Most tradies in Australia are honest, licensed, and do good work. But door-knocking scams and unlicensed operators still catch people out every year, especially after storms or during peak renovation season. Here are five signs worth pausing on before you sign anything or hand over a deposit.
A genuine, licensed tradie will give you their registration number without hesitation. If you get vague answers, that's a cue to check the relevant state register yourself — see our state-by-state licensing guide for exactly where to look.
Asking for a reasonable deposit is normal. Demanding the entire job be paid upfront, in cash, before any work starts is a common scam pattern.
A business with no traceable address, no reviews, and no way to verify past work is much harder to hold accountable if something goes wrong. Compare Google review counts and ratings on listings like the ones in our directory before you decide.
Legitimate tradies are usually happy for you to get a second quote. Pressure to decide immediately — especially after unsolicited door-knocking — is a classic warning sign the ACCC's Scamwatch service warns consumers about.
For anything beyond a small job, get the scope, price, and timeline in writing before work starts. It protects both you and the tradie if there's ever a dispute.
Trust your instinct. You can check a licence with the relevant state regulator (see our licensing guide), and report suspected scams to the ACCC's Scamwatch service.