Solar installers: public liability requirements in Western Australia

Verified for Western Australia

• Licence liability condition: Yes, through the electrical contractor licence: the regulations require a current policy of insurance against civil liability in respect of the work of an electrical contractor, held with a reputable insurer. WA · effective 2012-06-29 Consumer Protection WA · 2026-08-13
• Licence evidence required: A certificate of currency for public liability insurance issued or printed within the last 30 days, in the name of the individual, partnership or company rather than a trust or trading name. WA · effective 2012-06-29 Consumer Protection WA · 2026-08-13
• Licensing body: An electrical licence and, to contract, an electrical contractor licence from the Electrical Licensing Board — solar photovoltaic installation is electrical work. Separately, accreditation under the federal small-scale renewable energy scheme is needed for rebate eligibility and is industry accreditation, not a government licence. WA · effective 2012-06-29 Consumer Protection WA · 2026-08-13

What contracts commonly ask for

Principals and head contractors set their own insurance requirements, and those are frequently higher than a licence condition. The requirement that binds is the higher of the two, and both have to be read from the actual document.

• What the limit figure on a certificate means
• Cover for the principal for your work
• When a certificate falls short of the contract

What this cover costs

This site publishes no cost benchmark for this cover. A benchmark needs a real sample of documents, and none is published until the sample is large enough to compute a median honestly. A benchmark from a handful of policies is a guess with a decimal point.

Sources

• Building Commission NSW — Building Commission NSW — building and trade licences
• Energy Safe Victoria — Energy Safe Victoria — electrical contractor registration
• Electrical Safety Office, WorkSafe Queensland — Electrical Safety Office — electrical contractor licences
• Consumer Protection WA — Consumer Protection, Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (WA)
• South Australia Government — South Australia — consolidated legislation
• Consumer, Building and Occupational Services Tasmania — CBOS Tasmania — occupational licensing
• Australian Capital Territory Government — Australian Capital Territory — consolidated legislation
• Northern Territory Government — Northern Territory — consolidated legislation