All Plumbing and Drainage work in Queensland is regulated by State Government legislative requirements and is categorised as:
- Permit Work
- Notifiable Work
- Minor Work
- Unregulated Work
All Plumbing and Drainage Works other than Unregulated Work MUST be carried out by a Licensed Plumber or Drainer.
Licensed Plumbers
To confirm if the plumber or drainer is licensed, and that their licence is current, contact the Queensland Building and Construction Commission on 139 333.
Plumbing Works
Permit Work
Any work not included in the schedules of notifiable work, minor work or unregulated work will be ‘Permit Work' and will be subject to Council assessment and inspection requirements.
Under the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018, permit work applications are divided into two streams:
Fast-track Applications
- Approval timeframe: 2 business days – subject to the lodgement of all mandatory items.
- Available for the majority of new single residential dwellings, sheds or domestic outbuildings (classes 1a and 10a only) within sewered areas.
Standard Applications
- Approval timeframe: 10 business days
- Applies to all other building types (Classes 1b and 2-9) and those applications excluded from the fast-track process, e.g. multiple residential, commercial, unsewered properties and secondary dwellings not separately connected to water and sewer.
Notifiable work
Notifiable Work will require licensees to lodge a Form 4 - Notifiable Work with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) within 10 business days of completing the work.
The vast majority of work undertaken in existing buildings will be Notifiable Work, for example:
- kitchen and bathroom additions and renovations
- installing or replacing hot water heaters
- installing fixtures in an existing home (for example toilets, showers and sinks)
- extending or altering pipe work
The QBCC is responsible for administering Notifiable Work forms, including accepting and processing notifications and maintaining the electronic lodgement system. The QBCC also manage an audit program to help ensure that licensees are lodging the appropriate forms and continuing to comply with legislative requirements.
All enquiries regarding Notifiable Works, including new lodgments or obtaining confirmation about previously completed work, should be directed to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC).
QBCC contact details:
Post: GPO Box 5099, Brisbane Qld 4001
Phone: 139 333
Fax: (07) 3225 2999
Email: notifiablework@qbcc.qld.gov.au
For a full list of minor works or further information please refer to the Queensland Building and Construction Commision (QBCC) website.
Minor work
Minor work must be undertaken by an appropriately licensed person but does not need to be notified to Council or the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.
Minor work includes such things as:
- work necessary for replacing, maintaining, repairing or removing a fitting or fixture
- work necessary for repairing a broken or damaged pipe
- work necessary for installing, replacing, maintaining, repairing or removing an apparatus, but not if the work involves the following:
a) work necessary for installing, replacing or removing any of the following apparatus:
i. a temperature control device
ii. a water heater
iii. a testable backflow prevention device
iv. a dual check valve with an atmospheric port
b) replacing a domestic water filter cartridge
For a full list of minor works or further information please refer to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) website.
Unregulated Work
Unregulated work is plumbing and drainage work that does not require council approval or notification. No licence is required to perform this work.
For sanitary plumbing and sanitary drainage:
- cleaning or maintaining ground level grates to traps on sanitary drains
- replacing caps to ground level inspection openings on sanitary drains
- maintaining an above or below ground irrigation system for the disposal of effluent from an on-site sewerage facility.
For water plumbing:
- installing or maintaining an irrigation or lawn watering system downstream from an isolating valve, tap or backflow prevention device on the supply pipe for the irrigation or lawn watering system
- replacing a jumper valve or washer in a tap
- changing a shower head
- replacing, in a water closet (WC) cistern, a drop valve washer, float valve washer or suction cup rubber.
Lodging an application
As a guide the following check sheet should be used to assist with collating the required documentation for lodgement:
Lodgement Checklist for Plumbing Applications:
Plumbing Application Lodgement Checklist (PDF, 649.5 KB)
To lodge a Plumbing Application you will need the following:
- Payment in full of applicable fees and charges at time of lodgement
- Completed Form 1 - Permit work application for plumbing drainage and on-site sewerage work
- 1 copy of Site Plans, Floor and Elevation Plans
- 1 copy of Soil Test Report (If site classification is H, E, or P then a Flexible Joint Detail is required)
- For unsewered sites - 1 copy of Onsite Waste Water Facility Design
Commercial applications may require additional information and quoted fees.
Please contact us on (07) 3810 6130 for further details.
Plumbing fixtures
To determine what is counted as a plumbing fixture, please refer to the following examples: