Key takeaways
- Tradies usually need traffic control when their work, vehicle, plant or load occupies a road, lane, parking lane or footpath used by the public.
- Common triggers are crane trucks, EWPs, trenching in the road, sewer and water connections, and roof sheet deliveries on narrow streets.
- Council or road authority approval is often needed before anyone stands in the road, and the permit may require a traffic guidance scheme.
- Work on or next to a road used by traffic is high-risk construction work, so a SWMS is required.
- Plan short jobs to fit minimum charges and book the traffic crew once the permit is approved.
Traffic control for tradies is usually needed when the job puts a vehicle, plant, load or worker into a road, lane, parking lane or footpath the public uses. Crane trucks, elevated work platforms, trenching for connections and roof deliveries on narrow streets are the usual triggers. The road owner decides what approval and plan apply.
Most trade work happens inside the property boundary and never needs a traffic controller. The trouble starts when the ute becomes a crane truck, the trench crosses the kerb, or the elevated work platform (EWP) needs to stand in the street to reach the gutter. This guide shows how to tell, what to book, and how two typical trade jobs are run.
When a trade job needs traffic control
Ask four questions about the job:
- Will anything occupy the road, parking lane or footpath? That includes the vehicle, outriggers, a load being lifted, a trench, an open pit or materials stored on the verge.
- Will anything move across the road or footpath? A reversing truck, a lifted load swinging over the footpath, or a hose across the path.
- Will drivers, cyclists or pedestrians need to change what they normally do? Slow down, stop, merge, cross to the other footpath.
- Is the road busy, fast, narrow or near a school, bus stop or intersection?
If the answer to any of the first three is yes, talk to the road owner about approval before you book anything. If the fourth is also yes, expect the plan to need more controls. Our guide to traffic control for driveways and small jobs covers the borderline cases.
Decision table by trade
| Trade task | Usually needs approval and traffic control? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Plumber: work entirely inside the property | Usually no | Nothing occupies the road |
| Plumber: sewer or water connection in the roadway | Usually yes | Trench in the road, plant, open excavation |
| Plumber: pit or meter work in the footpath | Often yes | Footpath closure or pedestrian detour |
| Electrician: switchboard or internal work | Usually no | Inside the property |
| Electrician: EWP in the street for overhead work | Often yes | Plant and outriggers in the road, overhead load |
| Electrician: trenching across a driveway to the kerb | Sometimes | Depends on whether footpath or road is affected |
| Roofer: sheets delivered to the yard | Usually no | Delivery off the road |
| Roofer: crane truck lifting from the street | Often yes | Truck in lane, lifted load over footpath |
| Roofer: scaffold erection on the footpath | Often yes | Footpath occupancy, pedestrians |
| Landscaper: bulk delivery tipped on the verge | Sometimes | Depends on footpath and road impact |
| Painter: EWP from the street on a narrow road | Often yes | Plant in lane, overhead work |
"Usually" and "often" are deliberate. The answer depends on the road, the council and the plan. When in doubt, ask the road owner and a traffic management provider before you quote the customer.
Worked example 1: a sewer connection in the road
Example scenario: a plumber has to connect a new house to the sewer main, which runs under the parking lane and part of the traffic lane of a two-lane local road. The job needs a small excavator, a tipper for spoil and about one day.
Here is how this plays out on a typical job:
- Approval first. The plumber applies to council for a road opening permit. Council asks for a traffic guidance scheme (TGS). The plumber asks a traffic control provider to prepare one; it is prepared by a suitably qualified person.
- The plan. The TGS shows a lane closure with stop/slow control at each end because the trench takes most of one lane. It shows the advance warning signs, the taper, where the controllers stand and the pedestrian route.
- The booking. The plumber books two controllers and a vehicle for 6:30 am to about 3:30 pm, attaching the plan and permit, and gives the mobile number of the supervisor on site.
- On the day. The team leader briefs the controllers and the plumbing crew together: where the work area is, where the excavator can swing, how the tipper gets in and out, radio channels and the escape route for each controller. Advance signs go out first, furthest from the work, then the taper, then the controllers take their positions.
- What goes wrong. Mid-morning the tipper needs to reverse out across the open lane. The excavator operator starts to back it out without telling anyone. The controller at that end calls a stop on the radio and holds traffic until the tipper is clear. The team leader then agrees a rule: the tipper moves only when the team leader calls it.
- Pack-down. Once the trench is backfilled and the road plate or temporary surface is secure, signs come out in reverse order. Any permanent signs that were covered are uncovered.
- Records. The docket is signed with start and finish times. The team leader records the start-of-shift inspection, any inspections during the shift and the end-of-shift check, plus the tipper incident as a near miss.
Worked example 2: a roof re-sheet with a crane truck
Example scenario: a roofer is re-sheeting a two-storey house on a narrow street with parking on one side. The new sheets will be lifted from a crane truck parked on the street. The lift takes about two hours.
- The question. Will the truck block a lane and will the load pass over the footpath? On this narrow street, yes to both.
- Approval. The roofer checks with council, which requires approval for the truck to stand in the street and asks for a traffic plan.
- Plan the lift around minimums. Two hours of lifting still incurs a minimum charge, often 4 hours per controller. The roofer arranges for the old sheets to be lowered into a skip during the same booking, using the full minimum.
- On the day. The controllers close the footpath under the lift zone and send pedestrians to the other side. Traffic is managed past the truck as the plan shows. Nobody walks under a suspended load.
- Record. The docket is signed and the roofer files the permit, plan and docket with the job.
For more on overhead plant, see our guide to EWPs and overhead works on roads.
Who is responsible
Under WHS law, more than one party can share duties for the same risk. On a trade job in the street that can include the trade business, any builder acting as principal contractor, and the traffic control provider. Work on or next to a road used by traffic is high-risk construction work, so a safe work method statement (SWMS) is required before work starts.
The traffic control provider implements the plan. The trade business still needs its own SWMS for its work and must not start in the road without approval. Our article on WHS duties for road work sets out who does what. For current requirements, check with SafeWork NSW or your state regulator, and Safe Work Australia for national guidance.
Why you cannot just direct traffic yourself
It is tempting on a two-hour job to put an apprentice in a vest with a hand-held sign. Don't. In NSW, traffic control work requires a SafeWork NSW traffic control work training card, and an employer must not direct a worker to do traffic control work without the right card. Other states have their own qualification frameworks. Beyond compliance, untrained people stand in the wrong places, turn their backs on traffic and have no escape route.
A pre-job checklist for tradies
- ☐ Does any part of the job occupy the road, parking lane or footpath?
- ☐ Have I asked the road owner what approval is needed?
- ☐ Is a traffic plan needed, and who will prepare it?
- ☐ Have I allowed for permit lead time in my program?
- ☐ Have I grouped tasks to use the full minimum charge?
- ☐ Is my SWMS written for road work?
- ☐ Who on my team will meet the traffic crew and sign the docket?
- ☐ Have I told the customer that traffic control is part of the price?
Pricing traffic control into your quote
Tradies often lose money by quoting the job and forgetting the traffic control. Ask a provider for a price before you quote the customer, and include plan and permit costs. As an indicative guide only, clients commonly pay about $70 to $100+ per controller per hour, minimum charges of 4 hours per controller are common, and prices vary by provider, location and time. Our article on traffic management on private property helps if part of the work is on a private road or car park.
Common mistakes tradies make
- Booking the crew before the permit is approved. If the permit is late, you pay a cancellation fee and lose the day.
- Describing the vehicle as "a ute" when it is a crane truck. The plan and crew size depend on the plant.
- Quoting the customer a two-hour job and forgetting the minimum. Price the minimum charge, then fill it with useful work.
- Starting before the crew has set up. The work starts when the team leader says the closure is ready, not when the truck arrives.
- Leaving materials on the footpath after the crew leaves. Anything left in the public space overnight needs to be covered by the plan and approval, or removed.
- No one to sign the docket. Nominate a person on your team so the hours are agreed on the day.
Next steps
Before quoting your next street-facing job, run the four questions and the checklist above, then call the road owner and a provider. For a quick ballpark before you call, try the free traffic control cost estimator.
Frequently asked questions
Does a plumber need traffic control to work in the street?
Often, yes. If the work occupies the road, a parking lane or the footpath, such as a sewer or water connection in the roadway, council or the road authority usually needs to approve it, and the approval may require a traffic guidance scheme and qualified traffic controllers. Check with the road owner before work starts.
Do roofers need traffic control for deliveries?
Sometimes. A crane truck lifting sheets to the roof from the street, or a truck that blocks a lane on a narrow road, may need approval, a plan and traffic control. A delivery fully off the road, inside the property, may not. The road owner and a suitably qualified person can confirm what applies.
Can tradies direct traffic themselves?
Not unless they hold the right qualification. In NSW, traffic control work requires a SafeWork NSW traffic control work training card and an employer must not direct a worker to do it without one. Other states have their own requirements. Waving cars past with a hand is not a safe or compliant substitute.
How much does traffic control cost for a small trade job?
It varies by provider, location, time and job. As an indicative guide, clients commonly pay about $70 to $100+ per controller per hour, with minimum charges of around 4 hours per controller common. Plans, permits and vehicles can be extra. Get written quotes for your specific job.
Who is responsible for traffic management on a trade job?
Everyone with a duty under WHS law for the work, including the business doing the work and any principal contractor, shares responsibility for managing the risk to workers and the public. The traffic control provider implements the plan, but the trade business still needs a SWMS and must not start road work without approval.