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N NeedATrade
The master page Updated May 2026

The cross-trade master · 12 questions · works for all 33 trades

12 questions every tradie
should be able to answer.

Different trade, same drama. We read 2,037 real homeowner questions across roofers, plumbers, painters, builders, sparkies, pool guys, arborists — and the same 12 questions came back loudest in every one. Here they are, with the answers underneath. Print this page. Steal it. They work.

Start with Question 01 Or jump to a specific trade

How this list was built

A research dossier, not a checklist someone invented at lunch.

We ranked every recurring buyer objection across 41 NSW + 32 QLD + 31 VIC trade-region files (104 in total). Twelve clusters appeared in every region for every trade priced over ~$1,000. The order below is the order they came up by frequency. We didn't pick them — the homeowners did.

The 12, at a glance

  1. 01 Am I being ripped off?

    Quote anatomy — not "fair price".
  2. 02 How do I know they're legit?

    Generic "licensed and insured" copy is white noise.
  3. 03 What certificate should I receive?

    Show the paper before you transfer the money.
  4. 04 Is a big deposit normal?

    NSW 10% rule is the honest operator's home ground.
  5. 05 Will the quote blow out?

    Fixed-price claims without variation rules are noise.
  6. 06 What's the warranty — written?

    Four layers, not one.
  7. 07 Can you handle my difficult site?

    Edge cases are where margin lives.
  8. 08 How fast — same-day, after-hours?

    Specificity beats "24/7" every time.
  9. 09 Should I DIY / Airtasker / hipages?

    Honest boundary beats blanket "always hire a pro".
  10. 10 Do they really service your suburb?

    Travel zones, postcode premium, transparent.
  11. 11 What happens AFTER you leave?

    Aftercare = the real warranty test.
  12. 12 What's actually next after I ask for a quote?

    Process beats promises.
01

Am I being ripped off?

Quote anatomy — not "fair price".

Some of the quotes I got are just pure stupidity.
Reddit r/sydney · Painter quote spread

The fair-price question is the wrong question. Every trade has wild quote spreads — sometimes 5× for the same job. The right question is whether the breakdown is fair: scope, materials, labour, waste, allowances + variation rules.

A working tradie

Sends a quote split into five labelled lines, on letterhead, with the licence number.

A cowboy

Sends a text. One number. "I'll do it for $X."

Ask this, exactly

Save · steal

"Can you send the quote broken into scope, materials, labour, waste and any variation triggers — written, on letterhead, with your licence number?"

Loudest in

Plumber · Roofer · Pool · Builder Luxury · Painter · Pest · Solar

02

How do I know they're legit?

Generic "licensed and insured" copy is white noise.

He is a sole trader, doesn't have a website, no reviews on his FB page. Does have an ABN, but no idea what qualifications to check on.
Whirlpool Sydney homeowner

Every tradie's website says licensed and insured. Almost none can produce the licence number, the ABN history, the certificate of currency on demand. The verification routine takes 10 minutes — and 10 minutes is what separates the working tradies from the cowboys.

A working tradie

Sends licence number + ABN + COC for PL and workers comp within an hour. Has reviews you can drive past.

A cowboy

"My mate vouches for me." "I've been doing this 20 years." No paper trail.

Ask this, exactly

Save · steal

"Could you send your licence number, ABN, and a certificate of currency for public liability and workers comp before I confirm the quote?"

Loudest in

All 33. Loudest: Arborist · Roofer · Pool · Pest · Solar

03

What certificate should I receive?

Show the paper before you transfer the money.

What certificate / forms / warranties should I be asking from electrician?
Reddit r/sydney · r/AusFinance · Electrician threads

Different trade, different acronym — same principle. Electrical: CCEW (NSW) or COES (VIC). Plumbing: Compliance Certificate. Pool: HBC. Builder: HBC + Insurance certificate. Pest: treatment record + warranty. Arborist: council permit reference. The certificate is the proof. No certificate, no payment.

A working tradie

Names the exact certificate up front. Promises it at sign-off. Delivers it on time.

A cowboy

"It's all in the invoice." "I don't do that paperwork." Avoids the question.

Ask this, exactly

Save · steal

"What licence class are you holding for this job, and what certificate or compliance paperwork will I receive when it's signed off?"

Loudest in

Electrician (CCEW/COES) · Plumber (CoC) · Pool (HBC) · Pest (EPA) · Arborist (council) · Builder (HBC)

04

Is a big deposit normal?

NSW 10% rule is the honest operator's home ground.

Builder wants 50% deposit upfront in Sydney NSW, is this normal?
Whirlpool Builder Luxury NSW

No. In NSW, residential building work has a statutory 10% maximum deposit — anything more is illegal. QLD: same threshold on most work. VIC: 10% under $20k, 5% over. A working operator works within these limits. A cowboy pushes for 50% and disappears.

A working tradie

10% deposit (or less). Progress payments tied to milestones. Final payment after handover + defects window.

A cowboy

"I need 50% to lock in materials." "Cash discount if you pay it all upfront." Pressure for speed.

Ask this, exactly

Save · steal

"What's the deposit, and how do you structure progress payments? I understand the state max is 10% — does your contract sit within that?"

Loudest in

Builder Luxury · Landscaper · Pool

05

Will the quote blow out?

Fixed-price claims without variation rules are noise.

Watch out for extremes — both very high and very low quotes are red flags.
Reddit r/sydney · Electrician

"Fixed price" is meaningless without written allowances + variation rules. A working tradie tells you up front what's open — what they can't see yet, what triggers a re-quote, and what the dollar ceiling is on the open items. A cowboy claims fixed price, then varies you up at invoice.

A working tradie

Names the open items in the quote. Sets a $ cap on each. Re-quotes in writing before doing the work.

A cowboy

Verbal "no worries, that'll be fine." Then a $4k variation at the end.

Ask this, exactly

Save · steal

"What's open in this quote — what could change once you start? What's your variation rule and is there a dollar ceiling?"

Loudest in

Builder Luxury · Pool · Roofer · Plumber

06

What's the warranty — written?

Four layers, not one.

Read the 1-star reviews. They often reveal the stuff that really matters: ghosting customers, shoddy work, or warranty nightmares.
Whirlpool Solar thread, pattern verbatim

You're entitled to four layers of cover: statutory (set by state law, automatic), workmanship (the operator's own promise), materials (manufacturer), and insurance-backed (HBC / QBCC / VBA — kicks in if they disappear). "Lifetime warranty" on a brochure means nothing unless all four are named with limits and triggers.

A working tradie

Sends a warranty document listing all four layers, year limits, what triggers a callback, and the manufacturer warranty PDFs.

A cowboy

"10-year warranty" verbally. Won't put it in writing. No mention of statutory cover.

Ask this, exactly

Save · steal

"Could you list the statutory, workmanship, materials and insurance-backed cover in writing — with year limits and what triggers a callback?"

Loudest in

Pool (10-yr structural) · Painter (5-yr) · Landscaper · Solar

07

Can you handle my difficult site?

Edge cases are where margin lives.

I include washing the surface in my quote. Too risky to go off someone else's word… I'm liable.
Operator voice Painter, useful as the buyer mirror

Heritage, strata, steep pitch, BAL rating, three-phase, asbestos, lead paint, two-storey access — every trade has a high-margin edge case. The cheapest quote is almost always the one that didn't price the complication. Reward the tradie who names it up front.

A working tradie

Names the edge cases on inspection. Prices each separately. Has done this exact kind of site before — can show photos.

A cowboy

Quotes a standard scope. Discovers the complication on day two. Variation upward.

Ask this, exactly

Save · steal

"What complications have you spotted on this site, and how have you priced each one separately?"

Loudest in

Landscaper · Pool · Builder Luxury · Painter (heritage / lead) · Electrician (strata / three-phase) · Roofer

08

How fast — same-day, after-hours?

Specificity beats "24/7" every time.

Tried to follow up and he ignored me and ghosted me, as their solution didn't fix my pest problem.
Reddit r/melbourne · Pest Control

Generic "24/7 emergency service" is marketing copy. A real urgency operator gives you an ETA in minutes, a make-safe price separate from the repair, and their licence number in the first message. Anything less is the cowboy storm-chasing routine.

A working tradie

"I can be there in 90 minutes. Make-safe is $X. My licence number is Y." All within 10 minutes.

A cowboy

"Yeah, today sometime." No make-safe option. No licence number until you press.

Ask this, exactly

Save · steal

"What's your ETA, what's the make-safe fee, and can you text me your licence number while you're on the way?"

Loudest in

Plumber · Electrician · Roofer (storm) · Pest · Arborist (storm)

09

Should I DIY / Airtasker / hipages?

Honest boundary beats blanket "always hire a pro".

I am super reluctant to do Airtasker / hipages.
Whirlpool Electrician NSW

The honest answer varies by trade. Hanging a picture? DIY. Electrical fixed wiring? Illegal to DIY in every state. Plumbing connections to mains? Illegal. Painting a room? Fine. Removing a load-bearing wall? Get a structural engineer, not Airtasker. The marketplaces are best at low-stakes, low-licence work — and worst at the rest.

A working tradie

Tells you honestly what you could DIY, what you need a licensed operator for, and why.

A cowboy

Either scares you off all DIY ("you'll burn the house down") or claims they can do anything ("no licence needed for this one, mate").

Ask this, exactly

Save · steal

"Honestly — is this a job I could DIY, or does the law / safety require a licensed operator? Why?"

Loudest in

Electrician · Painter · Pest · Plumber

10

Do they really service your suburb?

Travel zones, postcode premium, transparent.

Our architect warned us prices could be as high as $4-5k per m², and the pricing from the builder came back closer to $6k!
Whirlpool Builder Luxury NSW

Suburb effects are real — heritage overlay, access, two-storey, beachside, premium-suburb premium. They're also where dishonest operators hide a surcharge. Honest operators publish their no-travel zone and per-km charges. Cowboys hide it in a "site fee" at invoice time.

A working tradie

Publishes their travel zone on the website. Mentions any surcharge in the quote, not the invoice.

A cowboy

"All inclusive" — then an unexplained "site fee" on the final bill.

Ask this, exactly

Save · steal

"Is my suburb inside your no-travel zone? If not, what's the surcharge — and is it already in the quote?"

Loudest in

Electrician · Painter · Plumber · Builder Luxury

11

What happens AFTER you leave?

Aftercare = the real warranty test.

Their price is reasonable, their service is ok. However, Sam never provides me the invoice even though he promised he would send.
Whirlpool Arborist NSW — pattern verbatim across trades

Post-job ghosting is the most repeated complaint across every trade we read. The defects period, the maintenance schedule, the post-storm check, the dated completion photos — these are the things a working operator sets up at handover. Cowboys don't answer the phone after invoice.

A working tradie

Walks you through the defects period at handover. Sets up the maintenance schedule. Sends dated photos.

A cowboy

Takes final payment. Stops returning calls. Never sends the invoice.

Ask this, exactly

Save · steal

"What's your defects period in writing, and how do callbacks work in the first 6 months?"

Loudest in

Pool · Solar · Pest · Painter · Landscaper · Plumber

12

What's actually next after I ask for a quote?

Process beats promises.

I paid them in full towards the end of the day trusting they would complete the job. I now cannot get them to come back and finish what we agreed on. No invoice has been issued either.
Whirlpool Arborist NSW

If a tradie can't sketch the next six steps on the back of an envelope, they don't run a process. They run a vibe. The flow is: inspection → written scope → contract + deposit → schedule → on-the-day → sign-off + paperwork. Six steps. Every trade. Every job.

A working tradie

Walks you through all six steps before asking for a deposit. Each has a date, an action, and an owner.

A cowboy

Tries to skip from "I'll take a look" to "deposit please" in one phone call.

Ask this, exactly

Save · steal

"Can you walk me through your six steps from quote to handover — what each one looks like and how long it takes?"

Loudest in

All 33

The whole test, on one line

A working tradie answers all 12 without breaking stride.
A cowboy stalls on three of them.

That's the whole test. Print this page, screenshot it, paste it into the email when you ask for the quote. The questions are the lens. The answers are the trade. Anyone who flinches at the phrasing has just told you what a thousand reviews wouldn't.

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