The Best Tradies in Adelaide
Eight Adelaide tradies, one per trade, the strongest pick for plumbers, electricians, builders, carpenters, painters, landscapers, air conditioning and a featured open slot. Picked on review depth, license verification, decades of trading history and transparent pricing. For deeper coverage of a single trade, see our trade-specific guides.
Position #1 is the featured slot, a paid placement that is openly labelled in the entry itself. Featured businesses still have to clear our published editorial bar to be on the list at all. Paying does not bypass quality. All other positions are editorial selections presented in no particular order, these are recommendations rather than a strict ranking. We re-walk every list every six months.
Check the licence on CBS, every trade needs one
In South Australia every trade requires a licence, and 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.
Builders carry an extra requirement. Any building work over $12,000 needs a Building Work Contractors licence on top of the trade licence, so for a renovation or extension confirm 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, and 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.
Comparison table
| # | Name | Area | Best for | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Jim's Electrical Adelaide | Adelaide-wide | 4-time ProductReview Electrician of the Year, 785 verified reviews | 4.7(785) |
| 02 | Precise Plumbing & Electrical Adelaide | Adelaide-wide | Plumber + electrician under one license, 500+ five-star reviews | 4.9(1521) |
| 03 | Ken Hall Plumbers + Electricians | Adelaide-wide | Adelaide's largest emergency-trade operation, 40+ years | 4.8(2802) |
| 04 | Viva Painters Adelaide | Adelaide-wide | Painters, Dulux-accredited, 5-year workmanship warranty | 4.9(137) |
| 05 | Brighton Landscaping | Adelaide-wide | Landscapers, 30+ years, full design and construction | 4.7(20) |
| 06 | McDonald-Young Carpentry | Adelaide-wide | Carpenters, 32+ years, commercial and residential | 5(7) |
| 07 | D ELEC Adelaide | Adelaide-wide | Electricians, 24/7, no call-out fees, free quotes | 5(33) |
| 08 | Garry Gardiner General Builder | Adelaide | Builders, 5-star average, residential renovations | 5(24) |
Jim's Electrical Adelaide
Multi-trade national franchise with strong SA presence. Won ProductReview Electrician of the Year in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2025. Four wins makes it the most-awarded electrical brand in Adelaide. 4.7 stars across 785 ProductReview verified reviews. 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
- •4.7 / 785 ProductReview verified reviews
- •Free quotes, multiple metro technicians
- •Same-day callout in most metro suburbs
Precise Plumbing & Electrical Adelaide
Operating since 1999 with over 192,000 completed jobs and 500+ five-star Google reviews, the largest review base of any Adelaide plumber. Combined plumbing and electrical capability under one license is genuinely useful for renovations. All work backed by a Lifetime Workmanship Guarantee.
- •192,000+ completed jobs since 1999
- •500+ five-star Google reviews
- •Plumbing AND electrical under one license
- •Lifetime Workmanship Guarantee
Ken Hall Plumbers + Electricians
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
Viva Painters Adelaide
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
Brighton Landscaping
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
McDonald-Young Carpentry
Established carpentry firm with more than 32 years of experience across professional construction, installation, flooring and cladding work. Handles both commercial and residential clients across Adelaide. Best fit for larger carpentry projects (decks, custom flooring, commercial fit-outs) rather than handyman-scale jobs.
- •32+ years experience
- •Commercial and residential capability
- •Construction, installation, flooring, cladding
- •Adelaide-wide coverage
D ELEC Adelaide
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
Garry Gardiner General Builder
Adelaide-based general builder with a 5-star review average. Strong fit for residential renovation projects (extensions, structural alterations, full bathroom and kitchen rough-ins). Smaller-firm format means the principal builder is on-site, not a project-managed sub-contractor team.
- •5-star Google review average
- •Residential renovations focus
- •Principal builder on-site
- •Smaller-firm format
Frequently asked
How do I check my tradie is properly licensed?+
Search Consumer and Business Services SA at cbs.sa.gov.au, every trade requires a license here. The licensee number should appear on quotes and invoices. For builders, additional Building Work Contractors licence is required for work over $12,000.
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.
