Back in the day, it was a common belief that if you were not academic (book smart), that you should become a tradesperson. If you haven’t done a trade apprenticeship/qualification before, then this could be a fair assumption. However, after completing my carpentry apprenticeship a few years ago, that old belief is far from the truth.
Tradespeople are craftspeople that have learnt a profession and can literally create something out of nothing. These days all builders wanting to build, renovate or do any work around a property that requires council consent need to have earned a number of industry certificates before the job even starts.
Complete a carpentry trade industry certificate (Which takes up to 4 years to complete).
Become registered as a licenced Building Practitioner (L.B.P). In simple terms, this means the builder is competent to do the work. This is recognised as a professional skill, that the builder can be publicly held accountable for with a biannual review process).
Carry current insurances:
Public Liability Insurance covers claims for personnel injury or property damage.
Statutory Liability Insurance covers legal defence costs and certain fines if there is a breach of any legislation. (Annual membership).
Health and safety operations procedure. All builders are required by law to have a health and safety plan on every site. Including evacuation procedure in the event of an emergency, first aid kit, sign in / sign out system as a minimum.
Become a member of an affiliated builders association. These associations keep members up to date with changes in the industry, new products, legal requirements, construction knowledge, support, health and safety. This is optional, however, I have found it very worthwhile, not just to help me as a builder but also as a business owner.
So when choosing your building partner do your research and make sure they have invested these qualities into their business. This will make you feel confident that you have chosen the right team.