What is a capability statement?
A capability statement is a short document that shows a potential client what your business can do and why they can trust you with the job. It sums up your services, experience, licences, insurance, people and past projects in one place.
For trade businesses, it is usually what a builder, head contractor, council or facilities manager asks for before adding you to a panel, inviting you to quote, or approving you as a subcontractor.
Who needs one
Any business going after commercial, government or larger residential work will be asked for one sooner or later. That includes:
- Subcontractors wanting to get onto a builder's or head contractor's approved list
- Businesses responding to tenders or requests for quote
- Trades applying for council, government or facilities panels
- Businesses introducing themselves to property managers and developers
What to include
Most strong capability statements cover the same core sections. Put the most important information for the reader first.
- Business overview
- Two or three sentences on who you are, what you do and where you work.
- Services and capabilities
- The types of work you take on, with enough detail to show scale.
- Business details
- Legal name, ABN, address, phone, email and website.
- Licences and accreditations
- Licence numbers, trade registrations, prequalification and relevant certifications.
- Insurance
- Public liability, workers compensation and professional indemnity where relevant, with cover amounts.
- Project experience
- Case studies of relevant jobs: client type, scope, value range, location and outcome.
- People
- Key team members, their roles and qualifications.
- Plant and equipment
- Major equipment you own, if it is part of what you offer.
- Safety and quality
- Your WHS, quality and environmental systems, and any certifications.
- Contact
- A named person to contact and how to reach them.
How long and what format
Length: keep it short enough to read in a few minutes. Two to four A4 pages suits most trade businesses. Longer is fine if every page carries relevant projects or detail the reader needs.
Format: send a PDF so the layout does not change on the reader's screen. A live link is handy when someone wants to view it quickly on their phone or forward it to a colleague.
Design: use your logo and colours, real photos of your work, and plenty of white space. It should look as organised as you want your job sites to look.
How to write one, step by step
- Gather your facts. ABN, licence numbers, insurance certificates, key staff and recent projects.
- Know who is reading. A head contractor cares about capacity and safety. A council cares about compliance and local experience.
- Write a short overview. Who you are, what you do, where you work. Keep it to a few sentences.
- Pick your best projects. Choose three to five that match the work you want next. Include scope, client type and outcome.
- Add proof. Licences, insurance, accreditations and safety systems. Only list what you can back up.
- Use real photos. Your own work, team and equipment are more convincing than stock images.
- Check and update. Read it as the client would. Set a reminder to review it every six months.
What to focus on for your trade
See examples by trade or the page-by-page template.
Builders
Project types and value ranges, builder licence, site management, safety record and subcontractor management.
Electricians
Electrical contractor licence, types of installations, testing and compliance work, and any specialist accreditations.
Plumbers
Plumbing licence classes, commercial and maintenance work, backflow and gas qualifications, and emergency response.
Civil and earthworks
Plant and equipment list, operator tickets, project scale, environmental controls and traffic management.
Common mistakes
- Letting it go out of date, with expired insurance or old contact details
- Listing every job ever done instead of the most relevant few
- Vague claims with nothing to back them up
- Stock photos that do not show your actual work
- Missing licence numbers or ABN, which slows down approval
- A layout that breaks when opened on another computer
