Use this when a facilities manager, builder or council asks what you can do, when you register as a contractor, or when you quote for work that asks for one. Councils often want one with a quote, and many builders and FMs ask for one before they add you to their system.
It answers the questions they have before they ring you: what you do, where, for what kinds of site, with how many people, and whether your insurance, licences and safety documents are current. Write it once, keep it as a PDF, and update the dates whenever a certificate renews. Don't attach it to a first email to someone you don't know; offer it, and send it when they say yes. See what facilities managers ask for, how to win council work and working with builders.
The template
[Business name] ABN [ABN] | [Phone] | [Email] | [Area you cover] WHAT WE DO [One-sentence summary] SERVICES [Service]: [What’s included] (Three to five lines, most relevant to the reader first.) SITES WE WORK ON [Kinds of sites] RECENT WORK [Site type and suburb]: [Scope and how long] (Three jobs similar to what this reader buys.) CAPACITY Team: [Team and equipment] Response: [Response times] Hours: [Hours] COMPLIANCE Public liability: [Amount], current to [Expiry date] Workers’ compensation: [Workers’ comp cover], current to [Expiry date] Licences: [Licences] Safety: [Safety documents] Contractor systems: [Contractor systems] REFEREES [Referee] (Two, with their permission.) CONTACT [Your name], [Your role], [Phone], [Email]
What to put in each part
| Part | What to put there |
|---|---|
| [Business name] | Your registered business name, matching your insurance certificates. |
| [ABN] | Your ABN. |
| [Phone] | The number that gets answered at 7am. |
| [Email] | A business address that someone reads every day. |
| [Area you cover] | Suburbs or a region you can reach quickly: ’Ipswich and Brisbane’s western suburbs’. |
| [One-sentence summary] | What you do and for whom, in plain words: ’Commercial plumbing and drainage for business parks, schools and retail sites.’ |
| [Service] | One service per line: ’Reactive repairs’. |
| [What’s included] | The scope in a few words: ’leaks, blockages and hot water, same-day attendance’. |
| [Kinds of sites] | Offices, schools, shopping centres, industrial, strata. Only the ones you have done. |
| [Site type and suburb] | Describe the site, not the client, unless they’ve said you can name them: ’Business park, Bundamba’. |
| [Scope and how long] | ’Reactive and planned plumbing, since 2023’. |
| [Team and equipment] | ’Four licensed plumbers, three vans, jet rodder and drain camera’. |
| [Response times] | Times you keep: ’Emergencies within 2 hours, other jobs next business day’. |
| [Hours] | Normal hours, and whether you do after-hours work. |
| [Amount] | Your public liability cover. Check what each client asks for before you renew. |
| [Expiry date] | The date each policy runs to. Update it at every renewal. |
| [Workers’ comp cover] | Your state scheme or insurer, for any employees. |
| [Licences] | Type and number for every licence your trade and state require. |
| [Safety documents] | Your WHS policy, incident reporting, and SWMS for any high risk construction work, prepared before the work starts. |
| [Contractor systems] | Any prequalification or induction systems you’re registered on. Leave the line out if none. |
| [Referee] | Name, role, business and phone of someone who has used you on a similar site. |
| [Your name] | The person they should call. |
| [Your role] | Owner, director, operations manager. |
Filled in, for a made-up business
Brookside Plumbing and Drainage ABN 00 000 000 000 | 0400 000 000 | jobs@brookside.example | Ipswich and Brisbane’s western suburbs WHAT WE DO Commercial plumbing and drainage for business parks, schools and retail sites. SERVICES Reactive repairs: leaks, blockages and hot water, same-day attendance Planned maintenance: backflow testing, thermostatic mixing valve servicing, grease traps Drainage: CCTV inspection, jet rodding, repairs SITES WE WORK ON Business parks, schools, retail centres, warehouses RECENT WORK Business park, Bundamba: reactive and planned plumbing, since 2023 Primary school, Springfield: washroom upgrade over school holidays Warehouse, Wacol: drain inspection and relining CAPACITY Team: four licensed plumbers, three vans, jet rodder and drain camera Response: emergencies within 2 hours, other jobs next business day Hours: 7am to 5pm weekdays, after-hours emergencies COMPLIANCE Public liability: $20 million, current to 30 June 2027 Workers’ compensation: WorkCover Queensland, current to 30 June 2027 Licences: plumbing and drainage contractor licence 0000000 Safety: WHS policy, incident reporting procedure, SWMS for trenching and work at height Contractor systems: registered and inducted with two FM companies’ systems REFEREES Facilities coordinator, business park in Bundamba (details on request) Business manager, primary school in Springfield (details on request) CONTACT Alex, Director, 0400 000 000, jobs@brookside.example
Tips
One page, two at most
A busy reader skims. If it doesn’t fit on one page, cut adjectives before you cut facts.
Lead with what this reader buys
Reorder the services and recent work for each kind of reader. A council and a shopping centre FM want different jobs first.
Put dates on everything
Expiry dates for insurance and licences tell the reader the page is current. An out-of-date page looks like an out-of-date business.
Name the file properly
Save it as a PDF called ’[Business name] capability statement’ so it’s easy to find in a contractor folder months later.
Mistakes to avoid
Naming clients without asking
Clients and schools may not want their name on a supplier’s marketing. Describe the site instead, and ask before you name anyone.
Writing a brochure
’Passionate, professional, quality service’ tells an FM nothing. Numbers, dates and licences are what they check.
Letting it go stale
A lapsed insurance date on your own capability statement is the easiest reason to say no.