Operator Guide · Updated 18 May 2026
The Building & Construction Award 2020, in plain English
A plain-language guide to MA000020, classification levels CW/1 to CW/10, the industry allowance, tool allowance, fares & travel, the RDO system, and weekend penalties. Designed for builders, carpenters, and trade subcontractors rostering crew on residential and commercial sites.
Step 1, Classify Your Crew
The CW classification structure
Every on-site employee is classified at a Construction Worker (CW) level. CW/1 is the labourer base rate; CW/3 is the tradesperson base rate; CW/4 to CW/10 are progressive post-trade levels. Mis-classifying a CW/3 carpenter at CW/2 labourer rate is the most common underpayment finding in Fair Work audits.
Construction Worker Level 1: Labourer (entry)
Routine site duties under direct supervision. Includes new starters, general labourers, traffic controllers. Three sub-grades (CW/1(a), (b), (c)) covering increasing experience.
Typical duties
- General labouring, clean-up, materials handling
- Trench-digging, concrete-pour assistance
- Site set-up, tool transport, demolition support
Construction Worker Level 2: Semi-skilled
Routine work with some discretion. Equipment operators below excavator class, plant operators, dogman assisting crane work.
Typical duties
- Operating bobcats, rollers, light plant
- Dogman / signaller (basic crane work)
- Concreter (form-stripping, basic finishing)
Construction Worker Level 3: Skilled (Tradesperson)
Tradesperson rate, the headline base rate for carpenters, bricklayers, plasterers, painters (on construction site). Recognised trade certificate required.
Typical duties
- Carpenter, joiner (construction-site work)
- Bricklayer, blocklayer
- Plasterer (solid and fibrous), painter on site
Construction Worker Level 4: Senior Tradesperson
Tradesperson with post-trade qualification or supervisory responsibility. Above-base rates for crew leaders and ticketed-up tradespersons.
Typical duties
- Carpenter directing 2 to 4 carpenters
- Tradesperson with EWP / forklift / scaffold tickets
- Tradesperson holding post-trade Cert IV
Special Class Tradespersons (post-trade levels)
Six progressive levels above standard tradesperson covering advanced post-trade certification, complex commercial-construction work, and supervisory responsibility over larger crews.
Typical duties
- Site foreperson coordinating multiple trades
- Specialist commercial-construction tradesperson
- Tradesperson with multiple post-trade specialisations
Step 2, Add Allowances
The building & construction allowance stack
MA000020 has more allowances than most awards. Many are paid every shift regardless of conditions (industry, fares, tool), while others kick in only on specific work (height, confined space, multi-storey). Bundling them into the hourly rate is a common underpayment finding, list them as separate lines on the payslip.
Industry allowance
Weekly flatPaid weekly to every employee covered by MA000020, recognises the special disabilities of working in the building and construction industry. Forms part of the base wage for overtime calculation.
Tool allowance
Weekly per tradePaid to tradespersons (CW/3+) who supply their own tools of trade. Varies by occupation, carpenters, bricklayers, painters each have a specific weekly amount.
Fares & travel allowance
Daily flatPaid for each day worked to cover ordinary travel to and from the site. Distinct from paid travel between sites mid-shift.
Site allowance
Per project (enterprise-bargained)Most commercial sites add a site allowance via enterprise agreement (EBA), varies by project value. Not award-mandated but standard practice on union sites.
Multi-storey allowance
Tiered by floorHourly amount that increases as the building gets taller, kicks in once work moves above the 4th floor, with separate tiers for higher floors.
Living-away-from-home allowance
Daily flatWhen work requires the employee to live away from home overnight, covers accommodation and meals. Distinct from fares & travel.
Confined-space / dirty work / height
Hourly extrasDiscrete hourly amounts for confined-space work, working with dangerous materials, asbestos work, working at heights (above 7.5m), and several other specified disabilities.
Meal allowance
Per occasionPaid when an employee is required to work overtime of 1.5 hours or more without being given notice the previous day to bring a meal.
Step 3, Apply Loadings
Overtime, weekend, and public holiday rates
MA000020 splits weekend rates into a first-2-hours block and an after-2-hours block. Overtime tiers are independent of weekend rates, a Saturday morning shift extending past 2 hours moves to double-time even though weekday overtime would still be at time-and-a-half.
| Type | Loading | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Casual loading | +25% | Added to base hourly rate for casual employees in lieu of annual leave and personal leave entitlements. |
| Saturday, first 2 hours | +50% | Time-and-a-half for the first 2 hours of work on a Saturday. |
| Saturday, after 2 hours | +100% | Double time after the initial 2-hour Saturday block. |
| Sunday | +100% | Double time for all Sunday work, applies to full-time, part-time, and casual. |
| Public holiday | +150% | Double time and a half for public holidays, plus entitlement to the public holiday at ordinary rates if rostered. |
| Overtime, first 2 hours | +50% | Weekday overtime beyond ordinary hours, first 2 hours at time-and-a-half. |
| Overtime, after 2 hours | +100% | Weekday overtime beyond the initial 2-hour block, double time. Distinct from Saturday/Sunday rates. |
The 19-day month and the RDO system
The building award's default ordinary-hours pattern is unique, it works out to 38 hours per week but is rostered to give the employee one paid day off every 4 weeks (or one half-day off each week). This is the “19-day month” or “RDO system”.
The 8-hour / 4-week roster
Crew work 8 hours/day Monday to Friday for 4 weeks. After 20 days of work, they've accrued 152 paid hours but the award only counts 38 × 4 = 152 ordinary hours, actually they've worked 160. The 8-hour difference becomes 1 paid RDO. Most commercial sites take this RDO on a fixed Monday or Friday.
What you can't do
You can't cash out RDO accruals during the cycle (only on termination). You can't roster the RDO on a public holiday to absorb it. You can't make working an RDO a default expectation, if the crew works on a scheduled RDO, that's overtime at time-and-a-half (or double-time after 2 hours).
Inclement weather provisions
Rain or extreme heat that stops work on site triggers specific inclement-weather clauses. Employees are paid for the time they show up before being sent home (minimum daily payment), and there's a stand-down clause for prolonged weather events. Document who was sent home, when, and why, it's the only defence in a wage-claim dispute.
Super, super, super
The Superannuation Guarantee (currently 11.5% rising to 12%) is paid on ordinary-time earnings, which includes the industry allowance. Tool allowance and fares & travel allowance are typically excluded from super calculation, but check Cbus or Construction-industry fund advice for any EBA-specific inclusion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which award covers building and construction tradies in Australia?
The Building and Construction General On-Site Award 2020 (MA000020) covers on-site construction work nationwide. A separate Joinery and Building Trades Award (MA000029) covers off-site joinery and shop-fitting. Electrical, plumbing, and metal-trades work has its own awards (MA000025, MA000036).
How is the Building Award different from other trade awards?
Three things, the industry allowance is paid as standard to every employee (not optional), the fares & travel allowance is paid every day (not just inter-site), and the RDO system is the default working pattern (38-hour week worked across 4.75 days or with a 19-day month).
What is the RDO system and how does it work?
Rostered Day Off, the standard 38-hour ordinary week is worked as either 4 × 9.5-hour days or 5 × 8-hour days with one paid RDO accrued every 4-week cycle. Most sites operate the 19-day month: 19 work days plus 1 RDO across each 4-week period. RDO accrual is paid out on termination if untaken.
Is the tool allowance taxable?
Yes, the tool allowance is assessable income through PAYG payroll. However, the employee can claim a deduction for actual tool purchases against this allowance at tax time. The ATO has specific guidance on tool deductions for tradies.
Do I need to pay site allowance if my site isn't union-EBA?
Site allowance is not part of the modern award itself, it's an enterprise-agreement (EBA) construct. Non-EBA sites are not obliged to pay it. However, head contractors on EBA projects pass site-allowance obligations down to subcontractors via the head contract, so check whether your subbie work falls under that.
What about apprentices on the award?
Apprentices have separate percentage rates of the CW/3 tradesperson base, typically 50% Year 1, 60% Year 2, 75% Year 3, 90% Year 4 (3-year apprenticeships scale differently). They get full industry allowance from day one. Apprentices must be enrolled with a Registered Training Organisation.
Get rostering, RDO tracking, and tool allowance off the spreadsheet
OneBookPlus mobile clock timestamps every shift, tracks RDO accrual, and itemises allowances on payslip exports, built for Australian construction operators.
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Reviewed by Bishal Shrestha
About the author
Bishal Shrestha
Founder & CEO, OneBookPlus
Bishal spent a decade running digital projects for Australian small businesses before founding OneBookPlus. He writes and maintains these pages, and publishes what OneBookPlus does not do alongside what it does.
Read the founder bioHow this page was researched
The compliance and licensing statements above are taken from the bodies this page links to, including the Fair Work pay calculator, so you can read the rule rather than take our word for it. Plan prices come from the OneBookPlus price registry, so the page and the checkout cannot disagree. Everything said about OneBookPlus describes what the product does today, and the page says so where it does not do something.
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