Starting a Home Service Business in Australia

Starting a home service business in Australia means getting two things right before you take your first booking: the legal setup, and the digital foundation that gets the phone ringing from Google. This page covers both, in the order that makes sense.

0488 880 662

CleaningRemovalistsPlumbingElectricalPest ControlLawn MowingHandymenPaintersRoofingFlooringHVACPool and SpaRubbish RemovalLocksmithsMobile Services CleaningRemovalistsPlumbingElectricalPest ControlLawn MowingHandymenPaintersRoofingFlooringHVACPool and SpaRubbish RemovalLocksmithsMobile Services

Start-Up Help for Every Home Service Trade

Whether you are launching a cleaning company, a pest control round or a one-van handyman business, the digital setup is built around your trade: the name and domain, the website, the Google Business Profile and the first ads.

House cleaning job in progress, with a worker in orange gloves and an apron wiping a window from the inside

Cleaning Companies

Removalists

Tradie in blue overalls and a cap tightening basin plumbing with a wrench against a timber slat wall

Plumbers

Open switchboard with rows of circuit breakers being worked on by an electrician in a checked shirt

Electricians

Pest Control

Lawn Mowing

Tradie's tan leather tool belt worn over jeans, loaded with pliers, side cutters and a claw hammer

Handymen

Seen from behind, a painter in overalls lifts a roller to an interior wall that is being painted white

Painters

Home roofing job under way, with a worker in work pants standing on the battens next to bundled dark tiles

Roofing and Renovations

Flooring

Air conditioning tradie in grey overalls servicing a split system unit mounted high on a white wall

HVAC

A long pole brush reaches into a turquoise backyard pool as a pool cleaner in shorts works from the paving

Pool and Spa

Bulging green woven rubbish bags tied shut and stacked in a heap outdoors in front of leafy trees

Rubbish Removal

Locksmith in an orange hard hat crouching at a red-brown front door, using a screwdriver on the brass handle

Locksmiths

Mobile tradie working at a fold-out bench beside a circular saw and drill, with the van doors open behind him

Mobile Services

If you are starting a home service business and need the digital side set up, we can help.

See the setup steps

Group of smiling business people standing in a loft-style office beside a wooden meeting table (stock photo)

A 12-Person In-House Team for Your First Jobs.

The same web developers, SEO strategists, Google Ads specialists and account managers set up your website, Google Business Profile and first campaign, then stay on your account every month.

The setup steps every new home service business needs

There is a short list of things to sort out before your business can go live. Most of it is free. All of it runs through Australian government websites.

Choose a business structure
Register your ABN and business name
Register for GST when you need to
Check your trade licences and sort insurance

Dark timber front door with six small glass panes, set in a red brick wall between two lanterns

01Business structure

Choose a business structure

The main options are sole trader, company, partnership and trust. Most people starting a home service business begin as a sole trader: your income goes on your personal tax return and there is no company registration required. A company is a separate legal entity that can protect your personal assets, but it adds ASIC registration costs and an annual review fee.

Run this decision past an accountant before you register anything else. business.gov.au has plain-language guides on each option.

Gravel road forking into two tracks across a flat grassy field, with misty hills in the distance

02Register your ABN

Register your ABN

An Australian Business Number is free through the Australian Business Register at abr.gov.au. If your details can be verified automatically, the ABN is issued as soon as you submit the form. If it needs manual review, the ABR aims to finish within 20 business days.

You need an ABN before you can register a business name or for GST.

Bearded man in a wide-brimmed hat sitting on a ute tray with a laptop, hay bales stacked beside him

03Business name

Register your business name

If you are trading under any name other than your own full legal name, you need to register it with ASIC. From 1 July 2026, the fee is $47 for one year or $108 for three years. ASIC adjusts some fees each July, so check the current amount at asic.gov.au before you apply.

The application takes about 10 to 15 minutes through the Business Registration Service or ASIC Connect. Registering a business name gives you no rights to protect that name. Brand protection requires a trade mark through IP Australia.

Hand holding out a blank white business card between finger and thumb against a plain grey background

04GST

Register for GST

Once your annual business turnover reaches or is expected to reach $75,000, you need to register for GST. If you expect to hit that in your first year, you have 21 days from the date you first became aware of it to register. You can register for your ABN and GST at the same time through the Australian Business Register.

If you miss the deadline, you can end up owing GST on sales already made at the price you charged, with the tax coming out of your margin.

Hand in a dark suit sleeve signing a sheet of paper on a clipboard with a black ballpoint pen

05Trade licences

Check which licences apply to your trade

Licensing rules vary by trade and state. General cleaning and removals work generally does not require a trade licence, but there are exceptions for chemicals, waste transport and working with vulnerable people. In NSW, electrical and plumbing work require a licence at any job value, and residential trade work worth more than $5,000 in labour and materials requires a contractor licence under the Home Building Act 1989. Penalties of up to $22,000 for individuals and $110,000 for companies apply to unlicensed work. In Queensland, the QBCC regulates trade work and the Electrical Safety Office handles electrical contractors. Pest control requires a licence through Queensland Health in Queensland and through the NSW EPA in New South Wales.

Both NSW and Queensland require licensed trade operators to display their licence number in all advertising, including their website and any Google Ads that link to it. ABLIS at ablis.business.gov.au is a free government tool that lists every licence, permit and approval that applies to your trade and location, across all three tiers of government.

Hand holding a pale blue ID card holder on a lanyard with a blank white card inside

06Insurance

Sort insurance

Workers compensation insurance is compulsory for employers in every state and territory. Public liability insurance is not always a legal requirement, but strata managers, head contractors and body corporates regularly require it before allowing work on their properties.

Speak to a qualified insurance broker. The Insurance Council of Australia is a starting point for finding one. Do not guess at what cover your trade needs.

Close-up of a hand signing a document with a black and gold pen while the other hand steadies the page

Glass water bottle, drinking glasses and a car key fob on a rustic timber kitchen table

Getting your first jobs online

Once the registrations are in place, the question most new owners are really asking is: how does the phone start ringing? For a new home service business, the answer follows a clear sequence.

Google Business Profile
A website that turns visitors into calls
Local SEO and Google Ads
Job management from first call to invoice

01Google Business Profile

Set up your Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile is free and puts your business on Google Maps and in local search results. If you travel to the customer rather than the customer coming to you, you are a service-area business. Google says service-area businesses should hide their address and keep their service area within about two hours’ drive from their base.

Two things that can get a profile suspended: adding suburb names or service categories to the business name on the profile, and offering incentives for reviews. Under Google’s Maps policy, you also cannot ask only your happy customers for reviews. Positive reviews help your local ranking. According to Google, more reviews and positive ratings can help your business show up higher in local results.

Hand in a knitted sleeve holding up a phone with a blank white screen, with blurred shelves behind

02Your website

A website that turns visitors into calls

A home service website has one job: turn a visitor into a call or a form submission. It needs a click-to-call button on mobile, a short contact form, fast load times and clear service areas. A website also gives your Google Ads and local SEO somewhere to send people.

For licensed trades in NSW and Queensland, your website needs your licence number because it counts as advertising.

Hand holding a phone with a blank white screen in a lounge room with a cream sofa and round coffee table

03Local SEO

Local SEO

Local SEO is how your business shows up when someone searches “plumber Balcatta” or “cleaning service near me.” Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well your profile and website match the search. Distance is how close your business is to the searcher. Prominence is built through reviews, consistent business information across directories and links to your site.

SEO for home services builds over months and works best alongside paid ads rather than instead of them.

Hand holding a smartphone with a blank white screen inside a car with tan leather seats

04Google Ads

Google Ads

Google Ads for new trade businesses puts your business at the top of search results immediately. Most ads pass review within one business day. Results in the first few weeks can vary while the bidding system calibrates to your goals.

One important thing to know in Australia: Google Guaranteed, also called Local Services Ads, is not available here. Standard Search and Performance Max campaigns are what is available. For licensed trades in NSW and Queensland, your licence number must also appear in any Google Ads that link to your website.

Brass magnifying glass with a red handle lying on a blank sheet of white paper on dark timber boards

05Job management

Job management

Once leads start coming in, you need a way to track them from the first call through to a booked and invoiced job. Platforms such as ServiceM8, Tradify and Fergus are used widely by Australian home service businesses. They support AUD pricing and GST invoicing, and most offer a free trial.

We connect your marketing to your job management system and report on the actual cost to acquire each client.

Hands holding a tablet with a blank white screen above a desk with rolled plans and a white hard hat

How we help new home service businesses get started

We work with new home service business owners who need a digital foundation built from scratch. The Start-Ups service builds everything you need online to get your first jobs from Google.

No prices are listed on this page. You get a clear quote on your first call, before you agree to anything.

Home Service Business Start-Ups

Brand and domain setup
Website built to turn visitors into calls
Google Business Profile setup and configuration
Local SEO foundation
Google Ads campaign built and launched
Tracking connected from day one

Our team runs home service businesses too

Since 2018, we have worked only with home service businesses in Australia. Our team includes people who run their own trade and service businesses. We test ads and local SEO on our own money before we set it up for others.

Our services run on a 3-month minimum. After that, you can cancel with 30 days’ written notice. Our in-house team has 12 people.

What we set up

Brand and domain, website, Google Business Profile, your first ad campaign, and the tracking that connects each booking back to its source.

What we do not cover

Trade licences, legal structure advice, insurance, tax or accounting. Each of those needs the right professional. We point you to ABLIS, the ATO and your state regulator, and work alongside your accountant and broker.

How reporting works

We report on calls, enquiries and bookings. Not clicks and impressions. You see exactly where each job came from and what it cost to generate.

Questions we get from new home service business owners

Do you only work with cleaning businesses?

No. We work with all kinds of home service businesses: plumbers, electricians, pest controllers, painters, roofers, removalists, lawn mowing operators, handymen and more. We have worked exclusively with home services since 2018.

Do I need a website to run Google Ads?

Ideally, yes. Your business needs a website to capture leads properly. If you don’t have one, we can build it as part of your start-up setup. If you already have one, we’ll let you know whether it’s ready before we recommend spending on ads.

I’m in a licensed trade. Can you help me before I get my licence?

If your trade is licensed in NSW or Queensland, your licence number has to appear in your ads and on your website before those ads can run. We get everything set up once your licence is in place. We don’t help with obtaining a licence. Start with ABLIS at ablis.business.gov.au or your state regulator.

Will my licence number appear in my Google Ads?

If you’re a licensed operator in NSW or Queensland, yes. Your licence number goes in any Google Ads that link to your website. We include that in every licensed trade setup we do.

Do you work with businesses outside Perth?

Yes. We work with home service businesses across Australia, remotely.

Can you help a business that hasn’t started yet?

Yes. If you haven’t started operating yet, we can set everything up as part of our Start-Ups service so you’re ready from day one.

How much do your services cost?

Your trade and what you need will shape the cost. Our current prices for Google Ads, SEO and websites are on our pricing page.

Is there a contract?

Monthly services have a 3-month minimum. After that, you can cancel with 30 days’ written notice.

Get the Digital Side of Your New Business Right

The home services industry is competitive. Showing up first in Google can mean the difference between getting a job or not. We set up your Google Business Profile, a website that converts visitors into calls, and Google Ads that bring in leads from day one.

0488 880 662