Your obligations under Queensland's NCBP laws

In Queensland, the Non-Conforming Building Product (NCBP) laws apply to everyone in the chain of responsibility for a building product — including suppliers and installers.

If you supply or install a plumbing product that does not meet the relevant requirements, you may face regulatory or enforcement action.
Under Part 6AA of the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991, you must:

• take meaningful, proactive steps to ensure a product is compliant
• ensure a product is not an NCBP before installation, or before giving a product to someone else to install
• understand and meet your duties as a person in the chain of responsibility

What is a non-conforming building product?

A plumbing product may be an NCBP if it:

• does not meet relevant regulatory provisions
• is not safe, or
• does not perform as claimed

If a plumbing product requires a WaterMark licence but does not have one, it will not meet the regulatory provisions and will be considered a likely NCBP.

Understanding regulatory provisions

The NCC and associated Australian Standards form the basis of Queensland’s regulatory requirements for plumbing and drainage work. Plumbing products listed on the WaterMark Schedule of Products must hold a current WaterMark certification.

How to check if a product is lead-free and compliant

The simplest way to confirm compliance is to look for the Lead-Free WaterMark certification trademark on the product or packaging. Always verify the certification on the ABCB WaterMark Product Database.

Image

What happens if the QBCC suspects an NCBP?

If the QBCC believes a building product may be an NCBP, it can investigate any person in the chain of responsibility.

Possible actions include:

• issuing a notice to remedy
• prosecuting a person or company
• investigating executive officers
• referring the product to the Minister to issue a ministerial warning or recall

Report suspected NCBPs 

If you come across a plumbing product without a WaterMark or suspect it is non-conforming, do not install it.
You must report it to the QBCC within two (2) days.

More information about how to report a NCBP is available on Report non-conforming building product or incident, or you can email ncbp@qbcc.qld.gov.au.
Protect Queenslanders—check, verify and report

Make compliance part of your everyday practice

Before supplying or installing any plumbing product:

• Check for the Lead-Free WaterMark
• Verify its certification online
• Report anything suspicious immediately

Together, we can keep Queensland homes and businesses safe.

You can use the QBCC's online registers to check if your plumber is licensed or if a Form 4 (see below) has been registered for your property.

What is regulated plumbing and drainage work?

Regulated work includes:

• plumbing and drainage for new homes or renovations
• installing or repairing water heaters and tempering valves
• fixing or replacing toilets, sinks, taps and other fixtures
• unblocking or repairing pipes
• maintaining on-site sewage systems.

Some work, like bathroom renovations or installing water heaters, is classified as notifiable work. For this work, a plumber must lodge a Form 4 (for reporting notifiable work) with the QBCC within 10 business days and give you a copy.

How do I seek help or make a complaint?

If you’ve had plumbing or drainage work done and are concerned it could be unlicensed, defective or non-compliant, or you haven’t received a Form 4 for notifiable work, you can lodge a complaint with the QBCC:

• for plumbing and drainage issues, use our online complaint form
• for contract-related concerns, use our general complaints form.

Want to learn more?

Visit our Home Owner Hub for practical advice on building, renovating, and understanding your rights. You can also call us on 139 333 to speak with our friendly team.

Why we conduct audits 

Audits are about maintaining the integrity of the plumbing profession. By verifying that notifiable work is correctly documented, we can:

• provide in-person support and guidance to licensees
• catch problems early to avoid costly issues
• ensure work meets safety and compliance standards. 

What to expect if you're selected 

If you’re selected for an audit, you’ll be asked to provide recent invoices for plumbing work. To make the process smooth and efficient, it’s important to make sure your invoices: 

• are clear and legible (no blurry scans or photos)
• include specific details about the work performed
• list the correct site address and building reference (if applicable). 

Once your documents are submitted, a member of the QBCC audit team will review them and get in touch if anything further is needed. 

Tools to help you stay compliant 

To help you stay on top of your obligations, the QBCC website offers a range of practical tools and resources: 

• a breakdown of what counts as notifiable work
• an interactive checker to see if your job needs a Form 4
• tips on how to lodge your Form 4/4A correctly. 

These resources are designed to make compliance easier and more accessible, so you can focus on doing great work. 

We’re for supporting licensed professionals, and you can help 

Unlicensed contracting is against the law and undermines the time, training, and investment that licensed plumbers put in to do things the right way. It diverts work away from legitimately qualified professionals and puts public safety at risk.

That’s why we’ve also made it easier to report wrongdoing through our updated complaints form.

If you’ve seen something that doesn’t sit right, you can raise a concern without revealing your identity. And while we’ll do our best to act on anonymous reports, our investigations team may need to follow up for additional details, some of which could be identifiable. Rest assured, we’ll maintain strict confidentiality throughout the process.

Have something to report? Submit your plumbing or drainage complaint here

Let’s work together to keep our high standards and protect the trade for all the future plumbers out there.