Every year, thousands of Queensland homeowners lose money to tradies who take deposits and disappear, do substandard work, or simply never show up. Here's how to protect yourself.
Step 1: Check Their QBCC Licence
Before you accept any quote, verify the tradie's QBCC licence at licence.qbcc.qld.gov.au. Search by name or licence number. You'll see if the licence is current and whether there are any disciplinary proceedings against them. This takes 30 seconds and can save you thousands.
Tradies on Taskova have their QBCC licence verified automatically. Look for the verified badge on their profile.
Step 2: Get 3 Quotes Minimum
For any job over $1,000, get at least three quotes. This tells you the market rate and quickly reveals outliers — the quote that's half the price of everyone else is usually a red flag. Ask each tradie what's included and what's not, and confirm whether the price is fixed or hourly.
Step 3: Check Reviews and Past Work
- Look for reviews on Google, Facebook, or their platform profile.
- Ask for photos of recent similar jobs.
- Request references from past clients if the job is large.
- Check how long they've been trading — newer businesses aren't necessarily bad, but experience matters.
Step 4: Get Everything in Writing
A verbal quote is not a contract. Before work starts you should have a written agreement that includes the scope of work, total price (or hourly rate and estimated hours), payment schedule, start and end dates, and what happens if there are variations.
Step 5: Use Milestone Payments
Never pay the full amount upfront. Structure payments around completion milestones. The QBCC recommends deposits no higher than 10% of the total contract value. Using an escrow service means funds are protected until you approve each stage.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
- Demanding more than 20% upfront before work starts.
- No licence number provided or refuses to show licence.
- No written quote — 'we'll sort it out as we go.'
- Suspiciously low quote with no explanation.
- Pushes to be paid in cash only.
- No insurance or refuses to provide evidence of insurance.
- Wants you to sign a contract immediately with no time to read it.
What to Do if Things Go Wrong
If a tradie does substandard work or abandons your job, your options depend on how they were hired. If they're QBCC-licensed, you can lodge a complaint with the QBCC which has the power to direct them to fix the work or invoke the Home Warranty Scheme. If you used Taskova, the dispute process starts with platform mediation before escalating to QBCC.
If you paid an unlicensed tradie in cash, your legal options are very limited. Small claims court can help for amounts up to $25,000, but recovery is not guaranteed.
The Safest Way to Hire in Brisbane
Post your job on Taskova. Every tradie is QBCC licence-verified before they can quote. All payments go through escrow — you only release funds when you're happy with the work. If there's a dispute, you have a structured resolution process backed by QBCC.