Pool Building Licensing Information

NSW

The process of getting a pool building licence in New South Wales is managed and regulated by the Department of Fair Trading.

Licensing

For home building or trade work you must have a contractor licence before you contract, sub-contract or advertise to do residential building work where the reasonable market cost of the labour and materials is more than $5,000 (including GST)

For licensing purposes, the class of swimming pool building refers to all work involved in the construction, renovation, alteration, repair, extension, maintenance, decorative or protective treatment of a swimming pool. It includes all other works directly associated with a swimming pool installation such as landscaping, safety fencing, pool water filtration and heating. Any other works not directly associated with the correct and safe installation and functioning of a swimming pool are excluded.

This class also includes all work referred to in the class of swimming pool repairs and servicing.

A swimming pool is defined under the Swimming Pools Act 1992 as an excavation, structure or vessel:

  1. that is capable of being filled with water to a depth greater than 300 millimetres, and
  2. that is solely or principally used, or that is designed, manufactured or adapted to be solely or principally used, for the purpose of swimming, wading, paddling or any other human aquatic activity,
  3. and includes a spa pool, but does not include a spa bath, anything that is situated within a bathroom or anything declared by the regulations not to be a swimming pool for the purposes of the Swimming Pools Act 1992.

A contract for swimming pool building can include any specialist work that is integral to the overall work, but such work must be carried out by the holder of an endorsed contractor licence or qualified supervisor certificate in the relevant category of specialist work.

License Types

  • Swimming Pool Building

License Application

You must lodge your application and payment in person at a Service NSW centre.

https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/trades-and-businesses/licensing-and-qualifications/swimming-pool-building

Experience

Nil 

Qualifications

  1. CPC40808 Certificate IV in Swimming Pool and Spa Building - For further information on this qualification click here
    OR
  2. Completion of a Licence Skills Assessment conducted by the Building Industry Skills Centre and a minimum of four years acceptable practical experience if you started or completed both the assessment and experience prior to 29 March 2010.

National Police Check

Nil

Financial Requirements

Nil

Building Insurance Requirements

If you’re a licensed builder or tradesperson in NSW, you need to get home building compensation (HBC) cover for each home building project over $20,000 including GST.

HBC cover, which used to be called ‘home warranty insurance’, protects homeowners as a last resort if you can’t complete building work or fix defects.

You need this cover to work directly for a developer, homeowner or owner-builder for new homes, new low-rise ‘multi-unit’ buildings of three storeys or less, or home renovations, unless exempt. Sub-contractors do not need the cover, because the head contractor has covered the work.

You must give proof of the HBC cover to your customer before starting work or asking for any payment or deposit.

 

More Information

For more information on applying for a pool building licence in NSW, or to learn more about the process, visit the Department of Fair Trading website.