Resource hub
Builder resources
Free site templates in Word and PDF, construction news and technology explained for builders, and plain-English guides to NSW CPD.
Free construction templates
Download in Word or PDF, add your logo and use them on any job. Free for commercial use under CC BY 4.0, with an animated walkthrough of how to fill in each one.
JSA Template
Break any task into steps, identify the hazards in each, rate the risk and set controls before work starts. Built for everyday site tasks that are not on the SWMS list. Get the free template →
Take 5 Checklist
The five-step personal check a worker does before starting or changing a task: stop, look, assess, control, proceed. One page, pocket-sized, free to print. Get the free template →
Site Induction Checklist
Everything a site-specific induction should cover, from site rules and emergency procedures to the SWMS for each trade, with licence checks and a signed record. Get the free template →
Site Diary Template
A one-page daily record of the job: weather, who was on site, work completed, deliveries, delays, instructions, visitors and inspections, safety and photos. The evidence behind every claim. Get the free template →
Variation Form Template
Record a change to the contract work before it is done: who asked for it, what changes, the price, the effect on completion time, and signatures from both parties. Get the free template →
Dilapidation Report Template
Record the condition of neighbouring buildings, fences, driveways and council assets before excavation or demolition, room by room with photo references, signed by the owner. Get the free template →
Practical Completion Checklist
Everything to check and collect before handing over a home: room-by-room finishes, services testing, compliance certificates, occupation certificate, keys, manuals and warranties. Get the free template →Latest from the blog
What is changing in Australian building: the technology, the materials, the rules and the market, written for the people doing the work.
Personal guarantees and director liability for residential builders
Limited liability protects the business, not the person who signed a guarantee. This guide sets out what a builder takes on personally, and what to negotiate before a supplier asks for a signature.
11 min read
Remote site walks by video: when they can stand in for a visit
A phone video can show a site far better than a description, but it cannot replace a check on work that is about to be covered. This guide sets out where the line sits and how to file the walk.
11 min read
Energy monitoring and metering: what the owner gets at handover
A monitor or meter the owner cannot read is a handover that has not finished. This guide sets out what to commission, record and explain before the keys change hands.
11 min read
Owner-supplied materials and fittings: who carries the risk
A client who buys the tapware or the doors has not taken the builder out of the job. This guide shows where the risk really lands and what to record before the item goes in.
11 min read
Purchase orders a small builder will actually use
A purchase order is the cheapest control a small builder can put on spending, and the one most often skipped. This guide sets out a habit that holds up on a busy site.
12 min read
Lintels over openings in brick veneer and masonry walls
A lintel is a small component that carries the whole wall above an opening. This guide covers choosing the type, checking the bearing, integrating the cavity tray and preventing cracks.
12 min read
NSW builder CPD guides
The rules, the renewal and the audit, checked against the NSW Government source and dated so you know how current they are.
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Builder licence check: how to check a NSW licence and read the result
How to check a NSW builder’s licence, what to search with, and what current, expired, cancelled and suspended actually mean before you sign. Plus the separate insurance check most people miss.
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CPD points for builders: reviews, and what to check instead
Search any NSW builder CPD provider plus “reviews” and you get directory stubs and self-published testimonials. Here is why, and the six checks that replace a star rating.
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NSW builder licence expiry report: 17,825 licences due in the next 12 months
How many NSW builder licences fall due, when, and where. Plus the finding that matters for CPD: 78% run three or five years, so the annual obligation accrues unseen.
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Balcony and wet-area waterproofing defects: where they start and what they cost
Waterproofing is one of the most expensive residential defect categories, and failures start at junctions and substrates. The three checks that catch them before tiling.
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AS 3740 waterproofing: the pre-cover check every supervisor should do
AS 3740 governs waterproofing of domestic wet areas. What it covers, why the pre-cover inspection is the only checkpoint that will ever exist, and the three things to verify.
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NSW builder licence requirements: when you need one, and how to qualify
Residential building work over $5,000 in NSW needs a licence. The licence types, qualification and experience pathways, penalties, and the CPD that follows.
Trust and support
- Accreditation and approvalsHow and when a course’s points count toward a NSW licence renewal.
- Verify a certificateFor employers and auditors confirming a certificate is genuine.
- Check a builder licenceAny NSW builder licence by number or name, and whether their CPD is verified.
- FAQPricing, points and how the platform works.
- Contact usAsk for a template or a topic you want covered.