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Trades6 picks

The Best Tradies in Adelaide

Six Adelaide tradies across electrical, plumbing, painting and landscaping. Picked on review depth, trading history and transparent pricing, with licence checks on the Consumer and Business Services register under way. For deeper coverage of a single trade, see our trade-specific guides.

By Joel Bauer, Adelaide, South Australia

Illustrative photo. Photo: Unsplash.

Hiring a tradie in Adelaide usually happens when something has already gone wrong. The hot water has died or the power has dropped out. You are comparing strangers on your phone. This guide is a shortlist for that moment, covering electricians, plumbers, a painter and a landscaping company. A note at the end points to deeper guides.

The six picks are Jim's Electrical Adelaide, Precise Plumbing & Electrical Adelaide, Ken Hall Plumbers + Electricians, Viva Painters Adelaide, Bright-On Landscaping and D ELEC Adelaide. Most work across the whole metro area rather than one suburb. Ken Hall is based at Kent Town and D ELEC at Port Adelaide, so response times will depend on where you are. Ask when you ring.

The methodology below says what I looked for: review depth, a licence where the trade needs one (register checks are still under way for most entries), years of trading in Adelaide, pricing that is spelled out and a clear position on insurance and warranty. The review samples vary a lot between entries, so each entry shows its own figure and source and you can judge it yourself. Jim's Electrical, for example, is rated on ProductReview rather than Google.

Some of the strengths are the businesses' own claims. Precise Plumbing & Electrical states a Lifetime Workmanship Guarantee and Viva Painters states a 5-year warranty on workmanship. I have not tested either, so read the terms in writing before you rely on them.

After the list you will find the practical bits: when to get three quotes, what insurance to ask about and how to handle a dispute. I would read those before you pick up the phone.

Ask for the licence number and check it on CBS

Ask any tradie for their licence number before work starts. You can check any of them on the Consumer and Business Services register at cbs.sa.gov.au. The licence number should appear on the quote and the invoice. A tradie who cannot or will not give you one is not worth the saving.

For a renovation or extension, ask the builder which licence covers the job and check that specifically before you sign.

When to get three quotes and when not to bother

For anything over about $1,000, a full repaint, a hot-water unit, a builder's rough-in, get three quotes. The spread between them tells you the fair price and flags anyone padding the job. It is worth the hour it takes.

Below about $500, a single tap fix or a power point, the time spent chasing three quotes outweighs the difference between them. Pick a reputable name and book it. The comparison table here is there to make that quick.

Insurance is not optional

A tradie working on your property should carry public liability cover, ideally $20 million and at least $5 million, plus workers compensation for any employees and professional indemnity for designers and builders. Ask to see certificates of currency before work starts.

If they cannot produce them, walk. An uninsured trade doing damage on your property is a problem that lands on you. No price is low enough to be worth that exposure.

If something goes wrong

Most disputes resolve in a direct conversation, so start there and stay calm. If that does not work, Consumer and Business Services SA runs free mediation, which is the right next step before anything formal.

Court is the last resort and rarely worth it for a dispute under $10,000 once you count the time and cost. Knowing the mediation path exists usually takes the heat out of the conversation in the first place.

The list side by side

No.NameAreaBest forRating
01Jim's Electrical AdelaideAdelaide-wide4-time ProductReview Electrician of the Year4.7 (785)
02Precise Plumbing & Electrical AdelaideAdelaide-widePlumber + electrician under one licence4.9 (1692)
03Ken Hall Plumbers + ElectriciansAdelaide-wideEmergency plumbing and electrical, 40+ years4.8 (3368)
04Viva Painters AdelaideAdelaide-widePainters, Dulux-accredited, 5-year workmanship warranty4.9 (156)
05Bright-On LandscapingAdelaide-wideLandscapers, 30+ years, full design and construction4.7 (20)
06D ELEC AdelaideAdelaide-wideElectricians, 24/7, no call-out fees, free quotes5 (33)

Jim's Electrical Adelaide

Adelaide-wide. 4-time ProductReview Electrician of the Year

Multi-trade national franchise with strong SA presence. Won ProductReview Electrician of the Year in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2025. Free quotes, fully insured and licensed. Multiple Adelaide-area technicians means same-day callouts in most metro suburbs. Best fit for any residential or commercial electrical work where the customer wants a brand with public-facing accountability and a national service standard. Bookings via the Jim's Group dispatch line or the website's online quote tool.

  • ProductReview Electrician of the Year 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025
  • Free quotes, multiple metro technicians
  • Same-day callout in most metro suburbs
Rating
4.7 from 785 reviews on ProductReview
Visit website

Precise Plumbing & Electrical Adelaide

Adelaide-wide. Plumber + electrician under one licence

Operating since 1999 with over 192,000 completed jobs. Combined plumbing and electrical capability under one licence is genuinely useful for renovations. All work backed by a Lifetime Workmanship Guarantee.

  • 192,000+ completed jobs since 1999
  • Plumbing AND electrical under one licence
  • Lifetime Workmanship Guarantee
Rating
4.9 from 1692 reviews on Google
Visit website

Ken Hall Plumbers + Electricians

Adelaide-wide. Emergency plumbing and electrical, 40+ years

Adelaide's trusted emergency plumbers and electricians for over 40 years, employing more than 160 people. Adelaide-wide coverage with multiple emergency trucks running daily. Same-day and 24/7 emergency services. Best fit for emergencies where you need someone on-site fast and routine work where you want a long-established Adelaide name.

  • 40+ years trading in Adelaide
  • 160+ employees, multiple emergency trucks
  • 24/7 same-day emergency response
  • Plumbing AND electrical divisions in-house
Rating
4.8 from 3368 reviews on Google
Visit website

Viva Painters Adelaide

Adelaide-wide. Painters, Dulux-accredited, 5-year workmanship warranty

Fully Dulux-accredited painting company employing over 200 painters across Adelaide. Has completed over 200,000 projects since 2012. 5-year warranty on workmanship and free on-site inspection. Best fit for whole-house repaints, exterior work and commercial painting where the warranty actually matters.

  • Dulux-accredited
  • 200+ painters on the books
  • 200,000+ projects completed since 2012
  • 5-year workmanship warranty
  • Free on-site inspection
Rating
4.9 from 156 reviews on Google
Visit website

Bright-On Landscaping

Adelaide-wide. Landscapers, 30+ years, full design and construction

Adelaide-based landscaping company transforming gardens since 1987. Fully licensed and insured with over 30 years of experience creating outdoor spaces that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Full-service from design through construction. Best fit for whole-garden renovations rather than maintenance work.

  • Operating since 1987
  • Full design and construction in-house
  • Fully licensed and insured
  • Whole-garden renovation focus
Rating
4.7 from 20 reviews on Google
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D ELEC Adelaide

Adelaide-wide. Electricians, 24/7, no call-out fees, free quotes

Licensed and insured local Adelaide electrician offering 24/7 emergency services with no call-out fees and free quotes. Strong for emergency call-outs (no power, switchboard issues, hot water electric faults) where the no-call-out-fee policy means the assessment is free even if you do not proceed. Reasonable pricing on routine residential electrical.

  • 24/7 emergency availability
  • No call-out fees
  • Free quotes
  • Licensed and insured
Rating
5 from 33 reviews on Google
Visit website

Frequently asked

How do I check my tradie is properly licensed?

Ask the tradie for their licence number first, then search for it on the Consumer and Business Services SA register at cbs.sa.gov.au. For a renovation or extension, ask the builder which licence covers the job and check that too.

Should I always get three quotes?

For jobs over $1,000 (full bathroom paint, hot water unit, builder rough-in), yes. Sub-$500 jobs (single tap fix, plug install, single-room paint), the time to get three quotes outweighs the price difference. Pick a reputable name from this list and book.

What insurance should my tradie carry?

Public liability (minimum $5m, ideally $20m) and professional indemnity for designers/builders. Workers comp for any employees. Ask before they start, if they cannot show certificates of currency, walk.

How do I handle a dispute?

First, talk directly. Most issues resolve at conversation. If not, lodge a complaint with Consumer and Business Services SA who run free mediation. Court is the last resort and rarely worth it for under-$10,000 disputes.

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