# Check the licence, insurance and references

Lesson 1 of [Hire a collector garage builder](https://luxurygaragebuilders.fyi/academy/hire-a-collector-garage-builder.md), 15 minutes.

Do these checks before you sign anything or pay any money. Do them for each builder on your shortlist, including a builder that you found on this site. A listing is not a recommendation.

## Check the licence on the official register

Do not rely on a logo on a website, or on a licence number that the business shows. Search the regulator's own register.

- **California.** Check the licence on the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) website, or call 1-800-321-2752.
- **Other US states.** Rules differ by state. Search for your state licensing board, and ask your local building department which licence the work needs.
- **New South Wales, Australia.** A contractor licence is necessary for residential building work valued at more than A$5,000 in labour and materials, including GST. Specialist work, such as electrical wiring and air conditioning, needs a licence at any cost.
- **Queensland, Australia.** A QBCC licence is necessary for building work valued over A$3,300. QBCC tells homeowners to see the contractor's QBCC licence before they sign a contract or hand over money.
- **United Kingdom.** There is no general builder licence. TrustMark calls itself the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme, and it vets its registered businesses. Members of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) must pass a vetting and inspection process before they join.

## Check the other trades

A collector garage needs electrical work for the lift, the climate system and any EV charger. Ask who will do this work. Ask if each trade holds the licence that your area requires.

## Confirm the insurance

Ask for the certificates of liability insurance. Where the law requires it, ask for workers' compensation too. Call the insurer to confirm that each policy is live. In Queensland, the head contractor must pay a Home Warranty Scheme premium for insurable residential work over A$3,300. QBCC warns that an unlicensed contractor may void your access to that cover.

## Call past clients

CSLB tells homeowners to get at least three local references and to call them. Ask for three recent collector or showroom garage projects. Ask each client:

- Did the job finish on time and on budget?
- How did the builder handle changes and problems?
- Would you hire them again?

Visit one finished garage if you can. Look at the floor finish, the cabinet joinery and the lift installation.

## Sources

Each page was accessed on 2026-10-29.

- [CSLB, Home Improvement Contracts: Homeowner Checklists](https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/Hire_A_Contractor/Home_Improvement_Contracts/Homeowner_Checklists.aspx)
- [NSW Government, Checking your contractor or tradesperson is qualified](https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/building-or-renovating-a-home/preparing/checking-your-contractor-or-tradesperson-qualified)
- [QBCC, Who must hold a QBCC licence](https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/home-owner-hub/build-renovate/finding-contractor-getting-quotes/who-must-hold-qbcc-licence)
- [QBCC, Key Information for QBCC Licensees and Homeowners (May 2025)](https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/guide-key-information-licensee-home-owners.pdf)
- [TrustMark, How it works](https://www.trustmark.org.uk/homeowner/how-it-works)
- [Federation of Master Builders, Find a builder](https://www.fmb.org.uk/find-a-builder/)
- [LuxuryGarageBuilders, How to Choose a Luxury Garage Builder](https://luxurygaragebuilders.fyi/guides/how-to-choose-a-luxury-garage-builder)

Also on the [web page](https://luxurygaragebuilders.fyi/academy/hire-a-collector-garage-builder/check-licence-insurance-and-references).