Selecting a contractor

It is important to ensure the right people with the right qualifications and practical experience are performing your plumbing work. By engaging a licensed plumber and/or drainer you minimise unnecessary risks to your family's health and safety.  

What licence should a plumber hold?

In some instances, it may be necessary for a plumber to hold both an occupational and contractor licence to carry out work, regardless of the value. An occupational licence enables the person to physically carry out the work, a contractor licence allows the person to engage in a contract for the work. To find out more about a licensee you can use our online licensee search, or search for an occupational licence.

Work that can be done by an unlicensed person

Below is a list of the unregulated work that can be performed by an unlicensed person, all other plumbing and drainage work must be done by an appropriately licensed person.

• Replacing a shower head or domestic water filter cartridge
• Replacing a jumper valve or washer in a tap
• Repairing or replacing a drop valve washer, float valve washer or suction cup rubber in a toilet cistern
• Replacing caps to ground level inspection openings on a sanitary drain
• Cleaning or maintaining a ground level grate for a trap on a sanitary drain
• Installing or maintaining an irrigation or lawn watering system downstream from a tap, isolating valve or backflow prevention device on the supply pipe for the watering system
• Repairing or maintaining an irrigation system for the disposal or effluent from a greywater use facility or on-site sewage facility
• Fire protection work for testing plumbing carried out by a holder of a fire protection occupational licence or another QBCC licence
• Incidental unskilled tasks (e.g. excavating or backfilling a trench).