An unlicensed builder who carried out work on suburban homes without a licence, and in some instances, failed to carry out remedial work at those properties has been fined $3,000 in the Adelaide Magistrates Court.

The court heard 60 year old Anastasios Manolakis of Glynde had worked on properties in Pasadena, Hackham and Kilburn while he wasn’t licensed.

In one instance, Manolakis was paid $2,250 to repair and repoint roof capping, and coat and repaint a roof, but remedial work was needed to address water leakages through the laundry and kitchen ceilings.

The court was told Manolakis told his customer that he’d be returning to perform the remedial work, but never did.

Commissioner for Consumer Affairs Dini Soulio said the matter was a timely reminder for all consumers to ensure they’re using a licensed builder when entering into any agreement.

“It’s essential that people do their homework before entering into an agreement with a builder or a tradie,” he said.

“Using a licensed builder can give you confidence that the person you’re hiring has the skills to do the job.

“In this case, advertisements for Manolakis’ services also used an official-looking accreditation number which turned out to be a registered cabling provider number.

“This highlights why it is important to check whether any accreditation numbers or licence numbers are actually legitimate and relevant.”

Magistrate Brett Dixon fined Manolakis $3,000 and ordered him to pay $2,250 in compensation to the client who did not get the remedial work they expected.

To check whether a builder is licensed, head to the CBS Public Register available here.