How to choose a reliable tradie in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs
To choose a reliable tradie, check three things before anyone starts: a current NSW licence, real insurance, and a track record of finished jobs you can verify. The hard part is doing that for every quote — which is exactly what a concierge does for you.
Start with the licence
Most trade work in NSW needs a licence — electrical, plumbing, gasfitting, and any building work over $5,000. You can check a licence for free on the NSW Fair Trading website by name or number, and it will tell you if it’s current and what class of work it covers.
A licence isn’t a guarantee of good work, but no licence on work that needs one is a clear stop sign. If someone is vague about their number, that tells you something too.
Then check insurance and recent work
Ask for proof of public liability insurance, and for building work, the right warranty insurance. A tradie who carries cover is a tradie who plans to be around if something goes wrong.
Reviews help, but recent, local, finished jobs help more. Ask to see two or three jobs like yours that they’ve completed nearby — in the Eastern Suburbs, access, parking and strata rules vary a lot street to street, so local experience is worth real money.
Get the scope and dates in writing
Most disputes come from a fuzzy scope, not a bad tradie. Before work starts, write down exactly what’s included, what isn’t, the price, and the start and finish dates.
For anything over $5,000 in NSW you’re entitled to a written contract — use it. Clear dates also mean you can tell, at the end, whether the job was actually delivered as agreed.
Why people use a concierge instead
Doing all of the above, for every quote, is a part-time job. A concierge does it for you: we bring in a checked tradie from our network, organise the job, book the start and finish dates, and record it’s done — with photos. You approve before anything is marked complete.
We don’t manage the site or supervise the trade on site. We line up the right person and make sure the outcome you wanted actually happened.
Common questions
How do I check a tradie’s licence in NSW?
Search the free licence check on the NSW Fair Trading website by the tradie’s name or licence number. It shows whether the licence is current and what work it covers.
Does a licensed tradie still need insurance?
Yes. A licence covers competence; insurance covers what happens if something goes wrong. Always ask for proof of public liability cover, and the right warranty insurance for larger building work.
What work needs a licence in NSW?
Electrical, plumbing, drainage and gasfitting always need a licence, as does building work over $5,000 in value. Smaller handyman jobs may not, but the person should still be insured.
Is local experience really worth paying for?
In the Eastern Suburbs, often yes. Tight access, narrow streets, strata buildings and heritage rules all change how a job runs, and a tradie who works the area already knows the ropes.