What we check, in order
Each technician's ARC licence
Anyone who handles refrigerant needs a licence from the Australian Refrigeration Council. We look up every technician who'd work on your job on the ARC's Look for the Tick check, which shows whether a licence is current and whether it's the full RAC01 or the restricted RSS03. These licence numbers start with the letter L.
The business's trading authorisation
A business that buys, stores or sells refrigerant needs a Refrigerant Trading Authorisation, and the number (starting with AU) has to appear on its ads, quotes and invoices. The ARC's RTA search is only for wholesalers, so we ask to see the certificate itself.
The state licence for the work
An ARC licence covers the refrigerant and nothing more. Plumbing, electrical, gas and contractor licences come from each state, and the table below shows what we look for where.
Public liability insurance
We ask for a current certificate of currency. The minimum cover we accept: minimum public liability cover.
An active ABN
It has to be active, and the business name on it has to match the one you'll see on the quote.
Their reviews
We read the installer's Google reviews before they join, paying as much attention to how they handled a job that went wrong as to the praise. Our standard for joining: review standard for joining.
What they specialise in
We ask which jobs they do week in, week out, and only show them those. An installer who mostly fits splits won't hear about your hydronic boiler.
The state licences we look for
| What the work needs | Where it can be checked | |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | Installing a split is plumbing work, so it needs BPC registration as well as an ARC licence. Electrical work is for a registered electrical contractor. | ESVConnect, for an electrician's licence. BPC registration: how we check BPC registration |
| New South Wales | A licence or certificate for air conditioning and refrigeration work. Some carry a condition that excludes the electrical side, so we check for it. | Service NSW's licence check, by name, licence number or ABN |
| Queensland | A QBCC licence for mechanical services work, whatever the job's value. Electrical work needs a licence from the Electrical Safety Office. | The QBCC licensee register, which shows a full licence history |
| Western Australia | An electrical contractor's licence to connect fixed wiring and add a protective device at the switchboard. Its number starts with EC. | Building and Energy's online licence search |
| ACT | Electricians, plumbers, gasfitters and gas appliance workers each need a licence. A restricted refrigeration electrical licence covers disconnecting and reconnecting only. | Access Canberra's public registers, which also show suspended and cancelled licences |
| Tasmania | Installing or servicing refrigerated air conditioning is prescribed plumbing work. | how we check Tasmanian licences |
| South Australia and the NT | SA and NT licence checks | SA and NT licence checks |
Gas heating jobs need a gas licence as well
Ducted gas heaters, wall furnaces and gas space heaters are gas work, so we check the state's gas licence too. In Queensland, work on a type A gas device needs a gas work licence, and a servicing licence alone doesn't cover installing one. In WA, domestic gas installation and servicing falls under a Class G gasfitting permit. In the ACT, gasfitters and gas appliance workers are licensed separately from electricians.
What a licence check can't tell you
A current licence means someone is allowed to do the work. It says nothing about whether they turn up when they say they will, leave the site tidy or recommend the right size of unit. That's why reviews and specialisation are part of our check, and why we want to hear from you if a job goes badly.
Licences also lapse. The ARC's public check shows whether a licence is current today, and the ARC doesn't say it shows an expiry date, so a check done once isn't enough. We re-check every installer recheck frequency, and an installer who no longer meets the checks gets no more jobs from us.
Questions to ask any installer, however you found them
- What's your RTA number, and will it be on the written quote?
- Who'll actually do the work, and what's their ARC licence number?
- Who does the electrical connection, and do they hold the licence for it in this state?
- Can I see your current certificate of currency for public liability insurance?
- How often do you do jobs like mine?
What we'd do
Where we'd start
Two checks take a couple of minutes and catch most problems: the technician's licence on Look for the Tick, and the business on your state's register. Then make sure the RTA number on the written quote matches the certificate. If any of the three don't line up, we wouldn't sign.