Free Australian home problem guide

Something’s wrong at home.
Work out who to call.

Describe what you can see, hear or smell. Home Triage turns the symptom into a practical first step: urgency, likely trade, likely causes, questions before booking and what to do next.

✓ Free · no account needed ✓ Built for Australian homes ✓ General guidance only

Illustration of a home with plumbing, electrical, roofing and air-conditioning problem markers

1 minute check

What’s happening?

Free

Include where it is, when it started, and what makes it worse.

I am the

General guidance only — not a diagnosis. This checker can miss hazards. If there is fire, smoke or immediate danger, get to safety and call 000. For a suspected gas leak, keep clear and contact the gas emergency number on your bill from a safe place.

Who to call first

🔧

Licensed tradesperson

Based on what you described, this is the best first professional to assess the problem.

Homeowner

Do this now

Make your next step more useful

Answer what you know. Do not inspect an unsafe area to answer.

Where is the problem? When did you notice it? Are there warning signs?

Possible causes and what happens next

Common possibilities

What usually happens next

Important: This is a triage result, not a definitive fault diagnosis. A licensed or appropriately qualified professional should confirm the cause before repair work.

20common home problems explained

4decisions in one place: urgency, trade, safety, next step

AUAustralian terminology, ownership context and trade pathways

Visual starting points

Start with a common problem

Start with the symptom — you do not need to know the trade. These illustrated guides explain four common problems. Browse all 20 guides below.

Blocked drainsSlow drainage, gurgling and water backing up

Power trippingRepeated breaker or safety-switch trips

Roof leaksWater entering during or after rain

Wall cracksNew, widening or recurring cracks

Start with the symptom

Common home problems

Choose the problem that sounds closest. You can run the checker immediately or open the detailed guide.

Quote completeness check

Already have a quote?

Paste the main line items and total. This basic keyword check highlights missing scope, labour, parts, GST, total, warranty and exclusions. It cannot verify calculations, licence details or whether the price is fair.

✓ Scope of work✓ Labour / call-out✓ Materials✓ GST and total✓ Exclusions✓ Warranty details

Paste quote details

Simple by design

From problem to action

Describe it

Tell us what you can see, hear or smell, and when the problem occurs.

Triage it

We match the symptom to likely trades, urgency signals and common causes.

Understand it

See the usual next steps and useful questions to ask before work starts.

Act

Open a local search for the suggested trade, compare businesses and contact your choice directly.

Built around the homeowner’s problem

Don’t search for a trade.
Start with what’s wrong.

Check a problem

About this checker

Home Triage is a free, rule-based guide to 20 common home problems. It does not inspect your home or confirm a diagnosis. Wording, context and hazards can be missed. You choose and contact your own tradesperson.

Core emergency guidance was checked against Australian public safety sources on 23 October 2026. Other repair guidance has not been independently reviewed by a tradesperson.

Gas safety: Energy Safe Victoria · Electrical safety: Queensland · Ceiling warning signs: WA Building and Energy

Your inputs are processed in this page and are not saved by us. A trade-search click sends the trade and entered location to Google Maps; its privacy policy applies there. Hosting providers may process routine access logs.

Something’s wrong at home.Work out who to call.