Finding A Plumber or Gasfitter

Any plumbing work in Victoria must be completed by a plumbing contractor who is either licenced by the VBA or working under the supervision of a licensed plumber.

If your Venatic report recommends engaging a plumbing contractor or you are planning on having other plumbing work done, you must engage a registered or licenced plumber. You can find a registered or licenced plumber by using the Victorian Building Authority ‘Find a practitioner’ search tool, use Google to search for a qualified contractor in your local area or ask your Venatic inspector for a referral.

Ask to see their Registration/Licence

All licensed and registered plumbers are issued with a photo ID card that lists the plumbing work they are eligible to complete.

See in the example below, if you are engaging a gasfitter to service a gas appliance you will want to see the plumbing registration and licence of your plumbing contractor and confirm they are specifically registered and licenced for “Gas Servicing – Type A”.

There are 10 main classes of plumbing work –

1. Drainage (Removing sanitary waste or stormwater from a site)
2. Fire Protection (Installation, testing and maintenance of fire protection systems)
3. Gasfitting (Installing and commissioning gas lines and Type A gas appliances)
4. Irrigation (Non-agricultural) (Installing irrigation systems to provide artificial supply of water to parks, gardens etc.
5. Mechanical Services (Mechanically heating, cooling and ventilating)
6. Refrigerated Air Conditioning (Providing desired heating and cooling requirements)
7. Roofing (Stormwater) (Roof drainage systems, collecting and disposing of stormwater.)
8. Sanitary (Basins, sinks and toilets form the homes sanitary system)
9. Type B Gasfitting (Installing and commissioning Type B gas appliances)
10. Water Supply (Hot and cold water supply to the home)

In addition, there are 5 specialised classes of plumbing work

1. Type A Appliance Servicing
2. Type A Appliance Conversion
3. Type B Gasfitting Advanced
4. Backflow Prevention
5. Thermostatic Mixing Valve

The difference between registered and licenced plumbers

• Only a licenced plumber can issue a compliance certificate to certify compliance of their work with relevant regulations, codes and standards.
• A licenced plumber must hold insurance that protects you in case of any defective plumbing work.
• A licenced plumber has a higher standard of knowledge and experience.
• A licenced plumber may supervise other plumbers or plumbing apprentices in the same class of plumbing work in which they hold a licence.

Ask for a Plumbing Compliance Certificate

A licenced plumber is required to lodge a compliance certificate within five days of any of the following work –

• Has a total value of $750 or more, including labour, materials, appliances and fixtures (regardless of who purchased them)
• Was carried out on below ground sanitary drains
• Involved the installation, relocation, replacement or conversion of any gas-using appliance
• Involved the installation, modification or relocation of consumer gas piping
• Involved the construction, installation, relocation, alteration ot replacement of cooling towers.

Who to contact if you have issues

If your plumbing contractor does not show you his/her registration/licence or does not issue you with a certificate when required, you can raise your concerns with the VBA.