How to win work from builders
Builders hand most of a job to other businesses: trades, cleaners, landscapers, painters and photographers. Here is how they choose who to use and how to get onto their list.
Who they are
A builder runs the project. On a new home or renovation they quote the client, hold the contract, manage the site and answer for the result. Most of the hands-on work goes to subcontractors: concreters, framers, plumbers, electricians, tilers, painters and more. A small builder might have one or two staff and a trade list built over years. A commercial builder has a site manager, a contracts administrator and formal onboarding.
On larger jobs the builder is often the principal contractor under work health and safety law. Safe Work Australia's model rules call for a principal contractor on a construction project of $250,000 or more, and that role carries duties to manage safety across every trade on site. That is why builders ask for so much paperwork before you set foot on site.
Builders also buy from businesses that never hold a hammer. Every finished home needs a final clean before handover. Many need landscaping or turf before keys go to the owner. A builder proud of a finished job wants good photos for their website and award entries. If that's you, see cleaners, landscapers or photographers.
What they’ll ask a new supplier for
- Your ABN and business details
- Your contractor or trade licence, where your trade and state require one
- Public liability insurance, with a current certificate of currency
- Workers’ compensation cover where you have workers
- A general construction induction card (white card) for each person on site
- A safe work method statement before any high risk construction work
- A signed subcontract agreement on their terms
- Your payment terms and how you’ll invoice progress
What they buy, and what they pass on
Trade subcontracting
Plumbing, electrical, carpentry, tiling, plastering and more on every job. Repeat work if you fit their schedule.
Painting
Internal and external painting near the end of each build or renovation. Often the same painter job after job.
Builders cleans
A rough clean during the job and a detailed clean before handover. Needed on every home, often at short notice.
Landscaping and turf
Where the contract includes it, done in the last weeks so the home presents well at handover.
Photography of finished work
Interiors and exteriors for their website, social media and award entries. Less often, but they remember a good photographer.
Site services
Skip bins, rubbish removal, fencing and portable toilets. Ongoing, and handy to have one supplier for.
How they choose who to use
Fits the schedule
A builder’s program depends on each trade turning up when booked. Being on time matters more than almost anything else.
Quality they don’t have to fix
Every defect a builder has to chase or redo costs them money and reputation. A clean finish is how you get the next job.
Paperwork ready
Licence, insurance, safety documents and a white card for every worker, so you can start without delay.
A sharp, simple quote
Builders price jobs off your quote. A clear figure with clear inclusions lets them quote their client quickly.
Word from other trades
Builders ask their existing subcontractors who’s good. A recommendation from a trade they trust carries real weight.
Getting on their list
Small and mid-sized builders usually keep their own trade list. There is rarely a formal application: you get added after a recommendation, a trial job or a good first quote. Commercial builders are more formal. They often have a subcontractor registration or prequalification step, sometimes through an online compliance system, where you upload insurance, licences and safety documents before you can be asked to tender.
Licensing is a big part of getting on. In Queensland, building work over $3,300 needs a QBCC licence, and plumbing, drainage and gas fitting need one at any value. In NSW, residential building work over $5,000 needs a licence, including when you subcontract on a larger job, and specialist work like plumbing and electrical needs one at any value. Other states have their own rules and thresholds, so check with your regulator before you quote.
Cleaners, photographers and landscapers usually face lighter checks, but expect to show insurance and an ABN. For the paperwork side, see the guide to preferred supplier lists.
How to approach them
Pick builders whose work suits yours
A high-end renovation builder and a volume home builder need different things. Look at their recent projects before you write.
Write to the owner or site manager
At a small builder, the owner decides. At a larger one, try the site or construction manager rather than reception.
Ask for a trial job
Offer to price or take the next small job so they can see your work without risking a whole project.
Show you can start without fuss
Have your licence, insurance, white cards and safety documents ready to send in one go.
Check the payment terms first
Ask how and when they pay before you start. Every state has security of payment laws for construction work, but it’s better never to need them.
A first email that works
Hi Tom, I saw the two homes you finished in Buderim on your site. Nice work. I run a small cleaning business on the Sunshine Coast and do builders cleans, both mid-build and the detailed clean before handover. We’re insured, have white cards and can usually turn a handover clean around in a couple of days. If you ever need someone at short notice, I’d be glad to take one job so you can see the finish for yourself. Would it be useful if I sent our insurance and a price for a typical four-bedroom home? Thanks, Karen
An example only. The business is made up.
Three mistakes that cost the work
Quoting low to get in, then adding variations
Builders remember surprises. A fair quote that holds beats a cheap one that grows.
Missing a booked day
One no-show can push back every trade after you. Builders drop subcontractors for this faster than for price.
Starting without the paperwork
Turning up without a white card or safety documents can get you sent off site, and the builder may not book you again.
Businesses that work with builders
Part of Sell to businesses. See every kind of business we write to on Who buys from you.
Questions people ask
Do I need a white card to do a builders clean?
Generally anyone doing construction work on a building site needs a general construction induction card. Builders will usually ask for one for every person you bring, so check with your state regulator and get it before your first job.
How do I get paid on time by a builder?
Agree terms in writing before you start and invoice exactly as agreed. Every state has security of payment laws that give subcontractors a way to claim payment for construction work. Ask about a builder’s terms before you take the job.
Is it better to work for one builder or many?
One good builder can fill your diary, but losing them hurts. Most subcontractors aim for a few builders so no single one is most of their work.
What’s a safe work method statement?
A written document that sets out high risk construction tasks, the hazards and how you’ll control them. A principal contractor must take reasonable steps to get one from you before that work starts.
Do photographers and landscapers need licences to work for builders?
Photographers generally don’t, unless they fly a drone for business, which has CASA rules. Landscaping that includes structural work like retaining walls may need a licence in some states, so check yours.
- Safe Work Australia: safe work method statement information sheet
- Safe Work Australia: high risk construction work requiring a SWMS
- Safe Work Australia: working on a construction site (white card)
- Safe Work Australia: Construction Work Code of Practice (November 2024)
- QBCC: when you need a licence
- NSW Government: general building work licences
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