Fencing work
You must have a licence or certificate to do fencing work. You need the required qualifications and experience before you apply.
Key information
- In NSW, you need a contractor licence to do any residential building or trade work, including fencing, which is valued at more than $5000 in labour and materials (including GST).
- There are different types of licences and certificates available depending on the work you need to do.
- You must have the right qualifications and experience before you can apply for a licence or certificate.
- You can apply for a 1, 3 or 5 year licence or certificate.
What is fencing work?
Fencing work is trade work.
Fencing means putting up fences and gates within or on residential property boundary lines, regardless of the materials used.
The following licence categories also allow you to do some types of fencing work:
- Carpentry includes timber (including brushwood and the like), metal and prefabricated glass fencing.
- Glazing includes glass and other acrylic fencing.
- Metal fabrication includes metal fencing.
- Bricklaying includes brick fencing and footings for freestanding brick fences where the footings will not have to bear loads other than the finished brickwork, gates, or decorative features.
- Stonemasonry includes stonemasonry fencing and footings for freestanding stonemasonry fences where the footings will not have to bear loads other than the finished masonry work, gates, or decorative features.
To learn more about what is considered fencing see the definition in schedule 4 of the Home Building Regulation 2014.
You must have a contractor licence to carry out, advertise or contract for building or trade work that is valued at more than $5,000 in labour and materials (including GST).
You can be fined $22,000 as an individual or $110,000 as a company under the Home Building Act 1989 for doing unlicensed work.
Applying for a licence or certificate
Licence types you can apply for
There are different types of licences available in NSW depending on whether you want to:
- contract to do the work,
- supervise work,
- do the work, or
- do a combination of these roles.
The licence types that apply to this category of work are:
- Individual contractor licence (or endorsed contractor licence)
- Company or partnership contractor licence
- Qualified supervisor certificate
You can apply for these licence types for 1, 3 or 5 years.
You can also get started with applying for your licence or certificate at Service NSW.
Time frames for licensing and registration applications
Find out about the current application processing times for different licence and registration categories.
Qualifications and experience needed
To get a licence or certificate to do fencing work, you must complete one of the qualification pathways listed below.
Qualifications - pathway 1
Complete CPC10120 or CPC10111 - Certificate 1 in Construction and must also include the following electives and additional units:
- CPCCOM1015 or CPCCCM1015 or CPCCCM1015A Carry out measurements and calculations, and
- CPCCCM2004 or CPCCCM2004A Handle construction materials, or MEM05005 / MEM05005B Carry out mechanical cutting, and
- CPCCCM2006 or CPCCCM2006A or B Apply basic levelling procedures, and
- CPCCCM2009 or CPCCCM2009A Carry out basic demolition, and
- CPCCJN2001 or CPCCJN2001A Assemble components, and
- CPCCWHS2001 Apply WHS requirements, policies and procedures in the construction industry, or CPCCOHS2001A Apply OHS requirements, policies and procedures in the construction industry.
Qualifications - pathway 2
Complete CPC10108 - Certificate 1 in Construction and must include the following electives and additional units:
- CPCCCM1005A Carry out measurements and calculations, and
- CPCCCM2004A Handle construction materials or MEM05005B Carry out mechanical cutting, and
- CPCCCM2006A Apply basic leveling procedures, and
- CPCCCM2009A Carry out basic demolition, and
- CPCCJN2001A Assemble components, and
- CPCCOHS2001A Apply OHS requirements, policies and procedures in the construction industry.
Qualifications - pathway 3
Complete all of the following 11 units of competency:
- BCGCM1001B Follow OH&S policies and procedures
- BCGCM1002B Work effectively in the General Construction industry
- BCGCM1003B Plan and organise work
- BCGCM1004B Conduct workplace communication
- BCGCM1005B Carry out measurements and calculations
- BCGCM2001B Read and interpret plans and specifications
- BCGCM2004B Handle construction materials
- BCGCM2005B Use construction tools and equipment
- BCGCM2006B Apply basic levelling procedures
- BCCCM3001B Construct and dismantle fences and gates, and
- BCGCM2009B Carry out basic demolition.
Previous licence or certificate holders
You do not need to show your qualifications if you have
either:
- ever held an endorsed contractor licence or qualified supervisor certificate in fencing that had no restrictions or conditions. If you apply for a new endorsed contractor licence or qualified supervisor certificate, we will accept your previous licence or certificate in place of the current qualification requirements.
or:
- held an endorsed contractor licence or qualified supervisor certificate in the last 5 years in fencing that had restrictions or conditions. We will assess your application and reissue you a licence or certificate that reflects the scope of work that your licence or certificate covered. This may include some conditions or restrictions.
If your application is approved, you will be issued the same licence or qualified supervisor number you had before.
To find organisations that deliver nationally recognised training, go to https://www.yourcareer.gov.au/learn-and-train/courses and search via the course code or name.
If you are currently an apprentice or trainee, you cannot be issued with a licence or certificate. Once you have completed your apprenticeship or traineeship, you will need to apply for a contractor licence if you intend to do, or contract for, building or trade work.
If you hold a licence from interstate or New Zealand, and want to work in NSW, see Working interstate and mutual recognition.
This category of building and trade work is included under the NSW Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR) scheme.
If you trained overseas, see Overseas trained applicants.
Do not make false or misleading claims
Providing false or misleading information is a serious offence.
If your license was obtained based on false or misleading information, you could face criminal prosecution, and your licence or certificate may be cancelled.
What would you like to do now?
Get in touch with Building Commission NSW
Need help with an application or want to know more about training and accreditation? Get in touch with Building Commission NSW.
From overseas, call:+612 3814 0545