Nominated Supervisor Requirements for Western Australian Building Contractors

What it is

Western Australia requires every registered builder (contractor) - the company or partnership vehicle - to have at least one Nominated Supervisor holding individual builder registration in the same class. The Nominated Supervisor is the natural person accountable for the technical work.

The framework sits in the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011 (WA). Building and Energy in the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety administers the requirement from 1 July 2025.

Structure

WA registration operates on a two-tier model:

• registered builder (contractor): the company or partnership vehicle
• registered builder (individual): the natural person, who can act as a Nominated Supervisor for a contractor entity

A contractor cannot operate without a Nominated Supervisor. The Nominated Supervisor certifies that they personally supervise the work and comply with the HBCA and BSCRA framework.

Individual class must match contractor class

The Nominated Supervisor's individual registration class must cover the scope of work the contractor is registered for. A contractor registered for residential building work must have a Nominated Supervisor with an individual class covering that work.

If the contractor is registered for multiple classes, at least one Nominated Supervisor must cover each class. In practice a company operating across residential and commercial classes typically needs a Nominated Supervisor for each.

Notification of change

Building and Energy requires notification of any change to the Nominated Supervisor. The specific notification period is set by the Building Services (Registration) Regulations 2011 (WA) and by Building and Energy guidance.

If the Nominated Supervisor ceases to hold the individual registration or leaves the contractor entity, the contractor must nominate a replacement or apply to suspend the contractor registration pending replacement.

Sole trader registration

For a sole trader registered builder (individual), the person is both the registrant and effectively the Nominated Supervisor. The individual must hold the class covering the work being done.

The 2026 review

The 2026 review of Western Australia's home building contract laws (consultation closed 24 June 2026, recommendations due September 2026) is examining licensing settings. Whether the Nominated Supervisor framework will change is on the review agenda; TradeForm WA templates should be reviewed when recommendations are released.

Consequences of unsupervised work

Building work carried out by a contractor without a Nominated Supervisor exposes the contractor to:

• offence proceedings under the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011
• registration conditions, suspension or cancellation by Building and Energy
• BSCRA disciplinary action against both individuals and contractors

Owners contracting with a WA company builder should verify the Nominated Supervisor's individual registration through Building and Energy's licence search before signing.

How Western Australia compares

WA's Nominated Supervisor framework aligns with QLD Schedule 1A and NSW section 25 HBA in structure. The distinctive WA feature is the direct link between the individual and contractor registration in the same class, and the pending 2026 review may reshape the framework.

The absence of an explicit statutory Days-to-notify rule (compared with NSW 7 days and QLD 14 days) creates some flexibility but also compliance uncertainty. Building and Energy guidance should be checked for the current notification expectation.