The building work contractor licence
The Australian Government's business licence service, ABLIS, says individuals and businesses in South Australia must be licensed as a building contractor to provide building services, and it sets no minimum job value.
Consumer and Business Services (CBS) issues that licence under the Building Work Contractors Act 1995 and the Building Work Contractors Regulations 2026.
South Australia's Law Handbook adds that builders must be licensed for most kinds of domestic building work, and that on minor domestic building work, builders and other trades still need the licence that fits what they do.
None of these sources names garage doors. Before you agree to a job, ask the door business whether it holds a building work contractor's licence, and look it up.
Contracts and insurance over $20,000
From 10 November 2025, the Law Handbook says, domestic building work valued under $20,000 counts as minor domestic building work and is not regulated to the same level as bigger contracts.
Any domestic building work contract over $20,000 has to be in writing. That threshold rose from $12,000 on the same date, and the law sets no requirement for a written contract below it.
Building indemnity insurance is required where the contract price for domestic building work is over $20,000, also up from $12,000 on 10 November 2025.
Opener wiring in South Australia
A business that enters into a contract to carry out electrical work in South Australia needs an electrical contractor's licence from CBS. The person doing the work needs electrical worker registration to install, alter, repair or maintain electrical systems, fittings, fixtures, appliances and devices.
So a new power point near the ceiling, or an opener that is hard-wired, needs a registered electrical worker. A door business that takes on that wiring as part of its quote needs the contractor's licence as well.
Whoever carried out the electrical work must issue an electronic certificate of compliance (eCoC) and give it to you within 30 days of finishing.
Checking a licence in South Australia
CBS runs an Occupational Public Register with a licence search, so you can look up a licence before you sign anything.
The Law Handbook warns there are significant penalties for builders who hold themselves out as licensed or registered when they are not.
Bushfire Hazard Overlays
In the Bushfire Hazard Overlays, the SA Country Fire Service is a referral body for development applications, giving advice on siting, construction and structural standards. Ministerial Building Standard MBS008 adds requirements for designated bushfire-prone areas.
If your home is in one of those areas, ask the door specialist whether those requirements reach the new door before you settle on a model.
South Australian rules at a glance
| The rule | Who says so | |
|---|---|---|
| Building work contractor licence | Needed to provide building services; no minimum job value stated | ABLIS |
| Written contract | Domestic building work over $20,000, from 10 November 2025 | Law Handbook |
| Building indemnity insurance | Contract price over $20,000 | Law Handbook |
| Electrical work | A contractor's licence to contract for it, worker registration to do it | ABLIS |
| Certificate | An eCoC within 30 days of the work | ABLIS |
Before you agree to a door job in SA
- Search the business's licence on the CBS Occupational Public Register
- Over $20,000, expect a written contract and building indemnity insurance
- If the opener needs new wiring, ask who holds the electrical contractor's licence
- Ask for the eCoC once any electrical work is done
What we would do
Ask the door business for its licence number when it quotes, then search that number on the CBS register before you sign. It takes a few minutes and tells you exactly who you are dealing with.