How to check a WA building contractor registration

Start with the official WA builders' registration guidance. Match the contracting individual, partnership, or company and distinguish its contractor registration from the practitioner who supervises the work. Check scope, conditions, permits, and insurance separately.

This guide was reviewed against the linked official sources on 13 October 2026. It provides general information, not legal advice.

Step-by-step: check the business and supervisor

1. Collect the identity. Use the registration number and contracting legal name, including the company or partnership where applicable. A trading name alone can be ambiguous.
2. Use the official register pathway. Follow the WA Government guidance for building contractors and practitioners. Read current status, scope, conditions, and any nominated supervisor rather than relying only on a card or expiry date.
3. Match the work. Establish whether the job requires registration and whether the permitted building services cover it. Follow up any mismatch with Building and Energy.
4. Check the project evidence. Confirm permits, contract requirements, and any home indemnity insurance. Retain the details and date of the official check.

Contractor and practitioner roles differ

Building and Energy, within the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS), provides current registration and homeowner guidance. Older material may use DMIRS or Building Commission terminology. The Building Services Board administers registration decisions under the relevant legislation.

• Building contractor: the registered individual, partnership, or company that contracts to provide builder work where registration is required.
• Building practitioner: an individual registered for the relevant management and supervision functions. Practitioner registration alone does not authorise directly supplying services as a contractor.
• Building surveyor: performs the relevant compliance and certification functions. The permit authority issues a building permit; a surveyor registration is not itself authority to issue it. See the official surveying scope.
• Other trades: painters, plumbers, and electrical workers or contractors have their own registration or licensing requirements. A builder registration does not replace those checks.

When is building contractor registration required?

The current WA registration checklist defines builder work by permit requirements, value, and the prescribed area of the State, with exemptions. From 1 July 2026, the value threshold is $50,000 or more for Class 10a buildings, such as qualifying garages, sheds, and carports. The threshold remains $20,000 or more for other builder work, subject to the other requirements and exemptions.

Do not treat the threshold alone as a complete exemption test. Confirm classification, location, permit needs, and any relevant exception with the official guidance or permit authority. Read actual registration conditions rather than assuming a universal unrestricted class or project-value limit.

Home indemnity insurance is a separate check

For qualifying residential work, home indemnity insurance protects against specified losses when the builder dies, disappears, or becomes insolvent. Cover, exclusions, limits, and time periods depend on the project and policy. Check the current homeowner guidance.

Confirm whether insurance is required and obtain the certificate for your property. Where required, the builder must arrange cover before receiving payment or starting work. The Class 10a registration threshold does not establish whether a project is insured.

Consumer rights and building problems

Relevant Home Building Contracts Act protections can apply whether the builder is registered or not, as explained in the official homeowner guidance. Do not assume a registration problem removes every warranty or complaint right. Insurance eligibility and legal remedies still need a case-specific assessment.

Use the regulator's complaint guidance and obtain qualified advice for an existing dispute before changing contractual payments or terminating work. Fixed penalty amounts and unsupported historical insurance-suspension claims are not a reliable basis for a decision.

Using WorkClear for supported WA coverage

WorkClear's WA verification page leads to supported source coverage and the existing account/search workflow. Check Sources and Status first. Building, trade, and property sources have separate scopes; a stored record or source refresh time does not prove an individual check was live. A missing or unavailable result does not establish that a person is unregistered.

The contractor API can support repeat reviews across available families. Match the holder and permitted work and retain manual review for unresolved matches, scope questions, or unavailable results.