To work as a building practitioner in Western Australia, registration with the Building Services Board is required. If you intend to be the ‘nominated supervisor’ of a building contractor, you must be registered as a building practitioner. Learn how to get your builders license below.

If you are a builder and you neither intend to seek building permits from local government permit authorities, nor intend to contract directly with others to provide building work valued at over $20,000, you do not need to be registered.

When considering an application for registration as a building practitioner, the Board considers, among other factors, the applicant’s qualifications, experience and fitness to be registered.

Rest assured, the process looks scary but Vortex Education is here to help you obtain your Builders License.

What are the benefits of getting your builders license?

First, it allows you to work on projects over the value of $20,000

having your builders license allows you to work flexible hours.

Despite the hard work builders do, most builders are actually a very content group of people. And this is because the sector places huge importance on building and nurturing strong working relationships, which makes a great deal of sense. Compare our own working lives, the people that we work with are hugely influential to how we feel at work. And the stronger our working relationships are, the better the chance of experiencing enjoyment in work.

Use your builders license to build relationships.

As a builder cements their working relationships, they will come to have a strong network of people to call upon. You may have come across the benefits of networking in a number of careers advice articles, and this is really prominent with being a builder. As the old saying goes: “It’s not what you know, it is who you know.” Up-and-coming builders won’t notice the benefits of having strong working relationships until they become more established or self-employed. An experienced builder will begin to speak to their contacts to ask for favours. Whether that may be asking for help or getting some stock, thanks to their strong working relationships, it is easier for them to get what they want.

Hiring Others And Giving Back

One of the best perks about being your own boss is that you not only get to create an amazing job and work environment for yourself but for others, as well. By creating your own company and hiring staff, you’re giving back to others, as well as to the local and national economy.

 You also have the opportunity to give back to the local community beyond creating jobs. That may mean offering traineeships and apprenticeships to local kids, sponsoring events for local charities, or anything else you can dream up. More businesses than ever are incorporating social change into their models and being your own boss means you can choose to do the same.

Different types of builders license in Western Australia

Under the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011, only a registered building practitioner or a registered building contractor can perform particular building work. The Building Services Board is the registration authority and is supported in its work by Building and Energy. The legislation has two categories of registration:

• practitioner; and
• contractor.

Practitioner registration is for individuals. It allows a person to be the nominated supervisor of a registered building contractor and to use the title ‘registered building practitioner’. A practitioner may not provide building services directly to another person.

Contractor registration is for individuals, partnerships and companies that intend to trade as builders. This registration allows a business to provide services as a builder for work that requires a building permit, has a value of $20,000 or more and is located within the area of the Building Services Board’s jurisdiction.

How to get your builders license – Western Australian Registered Builder application process.

There are many pathways you can take to obtain your builders registration in Western Australia. When applying, choose the pathway that applies the most to you.

How to get your builders license – Set 1

To apply under set 1, you need to have:

• completed the Diploma of Building and Construction; and
• seven years experience in carrying out or supervising building work.

Set 1 – Building practitioner initial application (Form 05)

How to get your builders license – Set 2

To apply under set 2, you need to:

• have five years full time experience in supervising building construction; and
• be registered under the Architects Act 2004, or be a member of the:
• Royal Australian Institute of Architects;
• Institution of Engineers Australia; or
• Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

Set 2 – Building practitioner initial application (Form 06)

How to get your builders license – Set 3

To apply under set 3, you need to have:

• five years of full time experience in carrying out, supervising or managing building construction; and
• hold membership with the Australian Institute of Building as a Member or Fellow.

Set 3 – Building practitioner initial application (Form 07)

How to get your builders license – Set 4

To apply under set 4, you need to have:

• gained sufficient knowledge and skills equivalent to a person who completed the Diploma of Building and Construction (as referred to in set 1); and
• five years of full time experience in supervising or managing building construction.

Set 4 – Building practitioner initial application (Form 08)

Set 5

To apply under set 5, you need to have:

• sufficient experience to gain the equivalent knowledge and skills as a person who has successfully completed the Diploma of Building and Construction (as referred to in set 1); and
• seven years full time experience outside the area of the Board’s jurisdiction in carrying out building work.