There is no damp proofing licence here, and knowing that changes what you should be asking for.
Consumer, Building and Occupational Services licenses building work by named category — electrician, plumber, gas-fitter, builder, architect, engineer, building designer, building services designer, building surveyor. Waterproofing is not among them. Queensland licenses it as its own class and New South Wales licenses it above a dollar threshold; Tasmania does neither.
So if somebody tells you they are a licensed damp proofer in Hobart, the useful question is licensed as what. It is not a dishonest claim — it is just not a thing the state issues.
Plumbing and drainage. If your damp is being caused by a leaking or blocked stormwater line, or the fix involves new drainage to move water away from the wall, that portion must be done by a licensed plumber whatever it costs. Some damp problems turn out to be exactly this, which means the licensed trade you need may not be the one you went looking for.
Where the work is substantial enough to be building work, a builder's licence applies. CBOS publishes a find-a-licensed-tradesperson search, and it is the place to confirm any licence you are shown rather than taking a number on a quote at face value.
A licence and a heritage approval are different things, and on a listed Hobart property the approval is usually the one that decides the method. See heritage-listed homes for what gets questioned and what generally does not.
A correctly licensed plumber can fix a drain that was never the cause, and a builder can install a damp course in a wall that did not need one. The licence says who may do the work. It never says the work is the right work. Ask what was measured and what was ruled out first, and ask for the licence number second.
Ask Rising Damp Hobart what we measured and what we ruled out. Both answers are in the written diagnosis, before any quote is signed.
We cover Hobart and the surrounding suburbs, from the Georgian cottages of Battery Point to the post-war brick of Glenorchy and Moonah.
We come out, meter the walls, look at the ground levels and tell you what is causing it. You get that in writing before we quote any repair. The visit is $450 plus GST.
