financially sound, has a clean payment history, or has directors linked to previous company failures.

It is the right first step. It is not the last one.

Before you sign or pay a deposit, make sure the licence, the licence class, the contract entity and the insurance certificate all match.

Want to check more than the licence? Run a TrustSignal Builder Report before you sign.

How to check a builder licence in the ACT

The official search starts at ACT Planning's "Find a licensed design and construction professional" page, which links through to Access Canberra's public registers. Here is how to use it:

Go to the public registers hub. Look for the construction occupations licence register within Access Canberra's public registers.
Search by licence number, licensee name, or business name. A licence number is the most reliable identifier. Licensed construction practitioners must include licence details in advertising, and licence numbers should also be checked against the contract and any public-facing site or advertising material; ask for it directly if your search does not return a clear match.
Check the licence holder details. Confirm whether the licence sits with an individual or a company, and note the exact legal name shown.
Confirm the current status. You are looking for a current, active licence. Treat a suspended, cancelled or expired record as a reason to stop and ask questions.
Check the licence class. The ACT grades builder licences A, B, C and D. What each class actually authorises is explained in the next section, and it is not what many homeowners assume.
Check for conditions. Some licences carry conditions that restrict the scope of work the holder can take on.
Note the expiry date. A licence close to expiry is worth a quick follow-up question.
Run a second, separate search of the disciplinary register. Suspensions, cancellations and ACAT occupational discipline orders are held on a distinct register within the same Access Canberra hub, not necessarily shown inline on the main licence result.

Where a search result shows less detail than you expect, treat that as a prompt to ask the builder directly, rather than assume there is nothing to know.

The A to D licence classes: storeys and building class, not project value

This is the single most misunderstood part of the ACT system, and it is worth getting right before you assume a "Class C" or "Class A" licence means anything about budget.

ACT builder licences are graded by building height (in storeys) and Building Code of Australia (BCA) building classification, not by the dollar value of the project. There is no published price threshold attached to any class.

Class A: Building work of unlimited height, on any BCA building class. This is the unrestricted licence.
Class B: Building work on a building 3 storeys or lower, plus basic building work.
Class C: Building work on a building 2 storeys or lower that is BCA Class 1, Class 2 or Class 10a, which covers the typical house, unit or ancillary structure. This is generally the relevant minimum for a standard, free-standing new home.
Class D: Non-structural basic building work only. A Class D licensee cannot lawfully take on structural work at all.
Owner-builder: For work on the licensee's own home only. If this appears on a search result for what is presented as a commercial building contract, that is a clear mismatch worth querying directly.

The basement trap. A storey below ground level counts toward the total for licence-class purposes, even though it is excluded from the storey count for a separate purpose (the insurance threshold definition, covered later in this guide). A two-storey house with a basement is a three-storey building for licensing purposes, which can push the required licence from Class C to Class B.

This is not a theoretical risk. The Construction Occupations Registrar issued formal guidance, Construction Note 001/2021, specifically because some builders and homeowners had assumed basement levels did not count. The Registrar's own note records at least one confirmed case where building work went ahead under the wrong licence class as a result.

If your project includes a basement, garage-under-house design, or any below-ground habitable level, count it as a storey before you compare your builder's licence class against the table above.

Specialist trades (electrical, plumbing, gasfitting) and asbestos removal are licensed separately again, under different schemes entirely. A builder licence class does not cover this work, regardless of class.

Why the entity on the licence must match your contract

A construction occupation licence in the ACT can be held by an individual, a corporation, or a partnership. The legal entity on the licence is not always the name on the sign out the front.

For company or partnership licences, look for a nominee. A company or partnership licence requires at least one appointed nominee: an individually licensed person, who must be a current director or employee (or partner or employee, for a partnership), responsible for supervising the licensed work on the company's behalf. A licensee must tell the Registrar in writing within two weeks of someone becoming, or ceasing to be, a director or nominee.

A company licence with no current nominee is automatically suspended. If a nominee leaves the business and is not promptly replaced, the licence itself stops being valid, even if nothing else about the company has changed. This makes the nominee check more than a formality: it is the mechanism that keeps a company's licence active at all.

Work through this sequence before you sign:

Search the register using the name on the builder's quote, contract or signage.
If that does not return a clear match, ask the builder directly for their exact licence number and search again.
Confirm the legal entity name on the licence result matches the legal entity named in your contract, not just a trading or brand name.
For a company licence, confirm a current nominee is shown, and that the nominee still appears genuinely connected to the business.
Cross-check the ABN (and ACN, for a company) on the contract and on the insurance certificate against the entity on the licence, using the free ABN Lookup and, where a trading name is involved, the ASIC Business Names Register.
Check that the insurance certificate (covered next) names the same entity as the licence and the contract.

A trading name that differs from the licensed entity is not automatically a problem. It is something to reconcile, in writing, before you pay anything.

Home warranty insurance: the $12,000 threshold and current cover limits

For eligible residential building work over $12,000 — generally houses and apartment buildings of 3 storeys or less, excluding car parking levels — the builder must provide residential building work insurance or a Master Builders ACT Fidelity Fund certificate before work starts. This figure is set by the Building (General) Regulation 2008 and confirmed directly by ACT Planning. It is a genuinely low threshold, and it catches most renovations, not just full new builds. Note that this figure is unrelated to NSW's separate $20,000 home warranty threshold; the two schemes are governed by different legislation and the figures should not be assumed to transfer between states.

Cover changed substantially from 1 January 2025:

Maximum cover rose from $85,000 to $200,000 per certificate.
The claim window extended from 90 days to 180 days, measured from the day the homeowner becomes aware the builder has died, become insolvent, or disappeared.
A separate, lower sub-limit applies specifically to lost deposits: if a deposit is lost because the builder dies, becomes insolvent or disappears before work has started, the scheme will return up to $10,000, regardless of how large the actual deposit was. This sub-cap matters enormously for the deposit question covered next.

This insurance is last-resort cover. It only responds to a defined trigger event: the builder's death, insolvency or disappearance. It does not cover ordinary contract disputes, cost overruns, or defects where the builder remains solvent and trading. Those situations sit with the statutory warranties below, or with ACAT.

A real, recent ACT example illustrates why this cover exists. Imagine Building Concepts Pty Limited, a Canberra builder with active residential projects in Whitlam and Hughes, entered voluntary administration in October 2024, reportedly owing more than $4 million to over 100 creditors. Separately, Project Coordination, a Canberra building business that had traded for more than 50 years, entered voluntary administration in March 2024 with debts initially estimated at around $25 million, later reported as high as $44.5 million in unsecured liabilities. Neither case implies any finding against either business beyond the reported administration itself, and a long trading history is clearly not, on its own, a guarantee of financial resilience. Both illustrate exactly the scenario the insurance/Fidelity Fund scheme is designed for, and exactly why the $200,000 per-project cap is a ceiling on an individual homeowner's protection, not a reflection of a builder's total exposure on collapse.

One disclosed limitation worth knowing if you are buying into a multi-unit development: a December 2024 dispute at a Denman Prospect development, where 53 unit owners took a dispute to ACAT after a builder's stage-two collapse and a defects report describing "systemic and recurring defects," raised a live question about whether this insurance responds to defects in shared, common-area parts of a building in the same way it does for an individual dwelling. This is not a settled point in this research, but it is a genuine reason for unit and townhouse buyers specifically to ask the question directly rather than assume cover extends automatically to common property.

Deposits and progress payments: no legal cap, but a real practical ceiling

Unlike NSW (a flat 10% statutory cap) or Queensland (a sliding scale by contract value), there is no legislated maximum deposit in the ACT. ACT Planning's own consumer guidance confirms this directly: there is no legal limit, and "up to 10%" is described as common industry practice, not a legal requirement.

That sounds like more flexibility for a builder to ask for. It is also where the insurance sub-cap above becomes the genuinely useful, practical number.

The home warranty insurance scheme only returns up to $10,000 of a lost deposit if the builder dies, becomes insolvent or disappears before work starts, no matter how large the deposit actually was. A homeowner who pays a 10% deposit on a $600,000 build, $60,000, has no statutory limit stopping that request, but is only protected up to $10,000 of it if it is lost before work begins. The remaining $50,000 sits outside the scheme entirely.

ACT Planning's guidance is explicit on this point, recommending homeowners keep deposits and early-stage payments at or below the amount they could actually recover under the scheme. In practice, that means treating $10,000 as the working ceiling for an upfront deposit, not the "usually up to 10%" figure, especially on a larger build where 10% comfortably exceeds the insured amount.

There is no statutory cap on later progress payments either. The protection that matters most for those is tying each payment to a defined, completed stage of work, not paying ahead of work actually done.

Statutory warranties: a separate right, not an insurance claim

Separately from the insurance scheme, ACT building contracts carry statutory warranties under section 88 of the Building Act 2004, available on work valued at $12,000 or more. These are direct legal rights against the builder, not a claim against a fund.

6 years from completion for structural elements.
2 years from completion for non-structural elements.

These warranties cover due care and skill, suitable materials, and compliance with approved plans and applicable law. They sit alongside, not instead of, the insurance scheme. The practical difference: a statutory warranty is something you enforce against the builder directly, while the insurance scheme is what responds when the builder cannot be made to honour that warranty because they are insolvent, deceased or gone.

A licence check does not show you whether a builder has a history of warranty disputes. That requires a separate look at tribunal and court records.

What an ACT licence check covers, and what it leaves unchecked

A standard ACT construction occupations licence check covers:

Licence status (current, suspended, cancelled or expired)
Licence class held (A, B, C, D, owner-builder, or a trade-specific class)
Conditions or scope restrictions attached to the licence
Expiry date
The licensee's name, whether an individual or a company

What a standard ACT licence check may leave unchecked or less visible:

Disciplinary history may not be obvious from the basic licence search. Check the licence details tab and the disciplinary register separately
Public warnings from the ACT Commissioner for Fair Trading, a third, separate register covering consumer protection breaches generally, not construction licensing specifically
Financial stability and liquidity
Insolvency and bankruptcy indicators
Director history, including links to previously failed companies
ACAT disputes and ongoing court matters
Payment disputes, credit-risk signals and PPSR indicators
Whether a home warranty insurance or Fidelity Fund certificate has actually been issued for your specific project

A current licence and a financially sound business are two separate questions. The licence check answers "is this builder currently entitled to take on this class of work in the ACT", not "can this builder see my project through, and is there anything in their background worth knowing first."

A licence check is only one part of builder due diligence. TrustSignal helps you check the broader risk picture before you sign.

Three separate registers, not one

A clean result on the main licence search does not mean a clean result everywhere else. The ACT splits its public information across three distinct registers, each governed by different legislation:

The construction occupations licence register, covering current licence status, class and conditions, accessed via Access Canberra's public registers hub.
The disciplinary register, recording licence suspensions, cancellations, and ACAT occupational discipline orders for the preceding 10 years. One important trigger is the demerit-point system: licensees who accumulate 15 or more points within 3 years can face suspension, disqualification or other disciplinary action.
Fair Trading public warnings, issued by the ACT Commissioner for Fair Trading against traders, including builders, who breach consumer protection law more broadly, such as taking a deposit and failing to complete work. As of this research, listed warnings dated back to 2018, with entries as recent as April 2025.

Access Canberra's public registers hub hosts the first two. The Fair Trading public warnings sit on a separate consumer protection page and require a distinct search. Checking only the first register and assuming it covers the other two is a common, understandable mistake. It does not.

Red flags worth a direct question before you sign

None of the following automatically means a builder is a poor choice. Each one is a prompt to ask a direct question and get a clear, written answer before you sign or pay a deposit:

The licence name does not match the contract entity
The licence class does not cover your project's actual storey count (including any basement level) or BCA classification
No current nominee shown for a company licence, or a nominee who appears to have left the business
No insurance or Fidelity Fund certificate provided for work of $12,000 or more, or a certificate naming a different entity to the contract
A deposit request well above $10,000 on a project where work has not yet started, with no clear justification
An entry on the ACT disciplinary register within the preceding 10 years
A public warning listed against the trader by the Commissioner for Fair Trading
An owner-builder licence shown for what is presented as a commercial contract
A director of the contracting company appearing on ASIC's banned and disqualified register, a check entirely separate from any ACT construction register. ASIC disqualified two Canberra-based individuals from managing corporations in January 2024, following the failure of several related companies with combined creditor debts of around $9.4 million, a reminder that director history can carry real signal even where the construction licence register itself shows nothing
Pressure to sign quickly or pay a large deposit before licence class, nominee status and insurance have been checked

A note for larger or multi-dwelling projects

If you are planning something larger than a single home, duplex or renovation, one upcoming change is worth knowing about. From 1 October 2026, a new Property Developer Licence is required for residential projects of three or more dwellings, where the developer is applying for development or building approval, a certificate of occupancy, or selling or advertising off-the-plan. Single dwellings and dual occupancies are not caught. Most ordinary single-home renovations will not be affected unless they form part of a regulated residential building project involving 3 or more dwellings. This change is relevant mainly if you are commissioning a multi-unit development.

Disputes: where ACAT fits in

If a dispute does arise, the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) handles building disputes up to a $25,000 civil jurisdiction limit (parties can agree in writing to proceed above that figure). For disputes involving defects, ACAT can require a "Scott Schedule," a structured table itemising each defect, the alleged breach, and the cost to fix it, a process similar to equivalent tribunals in other states. A licence check will not show you whether a builder has unresolved ACAT matters; that requires a separate search of ACAT's published decisions, noting that many matters are resolved informally or at conciliation and never appear there.

How TrustSignal helps

Checking a licence, insurance status, company details, directors, court records, tribunal history, insolvency indicators and credit-risk signals separately means searching multiple government systems that are not linked to each other.

TrustSignal's Builder Report helps bring these checks into one plain-English review, including licence, company, director, court, insolvency and other risk signals where available, so ACT homeowners can make a more informed decision before signing, whether you are checking a single builder before you commit or comparing a shortlist side by side. You can see what this looks like in our sample report, check pricing, or run a check now. For a structured checklist that walks through every step before signing, see The Builder Licence Check Checklist.

Check the builder, the company and the wider risk signals before you commit. Run a TrustSignal Builder Report before you sign.

For a state-by-state look at how licence checks work across Australia, see our guide to How to Check a Builder Licence in Australia Before You Sign. Building elsewhere? See our equivalent guides for NSW, QLD, VIC and WA.

ACT builder licence check FAQs

What is an ACT builder licence check?

An ACT builder licence check is a search of the Construction Occupations Registrar's public licence register, accessed via Access Canberra, to confirm whether a builder currently holds a construction occupation licence, which class they hold, and whether any conditions are attached. It is free and takes a few minutes.

How do I check a builder's licence in the ACT?

Start at ACT Planning's "Find a licensed design and construction professional" page, which links through to Access Canberra's public registers. Search by licence number, licensee name or business name, then confirm the licence status, class and any conditions.

What do the ACT's Class A, B, C and D builder licences mean?

They are graded by building height (storeys) and Building Code of Australia classification, not by project dollar value. Class A covers unlimited height on any building class. Class B covers buildings 3 storeys or lower. Class C covers buildings 2 storeys or lower that are BCA Class 1, 2 or 10a, the typical classes for houses and units. Class D is limited to non-structural work. Basement and below-ground storeys count toward the total.

Does a basement count as a storey for licence purposes?

Yes. A storey below ground level counts toward the total used to determine the correct builder licence class, even though it is treated differently for the separate insurance threshold definition. The Construction Occupations Registrar issued formal guidance on this point after at least one confirmed case of work proceeding under the wrong licence class.

Is there a maximum deposit a builder can ask for in the ACT?

No, there is no legislated cap, unlike NSW (10%) or Queensland (a sliding scale by contract value). ACT Planning's own guidance describes "up to 10%" as industry practice, not law, and explicitly recommends keeping deposits at or below $10,000, the maximum the insurance scheme would actually return if the deposit were lost before work starts.

What is the threshold for home warranty insurance in the ACT?

$12,000. For eligible residential building work over $12,000 — generally houses and apartment buildings of 3 storeys or less, excluding car parking levels — the builder must provide residential building work insurance or a Master Builders ACT Fidelity Fund certificate before work starts. This is a different figure to NSW's $20,000 threshold; the two schemes are not interchangeable.

What is the maximum payout under ACT home warranty insurance?

$200,000 for certificates issued from 1 January 2025, up from $85,000 previously. Claims must be lodged within 180 days, up from 90 days, of the homeowner becoming aware the builder has died, become insolvent or disappeared. Cover for a lost deposit before work starts is capped separately at $10,000.

Can I check if an ACT builder has had disciplinary action taken against them?

Partially, and across more than one register. The disciplinary register records licence suspensions, cancellations and ACAT occupational discipline orders for the preceding 10 years. The ACT Commissioner for Fair Trading separately publishes public warnings against traders, including builders, who breach consumer protection law. Neither register captures disputes resolved informally or through ACAT conciliation without a published order.

What is a nominee, and why does it matter for a company-held licence?

A nominee is an individually licensed person, a current director or employee of the company, who supervises the licensed construction work on the company's behalf. A company or partnership licence is automatically suspended if it has no current approved nominee, for example if the nominee leaves the business without being replaced. Confirm a current nominee is shown and still genuinely connected to the business before signing.

Does the new Property Developer Licence affect my home build?

Almost certainly not. From 1 October 2026, a Property Developer Licence is required only for residential projects of three or more dwellings undertaking specific activities, such as applying for development or building approval or selling off-the-plan. Single dwellings and dual occupancies are not caught. Most ordinary single-home renovations will not be affected unless they form part of a regulated residential building project involving 3 or more dwellings.

What is the difference between a licence check and a full builder check in the ACT?

A licence check confirms whether a builder currently holds the right class of construction occupation licence for your project. A full builder check goes further, looking at insurance, company and ABN details, directors, ACAT and court history, insolvency indicators and credit-risk signals. TrustSignal's Builder Report brings these together in one plain-English view.

This article is a decision aid, not legal or financial advice. Register coverage and the information shown can vary by licence type and may change over time. Always verify current status directly with the relevant ACT regulator before signing a contract.