All industries Construction
Residential Builder
New homes, extensions and renovations — stage-based contracts, progress claims and subcontractor coordination.
- ANZSIC
- 3011, 3019
- Division
- E
Bundle spec
Recommended software & services
Ranked on merit for this trade, not on what pays us most. Core items are pre-selected at checkout.
Manifest
10 items · 3 pre-selectedBuildxact Estimating
COREEstimating & CostingTakeoff, estimating and stage cost tracking against the contract.
$125/mo$149Xero Accounting
COREAccounting SoftwareProgress claims, retentions and subcontractor payments.
$59/mo$70BizCover Business Insurance
COREInsuranceContract works and public liability cover for residential building.
$75/mo$85Lawpath Legal Plan
RECOMMENDEDLegalBuilding contracts and variations. Note domestic building contracts are heavily regulated by state — get anything above a small job reviewed by a lawyer.
$39/mo$49Google Business Profile Setup & Management
RECOMMENDEDDigital PresencePortfolio photos and reviews where homeowners search.
$35/mo$49Annature e-Signatures
RECOMMENDEDDigital PresenceContracts and variations signed without chasing paper.
$39/mo$49Deputy Rostering & Time
RECOMMENDEDWorkforce & PayrollAward interpretation under the Building and Construction Award (MA000020). Only needed once you employ staff.
$69/mo$85Turnkey Business Website
RECOMMENDEDWebsiteA portfolio site with your builder registration number.
$25/mo$39Partner Accountant
OPTIONALAccounting & TaxStage-based revenue recognition benefits from professional advice.
$199/mo$250Prospa Business Lending
OPTIONALLendingBridging finance between progress claims.
No monthly fee
Core bundle: 3 services
Retail
$304/mo
Bundle
$259/mo
Workforce
Modern Awards that typically apply
- MA000020
Building & Construction Award
PrimaryPrimary award for on-site residential construction work.
12 entitlement rules modelledFair Work summary
- MA000002
Clerks Award
Applies to office and contract administration staff.
9 entitlement rules modelledFair Work summary
We deliberately don't publish pay rates. They change (usually each 1 July) and stale figures risk underpaying staff. Use the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool for current rates.
Compliance matrix
Licensing & compliance — ACT
TAX REGISTRATION
2Australian Business Number (ABN)
NATIONALEvery business operating in Australia needs an ABN. It is free to apply for and is required before you can register for GST, issue compliant tax invoices, or avoid having 47% withheld from payments by other businesses.
Australian Business RegisterCheck with the regulator
GST registration
NATIONALRegistration is compulsory once your GST turnover reaches the registration threshold in a rolling 12-month period, and you must register within 21 days of crossing it. Registration is optional below the threshold. Ride-sourcing drivers must register regardless of turnover.
Australian Taxation OfficeCheck with the regulator
WORKPLACE SAFETY
2Work health and safety duties
NATIONALAs a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) you owe a primary duty of care to workers and others. WHS law is implemented by each state and territory regulator.
Safe Work Australia and state regulatorsCheck with the regulator
Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) for high risk construction work
NATIONALA SWMS must be prepared before high risk construction work starts — including work at height, work near energised electrical installations, confined spaces and work on or near powered mobile plant.
State WHS regulatorsCheck with the regulator
INSURANCE
1Public liability insurance
NATIONALNot legally compulsory for most businesses, but effectively mandatory in practice — most commercial clients, councils, landlords and head contractors require evidence of cover before you can work.
Not government-mandated for most businessesCheck with the regulator
May also apply — we need one more answer
PAYG withholding registration
Do you employ staff (including casuals)?
Single Touch Payroll (Phase 2) reporting
Do you employ staff (including casuals)?
Superannuation guarantee
Do you employ staff (including casuals)?
Director Identification Number
What is your business structure?
Workers compensation insurance
Do you employ staff (including casuals)?
- Coverage gap
State and territory requirements for ACT are not yet modelled. Only national obligations are shown — check the ACT regulator directly for licensing.
Payroll codes
Payroll allowances to expect (STP Phase 2)
Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 requires allowances to be itemised by type. These are the ones this trade commonly reports.
- TD
Tool allowance
Allowance for employees required to supply their own tools — common under trade awards.
- AD
Award transport payments
Transport payments made under an industrial instrument in force at the relevant date.
- RD
Domestic or overseas travel
Travel allowance covering accommodation, meals and incidentals away from home.
- MD
Overtime meal allowance
Meal allowance paid when an employee works overtime.
Free tools
Free government tools worth using
Some of what businesses pay for is already published free. Start here.
- Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS)
Answer questions about what your business does and where it operates, and get back the licences, permits and registrations that apply across federal, state and local government. The single best starting point for the licensing question.
Australian Government
- Work out your business registrations
Walks through which registrations you need — ABN, business name, GST, TFN, PAYG withholding — based on your structure and situation.
business.gov.au
- ABN Lookup
Free public register for checking an ABN, its GST registration status and entity name. Worth running over any new commercial customer before you extend credit.
Australian Business Register
- Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR)
Register a security interest over goods you supply on credit, or search whether equipment you are buying is encumbered. Low cost per registration and the difference between being a secured and unsecured creditor if a customer folds.
Australian Financial Security Authority
- IP Australia — TM Headstart
A pre-application assessment service for trade marks — an examiner reviews your mark before you formally apply, so you find problems before paying the full application fee.
IP Australia
- Cash flow statement template
A spreadsheet for projecting money in and out month by month.
business.gov.au
- Profit and loss statement template
Standard income statement layout for businesses not yet on accounting software.
business.gov.au
- Balance sheet template
Assets, liabilities and equity in a single standard layout.
business.gov.au
- Budget template
Plan expected income and expenses across a financial year.
business.gov.au
- Start-up costs sheet
Itemise what it will actually cost to open — the exercise that tells you how much runway you need before the first invoice is paid.
business.gov.au
Government tools and templates referenced are © Commonwealth of Australia, licensed under CC BY 3.0 AU.
Disclaimer
General information only — not legal, financial or tax advice. Licence classes, thresholds and exemptions change; confirm every requirement with the named regulator before relying on it.