Articles & guides

From writing a clear job description to comparing quotes and locking in a start date — the full process of hiring a tradie without the stress.

Comparing a few quotes is the simplest protection against overpaying — here's how to line them up fairly and spot the outlier.

Inclusions, exclusions, PC sums, variations — what every line on a quote means and the red flags to catch before you sign.

"While you're here, could you also…" — how job scopes quietly grow, when that's fine, and how to keep the price attached to the plan.

Two free public registers tell you whether a tradie is licensed and their business is real — here's exactly where to look and what the results mean.

Electrical and plumbing always; others depend on your state and the job's value. A plain-English map of Australia's trade licensing rules.

When a deposit is reasonable, how big it should be, and the payment habits that protect you if a job goes sideways.

Defects, no-shows, blown-out bills — the escalation path from a polite conversation to formal complaints, in the right order.

What a defect report actually contains, how to photograph the problem so it is undeniable, and how to write it up so the tradie can act on it instead of arguing with it.

Leaking wet areas, ponding balconies, drummy tiles, stepped cracking and loose balustrades — what each one actually indicates, and which are cosmetic versus which are getting worse while you wait.

Statutory warranties under the Home Building Act, how long you actually have, what counts as a major defect, and the order to work through Fair Trading and NCAT.

Linear metres measure length along a line — fences, benchtops, gutters, skirting. Here's how to measure yours and sanity-check a quote.

Floors, walls, lawns and driveways are all priced by area. How to calculate square metres room by room — and why quotes multiply from there.

That fee before any work starts isn't a rip-off — it covers travel, the diagnosis, and the van full of gear. Here's what's normal and what to ask.

Each pricing model shifts risk in a different direction. When to prefer each, and the questions that stop either one going wrong.

A season-by-season rhythm for gutters, smoke alarms, aircon, decks and drainage — catch small jobs before they become emergencies.

Part toolbox, part office, part national icon — the practical and cultural reasons the ute owns Australian worksites.

No job is too small — but small jobs compete for scarce slots. How to describe, schedule and pay for them so good tradies pick yours.