Four document folders standing on an oak shelf

Builder prequalification: the documents a developer should expect

What documents should a developer ask a builder for before engaging them?

A developer prequalifying a builder for an apartment project should expect a standard set of documents and should be wary of a builder who cannot produce them quickly. The contractor licence, which the developer should verify independently on the NSW licence register rather than accepting a copy. Current insurance certificates for contract works, public liability and workers compensation, and evidence of home building compensation cover where the work requires it. A list of completed projects with addresses, scale, delivery form and the developer client for each, so the developer can visit the buildings and call the clients. Financial capacity, which a financier will usually assess directly. The safety management system and the quality process. And the people: who will lead the project, who the construction manager will be, and what they have delivered before. Calibre's capability statement sets these out on one page, and its licence details are on the About and Contact pages so the register check takes a minute.

Licence and registrations

Contractor licence number, class and expiry, verified on the NSW licence register by the developer. The compliance record on the same register. Practitioner registrations under the Design and Building Practitioners Act for the people who will sign declarations.

Insurance

Contract works, public liability and workers compensation certificates, current and with the limits the contract requires. Home building compensation cover where the project needs it.

Track record

Completed projects with enough detail to verify: address, scale, delivery form, completion year and the client. A developer should visit at least one and speak to at least one client. Calibre's projects are listed on this site with that detail for each.

Capacity and people

Current workload and the projects that will overlap. The director and the construction manager who will run the job, and their record. Financial capacity, which the developer's financier will usually assess independently.

Reviewed October 2026. Regulatory settings in New South Wales change; confirm the current requirements with your certifier and solicitor.

What is a capability statement?

A short document that sets out the builder's licence, insurance, people, plant, completed projects and referees in one place. Calibre's is on this site.