How to Verify Your Pool Builder's QBCC Licence in 3 Minutes
Cathy DillonIf you're choosing a pool builder, the single most important check you can do takes about three minutes online. It's looking up their QBCC licence.
QBCC — Queensland Building and Construction Commission — is the body that licences builders in QLD. Every legitimate pool builder has a licence number. The number gives you a public view of who they are, what they're licensed for, and whether they have a history of complaints or insurance claims.
How to check
Go to qbcc.qld.gov.au and click 'Online Search' from the top menu. Choose 'Licensee Search'.
You can search by:
- Licence number (most reliable — ask the builder for theirs)
- Company name
- Individual name
The search returns their licence details, the class of licence, whether it's current, and any disciplinary history.
What the licence class means
QBCC has different licence classes for different work. For pools, you want to see:
- Builder — Open Class (or builder-restricted, or builder-low rise) covers construction work generally
- Swimming Pool Construction licence covers pool building specifically
- For landscaping work around pools: Structural Landscaping
Wahoo's licence (15247996) covers all three categories. Some pool companies hold only a basic licence and subcontract structural work — not necessarily a problem, but worth knowing.
What to look for on the search results
A few things matter:
Status: ACTIVE. Suspended, expired, or cancelled licences mean the builder can't legally take on new work.
Issued: date. A licence issued five years ago is a different proposition to one issued five months ago. Long-tenure builders have a track record.
Disciplinary history. Major incidents — directions to rectify, financial defaults, prosecutions — are listed. A clean record means no formal complaints have been upheld.
Director listings. The QBCC shows directors of the licensed company. Look for stability — the same names over time.
What QBCC also requires of licensed builders
Beyond just holding a licence, QBCC requires licensed builders to:
- Hold professional indemnity insurance
- Hold home warranty insurance on jobs over $3,300
- Operate within their licensed financial limit (which is why very large jobs sometimes go to specific builders)
- Provide proper written contracts on jobs over $3,300
- Use prescribed payment schedules
These exist specifically to protect homeowners.
Home warranty insurance — what it covers
This is a big one. QBCC Home Warranty Insurance is mandatory on residential building work over $3,300 in QLD. For pools, that's all of them.
The insurance covers you if:
- The builder doesn't complete the work (insolvency, death, disappearance)
- There's a major defect within 6 years (1 year for non-major)
- There are subsidence issues with the structure
The builder pays the premium and includes it in your contract price. You should see the insurance policy number on the QBCC's records once your contract is registered.
Red flags
Be cautious of:
- A builder who can't immediately give you their licence number
- A licence that's only recently issued from a director who recently dissolved another company
- Multiple changes in trading name
- Reluctance to register the home warranty insurance
- Asking for cash payments or 'mate's rates' that fall under the QBCC threshold
These don't always mean something is wrong, but they should prompt questions.
Wahoo's QBCC licence
Our licence number is 15247996. Active, in good standing, covers pool construction, building, and structural landscaping. We've held it under the same directors and trading entity for many years.
Type it into the QBCC search before you do anything else with us. Verifying us is the easiest qualifying step we'd want you to take.
If you've checked our licence and want to talk about a pool, come and chat.
— Cathy
