Do you need a degree to start a construction company?

The answer to whether you need a degree to start a construction company is not straightforward.

It really depends on what type of construction business you want to have!

So read on to discover the different types of construction businesses, and what construction education you need for each one.

Education needed to be a construction worker

There are many different types of construction workers out there, from the labourer to the engineer.

Each different construction worker job has a different level of education required. Labourers often don’t need to do construction courses, but they may need to be 16 years of age or older.

Careers like engineer, architect and surveyor often require degrees. As for starting a business, you’ll have to consider what type of business you want to have…

Sole trader

Ever wanted to fly solo? There are a lot of benefits to being a sole trader.

As a sole trader, you are your own boss with no employees. But depending on the trade you specialise in, you might subcontract or “sub” for larger companies.

If you want to become a sole trader in the construction industry, you don’t need a degree. But a certificate can be helpful. Here are a couple of examples.

To become a carpenter or joiner, you could do a Certificate III in Carpentry (CPC30220) to learn the relevant skills and get job-ready.

To become a licenced plumber, you could do a Certificate IV in Plumbing and Services (CPC40920).

As you can see, you don’t need a degree to work for yourself in the construction industry.

Small business

If you want to work for yourself in the construction industry, but also run a small team, you could start a small business.

For example, many carpenters with cert IIIs start out working on the tools, then decide to start their own businesses.

In this case, your business would be limited to doing jobs of no more than $10,000. If you want to do larger projects, you’d have to get your licence… (see the next business type below.)  

You don’t need a degree, but again, a construction education like a cert III and apprenticeship would help get you started.

Without these, you won’t have enough training and would find it hard to get customers for your business.

Licenced domestic builder- requirements to be a construction contractor

As a licenced domestic builder, you are allowed to manage home building projects over $10,000. In this job, you’d be a construction contractor.

In Victoria, to be a licensed builder and construction contractor you need to get registered with the Victorian Building Authority. But just like other types of licences, this is no walk in the park!

Getting your building licence involves completing a long application, and without help from an expert, a lot of tradies fail.

The best way to ensure that you pass your application is by doing a Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building) (CPC40120) with Builders Academy.

Our Cert 4 is one of the best construction courses out there because it teaches you two important things.

Firstly, it teaches you the skills and qualifications to manage low rise residential projects and to run your own business.

Secondly—and unlike many other schools—we hook you up with a builders registration mentorship program to help you complete your VBA domestic builders licence application.

With this support from an expert, our students often pass their VBA applications with flying colours.

Again, you don’t need a degree to run a domestic building company. But construction education helps get you there smoother and faster.  

Small to medium construction company

Once you’ve got your building business, you might like to expand and do bigger, better projects.

In this case, you could do a Diploma of Building and Construction (Building) (CPC50220).

A step up from the cert 4, the diploma qualifies you to manage, supervise and administer projects up to three stories. 

Why do construction courses?

While it’s clear that you don’t need a degree to start a construction company, construction courses help you get a foot in the door.

Without a certificate III and an apprenticeship, it can be hard to learn a trade. It would be even harder to be hired for a job given that you’re competing against people with certificates.

But whatever type or size of construction business you want to start, Builders Academy Australia have construction courses to help get you there.

With our super-flexible and industry-renowned qualifications, you can kickstart your business career and start earning the big bucks.

Considering doing one of our construction courses like the Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building) (CPC40120), Certificate III in Carpentry (CPC30220), Certificate IV in Plumbing and Services (CPC40920), or Diploma of Building and Construction (Building) (CPC50220)? Give us a call on 1300 LEGEND to chat through your options and discover your eligibility for government funding today. Or send us a message and a course advisor will get back to you soon.