(If this isn't you, check out our Tradespeople FAQs)
A clear, well-detailed job description makes it much easier for the right tradespeople to express interest. When tradies understand what you need, they can quickly assess the scope of work, whether it fits their skill set, and how it might fit into their schedule.
The more information you provide upfront, the more accurate and useful the responses you’ll receive.
What to include
- The current situation - Describe what you’re starting with and what isn’t working. For example, outline the existing structure, damage, or problem you want resolved.
- The end goal - Explain what you’re trying to achieve and what matters most to you (e.g. durability, appearance, budget, speed). Photos, plans, or inspiration images can be very helpful here.
- Your level of commitment - Let tradies know whether you’re exploring options and seeking quotes, or if the work definitely needs to go ahead. This helps them prioritise their time.
- Materials involved - Note what materials are currently in place and what you’d like to use for the repair or new work, if known. If you’re unsure, photos are helpful.
- Timeframe - Share any preferred start dates or deadlines. Being upfront allows tradies to quickly assess their availability.
- Experience or specialities required - Mention if the job needs specific experience, such as working on older homes, renovations, or a particular building method or material.
- Subcontractors - For larger projects, clarify whether you expect the main tradesperson to organise any required sub-trades (e.g. electrician, plumber), or if you’ll be managing those separately.
What not to include
- Personal information or contact details - We want to protect your privacy, so please don't include your name, phone number or address in the job title or description. You can exchange this information directly with tradespeople later on, once you've selected who to grant contact to.
Example job description
We have recently purchased an original 1960’s 3 bedroom summerhill stone clad home.
We’re looking for an experienced Bricklayer to undertake the following:
Brick over two existing external doorways. These have been framed up by our builder. This brickwork will need to be toothed into the existing brickwork to create a seamless pattern.
We have replaced two large windows with triple stacker sliding doors. We need angled brick sills re-built for the bottom of the doors. The doors extend down to floor level, another foot or so lower than the original windows. The surplus bricks have been removed already.
We would like the original bricks re-used where possible. We would like you to supply any additional bricks required to do the job.
We need to complete this job within the next 4 weeks as it’s part of a larger renovation project.
If any other labour is required to achieve this, we’d like the tradesperson to source subcontractors.
But what if you’re not sure exactly what you need?
It’s common for homeowners not to know exactly what they need to do, and not be able to go into this level of detail - that’s fine - if you can capture the sentiment of what you’d like to achieve in your job description, then a good tradie will be able to ask questions which uncover exactly what is needed.
Ready to get started? Post your job now.
