Our team is diligently working to ensure each application is processed as soon as possible.
We apologise for any delays and appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.
If you have any urgent inquiries or require further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our licensing team on 1300 489 099.
How do I apply?
To apply for registration as a building practitioner, you must complete the application form from one of the five sets below. Each set has different requirements. Choose the set that best matches your qualifications and experience.
When you have completed the application form, you can submit it along with any other supporting documentation to Licensing Services with the applicable fees. Your application can be submitted online, by post or in person.
Qualifications and experience
To apply for registration as a building practitioner you must be able to document that you have the required qualifications and experience. For more information see below.
It is also important to note that where applicable, experience will be assessed in consideration of the Building Services Board’s building practitioner experience assessment policy.
Australian police check
You must provide Australian police check from an approved provider with your application. The approved list of providers is available on the police checks for licensing page. Police checks from a provider who is not listed or does not specify the correct reason for the check will not be accepted.
Unsure which form to use?
If you are unsure of which form to use or about any of the information above, contact Licensing Services on 1300 489 099 or email be.info@demirs.wa.gov.au.
Automatic mutual recognition and Mutual recognition
If you are registered or licensed as a builder elsewhere in Australia or New Zealand and want to carry out building work in Western Australia, you can find out more information about having your licence recognised in WA.
The Department is committed to protecting your personal information it collects, uses or discloses when processing applications and making transactions. Under no circumstances should you include your payment card (credit/debit) details as part of any application submitted online. This includes payment, proof of ID or within any other supporting documentation such as financial statements that accompany your application.
Set 1 Pathway
Show moreTo apply under set 1, you must have the following qualifications and experience:
Required qualification
- Diploma of Building and Construction; OR
- an equivalent qualification as determined by the Board.
Required experience
- Seven years full-time experience in carrying out or supervising building work.
Application form
You must download and complete Part A and Part B of the application form:
- Part A: Building practitioner initial application (set 1) – (Form 5)
- Part B: Statement of Experience and Verification Statement
How to submit your application
Online:
Submit and pay your application online
By post or in person:
If you are submitting your application by post (or in person) and are making payment by credit card, you must complete the application payment form and attach it to your application.
Applications received without payment will not be accepted.
Set 2 Pathway
Show moreTo apply under set 2, you must have the following qualification and experience:
Required qualification
- Registration under the Architects Act 2004; or
- current membership with the:
- Royal Australian Institute of Architects (Level 1 or 2);
- Institution of Engineers Australia (Professional Engineer – MIEAust or FIEAust); OR
- Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (Fellow or Member).
Required experience
- Five years full-time experience in supervising building construction.
Application form
You must download and complete Part A and Part B of the application form:
- Part A: Building practitioner initial application (set 2) – Form 6
- Part B: Statement of Experience and Verification Statement
How to submit your application
Online:
Submit and pay your application online
By post or in person:
If you are submitting your application by post (or in person) and are making payment by credit card, you must complete the application payment form and attach it to your application.
Applications received without payment will not be accepted.
Set 3 Pathway
Show moreTo apply under set 3, you must have the following qualifications and experience:
Required qualification
- Current membership with the Australian Institute of Building (Member or Fellow).
Required experience
- Five years full-time experience in carrying out, supervising or managing building construction.
Application form
You must download and complete Part A and Part B of the application form:
- Part A: Building Practitioner Registration (set 3) – Form 7
- Part B: Statement of Experience and Verification Statement
How to submit your application
Online:
Submit and pay your application online
By post or in person:
If you are submitting your application by post (or in person) and are making payment by credit card, you must complete the application payment form and attach it to your application.
Applications received without payment will not be accepted.
Set 4 Pathway
Show moreTo apply under set 4, you must have the following qualifications and experience:
Required qualification
- Undertake a formal assessment of your experience. This may be done by either:
- successfully completing Board examinations; or
- having your experience assessed by a Registered Training Organisation, sufficient to obtain the Diploma of Building and Construction (Building) through recognition of prior learning (based on experience only);
Required experience
- have five years full-time experience in supervising or managing building construction.
Application form
You must download and complete Part A and Part B of the application form:
- Part A: Building Practitioner Registration (set 4) – Form 8
- Part B: Statement of Experience and Verification Statement
How to submit your application
Online:
Submit and pay your application online
By post or in person:
If you are submitting your application by post (or in person) and are making payment by credit card, you must complete the application payment form and attach it to your application.
Applications received without payment will not be accepted.
Set 5 Pathway
Show moreTo apply under set 5, you must have the following qualifications and experience:
Required qualification
- Undertake a formal assessment of your experience. This may be done by either:
- successfully completing Board examinations; or
- having your experience assessed by a Registered Training Organisation, sufficient to obtain the Diploma of Building and Construction (Building) through recognition of prior learning (based on experience only);
Required experience
- have seven years full-time experience in carrying out building work in Western Australia but outside the Board’s jurisdiction. Refer to the following jurisdiction map which highlights the areas where builders are required to be registered with the Board.
Application form
You must download and complete Part A and Part B of the application form:
- Part A: Building Practitioner Registration (set 5) – Form 9
- Part B: Statement of Experience and Verification Statement
How to submit your application
Online:
Submit and pay your application online
By post or in person:
If you are submitting your application by post (or in person) and are making payment by credit card, you must complete the application payment form and attach it to your application.
Applications received without payment will not be accepted.
Change/Remove the conditions on a registration (Modification)
Show moreYour registration allows you to contract for and carry out the specific types of work described on your registration, subject to any specified conditions.
These conditions may be imposed for reasons such as mutual recognition, disciplinary action, bankruptcy, or external administration.
If your circumstances change, such as gaining new experiences, you can apply to remove or vary the conditions on your registration. To do this, you will need to submit a new application for a building practitioner registration.
When completing the application form, make sure to indicate that you want to change your registration conditions.
Once your application is completed, submit it with all required documents and fees to Licensing Services by post or in person.
| In person (Monday to Friday 8.30am–4.30pm) | By post |
|---|---|
| Level 1 Mason Bird Building 303 Sevenoaks Street Cannington WA 6107 | Licensing Services Locked Bag 100 East Perth WA 6892 |
Please note that online submissions are not accepted for this process.
Documenting your experience
Show moreExperience
To become a building practitioner, there are five registration pathways, called ‘sets’, that applicants can register under. Each of these sets requires a particular period and type of experience.
How to document your experience
All experience documented must be independently verified and signed as a true record by a relevant, credible, and independent person. Do not claim experience that cannot be verified. Record and verify your experience using the "Statement of Experience and Verification Statement" templates. Alternatively, you can attach a statement or letter verifying your experience that contains all the required information from the template to the registration application form.
Types of experience
| Types of experience | Meaning |
| Building work | For registration purposes, building work refers to one or more of the following activities:
Building work does not include:
|
| Carrying out building work | 'Carrying out' refers to performing building work as an apprentice or tradesperson. If you performed a variety of work on a building project, some of it being carrying out building work and some of it being other work, record the actual time spent carrying out building work. |
| Supervising Building work | Supervising building work refers to supervising the work of others carrying out building work, typically as a leading hand, foreman or site supervisor with responsibility to directly control, accept or reject the work of tradespersons. If you performed a variety of work on a project, some of it being supervising building work and some of it being other work, record the actual time spent supervising building work. Supervision does not include being an owner-builder or supervision of oneself. |
| Building Construction | For registration purposes, building construction refers to the process or act of constructing a building or part of a building, being a substantial structure with a roof and walls. |
| Supervising building construction | Supervising building construction refers to supervising others carrying out building work, as an end-to-end construction, not just one or two trades. The roles typically include leading hand, foreman or site supervisor with responsibility to directly control, accept or reject the work of tradespersons. If you performed a variety of work on a project, some of it being supervising building construction and some of it being other work, only record the actual time spent supervising building construction. Supervision does not include being an owner-builder or supervision of oneself. |
| Managing building construction | Managing building construction refers to management or coordination in relation to building construction on behalf of the builder. The manager must be in a position to direct, control, accept or reject construction work, or in a position of responsibility for the coordination of trades and materials for the whole of a building construction project or for a substantial portion of a large project. Management does not include being an owner-builder or management of oneself. |
What is a verification statement?
A statement of verification is a written document that outlines and verifies your experience. A statement of verification must include the following details of your experience:
- your duties and occupation;
- the type of work;
- the start and finish date; and
- the address of the building project.
A statement of verification must be signed and dated by a credible and independent person. It must also include the contact details of the credible and independent person.
Who is a credible and independent person
A credible and independent person is in a position and has the skills to assess the scope and quality of the experience you are claiming.
For experience gained while employed, a credible and independent person is your employer or an authorised representative of your employer.
For experience gained while a contractor or subcontractor, a credible and independent person is the client, or the building contractor. If it is not possible to obtain a signed verification from the client or contractor, obtain verification from a foreman, supervisor or manager.
A credible and independent person is not:
- a relative;
- under potential conflict (your employee);
- a co-worker or subordinate worker; or
- an office manager or HR manager.
Your credible and independent persons may be contacted by Licensing Services to verify your experience. It is an offence to falsely verify experience.
Qualification requirements
Show moreFor registration purposes, the CPC50210 Diploma must include the following seven units:
- CPCCBC4005A – Produce labour and material schedules for ordering
- CPCCBC4018A – Apply site surveys and set-out procedures to building and construction projects
- CPCCBC5005A – Select and manage building and construction contractors
- CPCCBC5007A – Administer the legal obligations of a building construction contract
- CPCSUS5001A – Develop workplace policies and procedures for sustainability
- CPCCBC4014A – Prepare simple building sketches and drawings
- CPCCOHS1001A – Work safety in the construction industry
Make sure you complete all seven units before applying to be registered.
The Building Services Board has not prescribed any specific units that have to be completed as part of the CPC50220 Diploma. However, the qualification must have been obtained through an approved registered training organisation in accordance with the qualification’s packaging rules.
The Board is empowered to accept equivalent qualifications. If you have a different qualification to that stated in the application form, the Board may accept your qualification as equivalent to the usual qualification. For further information see the Board's policy regarding equivalent qualifications.
What is a registered training organisation?
Registered training organisations (RTOs) are training providers who are registered by the Australian Skills Quality Authority or the Training Accreditation Council of Western Australia to deliver vocational education and training services. RTOs are recognised as providers of quality-assured and nationally recognised training and qualifications.
Before you enrol in a training course, check that the training provider is an RTO and is authorised to offer the training course. To search for an RTO, visit training.gov.au or myskills.gov.au.
If you already have some of the skills and knowledge related to the qualification you need to obtain, you may be eligible to be assessed for recognition of prior learning (RPL) by a RTO. Through the RPL assessment you might find you have all the skills required to obtain a qualification, or the assessor might recommend that you undertake further training to help you gain a qualification.
To find out if RPL is the right option for you, contact an RTO that provides your preferred training course.
Building practitioner registration scope of work
Show moreIf you are a WA licensee visiting another state under AMR, you are only allowed to perform the activities listed below.
Scope of work
To act as a nominated supervisor for a registered building contractor to manage and supervise building services.
Specific activities
Manage and supervise the following building work:
- the construction, erection, assembly or placement of a building;
- the renovation, alteration, extension, improvement or repair of a building;
- the assembly, reassembly or securing of a relocated building;
- the changing of ground levels of land for the purposes of work mentioned in the first three points above to the extent that could adversely affect land beyond its boundaries;
- site work on land for the purposes of, or required because of, work of a kind mentioned in the first four points above;
- site work on land for the purposes of the demolition, dismantling or removal of a building or an incidental structure;
- site work on land for the purposes of the changing of ground levels for the purpose of demolition, dismantling or removal or a building or an incidental structure, to the extent that that work could adversely affect land owned by a person other than an owner of the land on which the building or incidental structure that is subject of the demolition work is located.
The following activities are not included:
- The construction of a farm building; a walkway, viewing and gathering platform or water tank that does not form part of another building; and an incidental structure. (An incidental structure means a structure attached to, or incidental to, a building and includes: a part of a structure; chimney; mast; swimming pool; fence; free standing wall; retaining wall; or permanent protection structure.)
- The production of a prefabricated or transportable building in a manufacturing yard.
- The formation of a parking area or outdoor sporting surface including associated fencing and lighting
- The installation of fire sprinklers, free standing partitioning, safety systems, timber decking or glazing
- Cabinet making and installation or joinery (2nd fixing) work
Compliance requirements in WA
To get a WA registration
- Must have an appropriate qualification or equivalent.
- Must have appropriate experience.
- Must have an Australian Police Check.
- Must be a fit and proper person to hold a registration.
- Must pay an application fee.
To keep a WA registration
- Must renew the registration every three years.
They must comply with the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011, Building Regulations 2012, and Building Services (Registration) Regulations 2011, Building Services (Complaint Resolution and Administration) Act 2011 and the Building Services (Complaint Resolution and Administration) Regulations 2011.
What happens after you apply
Show moreWe receive a high volume of building registration applications and aim to assess them as quickly as possible, while ensuring a fair and thorough process.
Our assessment process
We review applications based on set criteria, including qualifications, relevant experience, fitness, and propriety. This may involve checking criminal history, disciplinary actions, or complaints.
Once we received your application, we will complete an initial check and let you know if anything is missing (by email or phone).
After you have provided all the required information, an assessor will review your application in detail. You may be asked for more information about your qualifications or experience. If you do not provide the additional information we ask for, your application may be refused.
If we need to request additional information, the processing time will increase, so it's important that you submit all the required information and documents with your original application.
Application outcome
If all the required information is provided, we aim to make a decision within 50 business days. If more information is needed, processing may take longer.
You will be notified of the decision in writing.
If successful: You will be registered for three years, and your details will appear on the Register of Builders. You will also receive a registration certificate in mail.
If unsuccessful: You will be informed of the reasons in writing. You can reapply in the future; however, you will need to show that you have addressed the reasons for the initial refusal.
Dispute the outcome of your application
If you are not satisfied with the Building Services Board's decision on your registration application, you may apply to the State of Administrative Tribunal (SAT) for a review of the decision.
