By Naldo Neto, IRATA Level 3 and licensed painter · Updated October 2026 · 2 min read
Key takeaways
- Check prequalification and certificates of currency against your head contract.
- Insist on a site-specific SWMS, rescue plan and IRATA Level 3 supervisor.
- Agree the licence position before any regulated work starts.
- Get an itemised price with access included and a photo close-out per item.
The scaffold is gone, the building is occupied or about to be, and the defects list still has façade items on it. Bringing scaffold back for a list of small items rarely makes sense. A rope access subcontractor can close them out from the roof, but only if they fit your site, your paperwork and your program.
1. Prequalification and insurance
Ask for the subcontractor's prequalification (for example CM3) and certificates of currency before they set foot on site: public liability, workers compensation, and professional indemnity if they are certifying anchors or giving design advice. Check the limits against your head contract. We are CM3 prequalified (ID 75392), carry $20 million public liability, professional indemnity and workers compensation, and send the certificates with every quote.
2. SWMS, rescue plan and inductions
Rope access is high-risk construction work, so you should see a site-specific SWMS and a rescue plan, not a generic one. Every IRATA job should have a Level 3 supervisor responsible for the rigging plan and rescue cover. The crew should complete your site inductions and follow your site rules like any other trade.
3. Licensing on regulated work
Licence classes matter. On apartment buildings, concrete, render, sealant and waterproofing repairs over $5,000 may need a licence class the subcontractor does not hold, and remedial work on class 2 buildings falls under the Design and Building Practitioners Act. On those jobs the rope access contractor should work as your specialist subcontractor, under your design, licence and registration. Ask the question before you sign, not after.
4. Pricing a defect list
Send the defect list, drawings or the inspector's report. A good rope access subcontractor will price it item by item or as a lump sum, with access included, so you can compare it directly with the cost of bringing scaffold back. Further defects found on the job should be recorded and priced separately, not added without your approval.
5. Close-out and documentation
For each item you want a before and after photo and a close-out register you can forward to your client or certifier. That is what turns a list of small repairs into a sign-off. On our Mascot project, every Stage 1 item was rectified from the rope and recorded in a defect rectification report for the builder.
6. Your client relationship
Agree up front who talks to the client. By default, a subcontractor should report to you and stay out of your client relationship.
Checklist before you engage
- Prequalification and certificates of currency checked against your head contract
- Site-specific SWMS, rescue plan and IRATA Level 3 supervisor
- Licence position agreed for any regulated work
- Itemised price with access included
- Photo close-out register for every item
- Communication with your client agreed
See how we work with builders on our builders page, or send us your defect list for an itemised price.
Need building defect repairs on your building?
Send the address and a few photos. We reply the same day, inspect for free and give you a fixed-price quote, with our insurance certificates and SWMS attached.
Get a free quote Call 0478 152 630 About our building defect repairs
Sources and further reading
- IRATA International: rope access training and the International Code of Practice
- SafeWork NSW: managing the risk of falls at workplaces
- Standards Australia: AS/NZS 4488, AS/NZS 5532 and AS/NZS 1891.4
- NSW licence check: verify any contractor's licence
Questions
Can a rope access subcontractor work under our licence on regulated work?
Yes. On regulated work we act as your specialist rope access subcontractor, under your design, licence and registration, and follow your site rules and documentation requirements.
How do you price a defect list?
Item by item or as a lump sum, with access included, so you can compare it with bringing scaffold back.
Do you deal with our client directly?
Only if you want us to. By default we report to you and stay out of your client relationship.
About the authorNaldo Neto leads Tactical Height Solutions. He is an IRATA Level 3 rope access technician and licensed painter with a background in rendering and remedial work on Sydney buildings. More about Naldo.