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Western Australia · Building Services Board

Supervising or contracting building work in WA starts with the right registration.

WA separates the person supervising the work from the business signing the building contract. BLS helps individuals, sole traders, partnerships and companies work out whether they need practitioner registration, contractor registration or both, then prepares the application material.

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What you need to know

How builder licensing works in Western Australia.

The Building Services Board is the registration authority, supported by the Building and Energy division of the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS). WA has two distinct positions: practitioner registration is for an individual who can act as a nominated supervisor, while contractor registration is for an individual, partnership or company intending to trade as a builder.

Licences we can help with

What are you applying for in Western Australia?

Choose the option closest to your situation. You do not need to know the exact licence class before speaking with BLS.

WA

Practitioner + contractor registration

Going out on your own as a builder? You may need practitioner registration for yourself and contractor registration for the business. BLS helps prepare both applications together.

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WA

Painting and other trades

Planning to offer painting or another regulated trade service? Check whether WA licensing applies before you quote the work or pay for an application.

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WA

Company or partnership contractor registration

Setting up a company or partnership to contract building work? BLS helps prepare the business registration and the nominated practitioner details it relies on.

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WA

Mutual recognition into WA

Already registered elsewhere in Australia? Your current registration may be recognised in WA, subject to the equivalent class and any local requirements.

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Who does what

Your experience. BLS preparation. Regulator assessment.

01Your contribution
Accurate project, qualification and work-history details that support the application you are making.
02BLS preparation
Check the likely application, identify gaps and help prepare the forms and supporting documents included in your service.
03Building Services Board assessment
The regulator assesses the application and makes the licence or registration decision.
An overview of responsibilities. Your required evidence depends on the application. An RTO decides qualification outcomes where RPL or training is involved.

What BLS does for you

Get the application sorted before you lodge.

We check what you can apply for, show you what is missing and help prepare the forms and supporting documents.

A person arranging project photographs in an album beside their working notes.

Your projects, roles and records

Illustrative scene: a builder sorts project photos on a laptop with its lid facing the viewer, a phone beside it on the workshop desk.

  1. Know what to apply for

    Tell us what you do now and what you are trying to move into. We check the licence or registration that fits.

  2. Find out what is missing

    We review the qualifications, projects, licences and referees you already have, then tell you what else is needed.

  3. Get the application ready to lodge

    We help complete the forms, prepare the supporting documents and check the details before you submit them.

WA application guides

Get ready for a Western Australia licence application.

Use these guides to understand the classes, experience requirements and application steps before you apply.

Application guide

WA builder registration: practitioner versus contractor

Understand which registration belongs to the individual, which belongs to the contracting business and how the two fit together.

Read the application guide

Your next step

Start with where
you are.

Get clear on your likely licence, gaps and next step before you pay for training or start pulling the paperwork together.

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