Has anyone ever come across this?
Without going too deeply into detail, most of the so-called builders who have done some work on my house and are required to provide me with the statutory Home Warranty guarantee (in NSW) actually don't have their own builders license. Instead they have an agreement with a builder who does, and its him that provides me with the guarantee. So my contract is with him, but no part of the work is done by him or any of his employees.
Now, I don't necessarily have a problem with this but what is the point of the whole licensing system if this is possible and the Office of Fair Trading just turn a blind eye to it? I have queried it with the OFT and have yet to receive a reply after 2 weeks. I can't believe this is legal but I guess as long as the necessary pieces of paper are produced, as far as the OFT are concerned its a case of "Who cares?"
It would certainly appear that building regulation has nothing whatsoever to do with quality of building, but has everything to do with covering one's posterior. I mean, what is the point in insisting on me, as an Owner Builder, needing to obtain a license when I have other, in theory anyway, licensed tradespeople to do the actual work. Or is it just another lazy $150 odd for the OFT?
It appears that a license holder could actually employ my granny to do the work, supply the correct paperwork and presto! everything is hunky-dory. What nonsense.