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How do I check a tradesperson's licence in WA?

The short answer

Use the Building and Energy licence and registration search. Western Australia registers builders and licenses electricians, gas fitters and plumbers, so searching for the wrong one of those two words is the usual reason a real tradesperson appears not to exist.

TradieAnswers editorial · written in-house and sourced to the authorities listed below

Checked against 3 published sources, listed in full at the end of this page. How we source this

Western Australia puts building and trade regulation with Building and Energy, part of the state department that also covers energy and industry regulation. One public search covers both the registrations and the licences it issues.12

Registered, or licensed, and why the difference matters

The two words are not interchangeable in Western Australia, and this is the single most common reason a search comes back empty for someone who is entirely legitimate. Builders are registered. Electricians, gas fitters and plumbers are licensed.1

WorkWho issues itWhat it is called
Building servicesBuilding and EnergyRegistration
Electrical workBuilding and EnergyElectrical licence
GasfittingBuilding and EnergyGasfitting licence
Water supply, sanitary and drainage plumbingPlumbers Licensing BoardPlumbing licence

Source1

Plumbing is the one that sits with a separate body. Building and Energy states that only a plumber holding a licence issued by the Plumbers Licensing Board may lawfully carry out water supply, sanitary and drainage plumbing work in Western Australia.1

Two things the register will not do for you

  • It does not publish business or trading names. Building and Energy says so directly, so searching the name on the side of the van will often find nothing. Search the individual's name or the number instead.
  • It does not tell you the work was any good. A current licence is a floor, not a recommendation, and it says nothing about workmanship or whether the person turns up.1

The registers are updated daily, so a result reflects the position as at that day rather than whenever the page was built. That also means a licence checked six months ago is not a licence checked today.1

Related questions

Why can I not find a WA builder by their business name?
Because Building and Energy does not publish business or trading names on the register. Search the registration or licence number, or the name of the individual or company that holds it, which is the name that should appear on your contract.

Sources

Every source below was fetched and its response recorded on the date shown. Where a government site blocks automated clients, that is noted rather than reported as a successful check.

  1. Building and Energy licence and registration search · Building and Energy (WA)Checked 2026-08-18 · responded 200 OK
  2. Building and Energy · Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (WA)Checked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  3. Building and Energy · Government of Western AustraliaChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK

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