SA Builder Licence Check: CBS Find a Licence Holder Guide

If you are planning a new build, renovation, or major residential project in South Australia, the first practical step is a SA builder licence check. The public pathway runs through Consumer and Business Services (CBS) and its free "Find a Licence Holder" register. A current contractor licence is not the only thing to check. Confirm the nominated building work supervisor as well. It takes a few minutes, and it is the right thing to do before you sign anything.

Here is the direct answer: you can check whether a builder holds a current building work contractor's licence in South Australia through the CBS Find a Licence Holder register. This tells you whether the builder is currently authorised to contract for building work in SA, and whether any conditions are attached to that authorisation.

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

A licence check through CBS can confirm whether a builder is licensed. It does not tell you about the company's financial position, director history, insolvency indicators, or dispute record. Before you sign or pay a deposit, you should also confirm the contracting entity, the supervisor link, and the insurance position all match what is on your quote.

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

South Australia's licence is simpler than other states, with one important catch

South Australia's licensing system has one core credential rather than several tiers: the building work contractor's licence, issued under the Building Work Contractors Act 1995 (SA). Anyone doing building work for another person, or building or renovating a property for sale or lease, needs to hold one. This covers construction, alterations and repairs, demolition, swimming pools, paving, fencing, insulation, painting, and air-conditioning or solar installation. Plumbing, gas fitting and electrical work sit under separate Plumbers, Gas Fitters and Electricians (PGE) licences, not the building contractor's licence.

The catch is the second credential that goes with it: a building work supervisor registration. Section 12 of the Building Work Contractors Act requires every piece of licensed building work to be supervised, at all times, by a registered and approved supervisor. A sole trader can register as their own supervisor or nominate someone else. A company must nominate a supervisor, who can be a director, officer, employee or independent contractor.

This matters more than it might first appear. If a company's licence does not have an approved supervisor attached to it for more than 28 days, the licence is automatically suspended, and the company cannot legally contract for building work until the gap is fixed. A licence search can show "current" today and still be sitting on a supervisor link that lapsed last week. Asking who the nominated supervisor is, and whether they are still actively connected to the business, is a genuine and specific question worth raising with any company-held licence, not a formality.

A licence can also be conditioned to cover only specific trades, under a Specified Building Work Registration (for example, bricklaying, carpentry, painting, paving or tiling). A licence holder restricted in this way is not authorised to manage or contract for a full new build or full renovation, the same logic as a restricted licence class in other states.

For a new home or full renovation, the credential you want to see is a current building work contractor's licence without trade restrictions, attached to an active, registered supervisor.

How to check a builder licence in South Australia (CBS Find a Licence Holder)

The official tool is CBS's Find a Licence Holder register. It is worth understanding one structural difference before you start: SA's register is searched by licence number, or by surname (for an individual), or by trading name (for a business) only. There is no ABN or ACN search field, unlike the equivalent registers in NSW and Queensland.

Here is how to use it:

Get the builder's exact licence number first, if you can. Ask for it directly, it should appear on the builder's quote, contract or signage. Searching by licence number avoids the ambiguity of a common surname or a generic trading name returning the wrong result.
Go to the CBS Find a Licence Holder register and search by licence number where you have it, or by the individual's full legal name or the business's registered trading name if you do not.
Confirm the licence status. Look for a current status. Treat suspended or cancelled records as a reason to stop and ask questions before going further.
Check whether the licence carries conditions. A conditioned or restricted licence limits the holder to specific trades, not general building work.
For a company licence, check the registered building work supervisor shown against it. Confirm that person is still actively connected to the business.
Confirm the legal name shown matches who you are contracting with, not just the trading name on the van or the website.

Because the register's name search is specific (it generally requires a full legal first and/or last name, and CBS notes that many trading names are not registered in the system at all), a name search that returns nothing is not automatically a red flag. It may just mean you need the licence number instead. Treat a blank result as a prompt to ask the builder directly for their exact licence number, rather than as proof the builder is unlicensed.

Why the lack of an ABN search makes entity-matching harder, and what to do about it

This is the most distinctive feature of checking a builder in South Australia, and the one most likely to catch a homeowner out if they assume SA works the same way as NSW or Queensland.

In NSW and Queensland, a homeowner unsure about a name match can search the licence register directly by ABN or ACN to confirm the entity. In South Australia, that option does not exist within the CBS tool itself. The register can only confirm a licence number or a name, not an ABN.

This makes a structured approach worthwhile:

Ask the builder for their exact licence number before you search, and use that as your primary search method.
Confirm the legal entity shown on the CBS result, an individual's full name or a company's registered name, against the entity named on your quote and contract, not the trading name on marketing material.
Cross-check the ABN on your contract separately, using the Australian Business Register (also known as ABN Lookup). This will not confirm the CBS licence for you, since the two systems are not linked, but it will confirm the ABN is genuinely registered and tell you the legal name attached to it, which you can then compare against your CBS search.
If you want extra certainty on a trading name, the ASIC Business Names Register lets you look up which legal entity (the ABN holder) sits behind a registered trading name. This is a useful workaround for the gap in CBS's own search, since it lets you connect a trading name to a legal entity independently, then check that legal entity's name on the CBS register.
For company licences, ask who the registered building work supervisor is and confirm that detail is consistent with what CBS shows.
If a BII certificate is required for your project, confirm the insured entity on that certificate also matches the contract and the licensee.

None of this means SA's system is unsafe to use. It means the burden of confirming you have the right entity sits more with you, the homeowner, than it does in states where an ABN search is built into the register itself. A mismatch between the ABN on your contract and the name on the CBS licence is a reason to ask a direct question before you sign or pay anything, not necessarily a reason to walk away.

What a SA builder licence check covers, and what it leaves unchecked

A standard CBS licence check covers:

Licence status: current, suspended or cancelled
Licence type and any conditions: whether the licence is unrestricted or limited to specified trades
The registered building work supervisor, for company licences, and the connection between the company and that individual
Changes to the licence over time, where shown
The contractor's postal address

What a SA licence check leaves completely unchecked:

Financial stability, net assets beyond the $10,000 minimum required to obtain the licence in the first place, and liquidity
Insolvency and bankruptcy indicators
Director history, including links to companies that have previously failed
SACAT disputes and ongoing court matters
Payment disputes, credit-risk signals and PPSR indicators
Whether Building Indemnity Insurance has actually been issued for your specific project
A full disciplinary history. CBS occasionally issues public warning notices against specific businesses, and the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT) can suspend or impose conditions on a licence, but only some SACAT decisions are published, via the Australian Legal Information Institute (AustLII), not a dedicated, always-current public register. South Australia does not appear to maintain a separate excluded individuals register of the kind some other states publish

A current licence and a financially sound business are two different things. The licence check answers "is this builder currently authorised to contract for building work in SA", 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.

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 in another state? See our equivalent guides for NSW, QLD, VIC, WA, TAS, ACT and NT.

Building Indemnity Insurance: the threshold just changed

If you have seen a figure of $12,000 for South Australia's Building Indemnity Insurance (BII) threshold, that figure is out of date. It increased to $20,000 from 10 November 2025, under amendments to the Building Work Contractors Regulations. The maximum cover is now $250,000 per dwelling for current policies, with insurer-specific commencement dates listed by SAFA. Any checklist or guide still citing the old $12,000 figure has not been updated since that change.

When BII is mandatory: domestic building work that requires council development approval and has a contract price of $20,000 or more. The builder, not the homeowner, must arrange and pay for the policy, and it must be in place, with a certificate provided to you, before any physical work begins.

Claim trigger events. A BII claim can only be made if one of three things happens, and you cannot otherwise recover your loss from the builder:

The builder dies
The builder disappears and cannot be located or contacted
The builder becomes insolvent

This is narrower than some other states' equivalent schemes. BII in SA does not respond to an ordinary contract dispute where the builder remains solvent, contactable and trading; your recourse there is a direct claim against the builder under the statutory warranties below, not a BII claim.

Coverage limits. The maximum cover is $250,000 per dwelling for current policies, with insurer-specific commencement dates listed by SAFA. A $400 excess applies per claim. Cover runs for 5 years from practical completion, and a claim must be notified within 90 days of you first becoming aware, or reasonably ought to have become aware, of the issue.

What BII covers: non-completion of the contract (including loss of your deposit), incomplete or defective work, and loss arising from a breach of statutory warranty, where one of the three trigger events above applies.

What BII does not cover: ordinary disputes, cost overruns or delays while the builder remains solvent and trading; work that does not require development approval; amounts above the $250,000 cap or within the $400 excess; and claims outside the notification or cover windows.

Verifying the certificate is genuine matters. SAFA directs homeowners to insurer validation channels: QBE's Insurance Certificate Register, Assetinsure's online certificate validation tool, and AB Phillips by phone. Use the insurer's own publicly listed contact details or validation page, rather than relying only on the contact details printed on the certificate itself.

Owner-builders: work performed by a genuine owner-builder does not require BII. However, if an owner-builder engages a licensed building work contractor to carry out domestic building work valued at $20,000 or more that requires development approval, that contractor must arrange BII for their work.

Separate from BII, every SA domestic building contract carries implied statutory warranties under section 32 of the Building Work Contractors Act: that work will meet accepted trade standards, use proper materials, follow the agreed plans, comply with relevant laws, finish within a reasonable time, and leave the home fit for habitation. These run for 5 years from completion and are a direct legal right against the builder, separate from any insurance claim.

Deposit and payment limits in South Australia

South Australia's deposit cap is a two-tier rule, not a single percentage. Under the Building Work Contractors Regulations 2011 (SA):

Contracts under $20,000: the maximum deposit is a flat $1,000
Contracts of $20,000 or more: the maximum deposit is 5% of the contract price

This is a step function tied to the $20,000 mark, not a "whichever is less" calculation. Usefully, $20,000 is now the same number that triggers mandatory BII, which makes it a single figure worth remembering for both purposes in South Australia.

Outside the deposit cap, a builder can still request genuine progress payments tied to work already completed, payment to third parties for professional services, or reimbursement of the BII premium. A deposit request above the cap for your contract size, before any work has started, is a reason to ask a direct question before you pay.

Red flags before signing with a SA builder

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

The licence is shown as suspended or cancelled on the CBS register
No registered building work supervisor currently shown against a company's licence, or a supervisor who appears to have left the business
No BII certificate provided for work of $20,000 or more requiring development approval, or a certificate naming a different entity to the contract
A deposit request above the legal cap: more than $1,000 for a contract under $20,000, or more than 5% for a contract of $20,000 or more
Reluctance to provide an exact licence number, given the register cannot be reliably searched by ABN or ACN alone
A trading name shown to you does not appear on the CBS register at all, and the builder cannot promptly clarify the legal entity behind it
Pressure to sign or pay before licence, supervisor and BII status have been checked

Two real, regulator-confirmed examples illustrate why this matters. In December 2019, CBS secured a permanent ban against a Greenacres-based builder, Alessandro Zollo, the most serious disciplinary outcome available in South Australia. His original licence had been cancelled in 1994 after multiple breaches; rather than seek a new personal licence, he later established a company that continued similar conduct, prompting the regulator's action decades later. The Commissioner for Consumer Affairs described it as "persistent, wilful behaviour to flout our building laws and bring the industry into disrepute." It is a clear illustration of why checking the individual behind a company licence, not just whether the company currently shows as current, can matter.

Separately, in October 2017 CBS issued a public warning against Fenbreeze Homes Pty Ltd after the company allegedly provided fake Building Indemnity Insurance certificates to some clients. CBS cancelled the company's licence and advised affected consumers to contact the named insurer directly to verify whether their certificate was genuine. It is a concrete, regulator-confirmed reason to verify any insurance certificate independently rather than take the document alone at face value.

How TrustSignal helps

Checking a licence, the supervisor link, insurance status, company details, directors, court and tribunal records, and credit-risk signals separately means searching multiple government systems that are not linked to each other, and South Australia's register has fewer built-in cross-checks than some other states.

TrustSignal's Builder Report brings licence, insurance, company, director, court, tribunal and credit-risk signals together in plain English, so South Australian homeowners can make a more informed decision before signing. You can see what this looks like in our sample report, check pricing, or go straight to trustsignal.com.au/search to check a builder.

For a structured checklist that walks through every step before signing, see The Builder Licence Check Checklist, which includes the correct register link for every state and territory.

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

SA builder licence check FAQs

How do I check a builder licence in South Australia?

Use CBS's Find a Licence Holder register. Search by licence number, or by the builder's surname (for an individual) or trading name (for a business), then confirm the licence status, any conditions, and the registered supervisor for company licences.

Is it free to check a builder's licence in South Australia?

Yes. CBS's Find a Licence Holder register is free to search.

Can I search the CBS register using an ABN?

No. Unlike NSW and Queensland, CBS's register can only be searched by licence number, or by surname or trading name. If you want certainty, ask the builder directly for their exact licence number and search by that, or cross-check the ABN separately using the Australian Business Register or the ASIC Business Names Register.

What is the current Building Indemnity Insurance threshold in South Australia?

$20,000. This increased from $12,000 on 10 November 2025. Any checklist or guide still citing $12,000 is out of date.

What is the maximum Building Indemnity Insurance payout in South Australia?

$250,000 per dwelling for current policies, with insurer-specific commencement dates listed by SAFA. A $400 excess applies per claim.

What is the maximum deposit a South Australian builder can ask for?

$1,000 for contracts under $20,000, or 5% of the contract price for contracts of $20,000 or more, under the Building Work Contractors Regulations 2011 (SA). It is a two-tier rule with a $20,000 break point, not a single percentage or a "whichever is less" formula.

What happens if my builder's company doesn't have a registered supervisor?

A company's building work contractor's licence is automatically suspended if it goes more than 28 days without an approved, registered building work supervisor attached to it. A suspended licence cannot legally be used to contract for building work, even if the company's licence showed as current the last time you checked.

Is a current licence enough on its own?

No. A current licence confirms the builder appears authorised to contract for building work in SA. It does not confirm financial stability, insolvency history, director background, dispute history, or whether Building Indemnity Insurance has actually been issued for your specific project. Treat it as the first step, not the full picture.

Can I check if a builder has had complaints or disciplinary action in South Australia?

Partially. The CBS licence search shows current status and any conditions. CBS also occasionally issues public warning notices against specific businesses, and SACAT can suspend or impose conditions on a licence, but only some SACAT decisions are published, via AustLII. South Australia does not appear to maintain a separate public excluded individuals register. A clean licence search means no formal enforcement action currently shows on that search, not necessarily a clean complaints history.

Is Building Indemnity Insurance the same as a statutory warranty?

No. A statutory warranty under section 32 of the Building Work Contractors Act 1995 is a direct legal right you hold against the builder for 5 years from completion, covering trade standards, materials, compliance with plans and fitness for habitation. BII is a separate insurance product you can only claim against if the builder has died, disappeared, or become insolvent, and cannot otherwise be recovered from.

Do I need Building Indemnity Insurance if I am an owner-builder?

Work performed by a genuine owner-builder does not require BII. However, if an owner-builder engages a licensed building work contractor to carry out domestic building work valued at $20,000 or more that requires development approval, that contractor must arrange BII for their work.

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

A licence check confirms whether a builder currently holds a building work contractor's licence and an active supervisor link. A full builder check goes further, looking at insurance, company and ABN details, directors, court and tribunal history, 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 South Australian regulator before signing a contract.