Get your carpentry licence.
You frame walls, hang doors and build decks that last. In NSW, a carpentry licence lets you quote and sign those jobs yourself. We help you get the Certificate III recognised and apply.
- What NSW asks for
- A Certificate III in Carpentry (CPC30326, or an earlier version on Building Commission NSW’s list, such as CPC30220)
What the licence lets you do.
On day rates, the builder sets your hours and your pay. Licensed, you can take a deck or a pergola straight from the homeowner, set the price, and keep what’s left.
- Contract residential carpentry worth more than $5,000 in labour and materials, in your own name.
- Frame walls and roofs, fit stairs, doors and windows, and lay floors.
- Build decks, pergolas and awnings, including the footings that hold them up.
- Use it as a step to a builder licence, where it can stand in for the Diploma.
Your name on the sign.
It stays on your screen. Nothing is sent or saved.
Who qualifies.
Building Commission NSW issues carpentry licences. For this class it asks for the qualification and a police check, not a set number of years.
A Certificate III in Carpentry. CPC30326 is the current version, and the list also accepts older ones such as CPC30220 and CPC30211.
Enough real carpentry behind you for an RTO to assess you for the Certificate III through recognition of prior learning.
A National Police Check no older than four months when you apply.
A finished apprenticeship, if you started one. NSW won’t issue the licence while you’re still an apprentice or trainee.
Worth knowing: Plasterboard, and concrete paths or slabs, need their own licence classes.
Other states and territories set their own rules. Tell us where you work, and we’ll check them for you.
Ask about your stateYour documents.
Tick off what you already have. We’ll help you with the rest.
0 of 10 ready
From your first call to your licence.
How it usually goes. Your case may skip a step, or need one we’ll explain at the start.
Free eligibility check
Send us a few lines about your carpentry work. We’ll say whether the licence is within reach now, what’s missing, and the full cost.
Your evidence pack
We help you sort photos, references and pay records into the evidence an RTO expects, and fill any gaps first.
Assessment by an RTO
A registered training organisation assesses your evidence against the Certificate III in Carpentry. Some units may need a practical task or a short interview.
Your licence application
With the certificate in hand, we prepare your application to Building Commission NSW. You lodge it in person, and we make sure nothing is missing.
Licensed
Once it’s approved, you can quote and sign carpentry jobs in your own name. You choose a one, three or five-year licence, then renew it.
Questions people ask us.
Something else on your mind?
Ask us on WhatsAppDo I need a licence for small jobs?
In NSW you need one for residential carpentry worth more than $5,000 in labour and materials, including GST. If you’re unsure how a job is valued, ask us before you quote it.
How many years of experience do I need?
NSW doesn’t set a number of years for a carpentry licence. It asks for the Certificate III. To get that through recognition of prior learning, you need enough work behind you for an RTO to assess, and we’ll tell you honestly if you’re there yet.
Can it lead to a builder licence?
It can. Building Commission NSW accepts a Certificate IV in Building and Construction plus a carpentry licence in place of the Diploma. You’d still need two years of wide building experience under a licensed builder.
Does my carpentry from overseas count?
NSW won’t grant a licence on an overseas qualification. Your overseas jobs can still count as evidence when an RTO assesses you for the Australian Certificate III. Bring whatever records you have and we’ll help you sort them.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
Both depend on how much of the Certificate III your evidence covers. After the free check, we’ll give you the full cost and a realistic timeframe for someone with your background.
I work in another state. Can you help?
Yes. Carpentry licensing changes from state to state, and we work with tradespeople Australia-wide. If you already hold a carpentry licence elsewhere, ask us about mutual recognition in NSW.
Check your carpentry experience for free.
Tell us what you’ve built and for how long. We’ll tell you where you stand, what’s missing, and what it costs.