Plumbing paperwork in Victoria, a guide by Dotto
The paperwork around a plumber’s job in Victoria
A guide to the paper trail of a plumbing job in Victoria, published by Dotto from the official sources listed at the foot of each page. It follows one job docket, box by box: who may do the work, how to check them, the certificate they hand over, the insurance it confirms and the mark on the product.
General information about Victorian rules, not advice about a particular job. The Building and Plumbing Commission is the place to check.
The job, in the order the paper arrives
Every box on the docket belongs to a moment in the job. Here they are in sequence, each with the official page it comes from listed at the foot of this page.
- Before anyone startsThe Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) asks you to check that a plumber is registered or licensed for the work you need before you appoint them. Don’t rely on an advert, a business card, a quote or what you are told alone, it says: check the plumber’s details first.
- If you buy the productUnder the national WaterMark scheme, a product of a type on the WaterMark Schedule of Products has to be certified before it is installed. In Victoria, a registered or licensed plumber is not allowed to install an uncertified product where the Plumbing Code of Australia calls for a WaterMark one.
- On the dayRegistered and licensed plumbers carry a BPC practitioner ID card whenever they do plumbing work, and must show it if you ask. The back of the card lists the classes of work they hold.
- Within five daysWhere the job needs a compliance certificate, the licensed plumber issues it to the customer within five days of finishing, and lodges it with the BPC inside the same five days.
- For six yearsThe certificate confirms the work complies with the plumbing regulations and the relevant Australian Standards, and that it is insured for six years.
Whose stamp it is
The BPC is the trading name of the Victorian Building Authority, the body that runs the licensing and registration system for plumbers and gasfitters in Victoria. It grants plumbing accreditation only to individuals: it does not register or license plumbing companies. So the registration or licence behind a job always belongs to a named person.
Two kinds of gas work sit outside the BPC’s certificate scheme. Complex gas installations and Type B appliances are overseen by Energy Safe Victoria instead.
Where the rules come from
| Part of the job | The rule comes from | Applies in |
|---|---|---|
| Licence and classes | The Plumbing Regulations 2018, made under the Building Act 1993 | Victoria |
| Compliance certificate | Part 12A of the Building Act 1993 | Victoria |
| Technical standard | The Plumbing Code of Australia, adopted into the Victorian Regulations | Victoria, as the Regulations modify it |
| Product mark | The WaterMark Certification Scheme, run by the Australian Building Codes Board | National |
Insurance, the box inside the certificate
A plumber cannot hold a licence without it: licensed plumbers must be insured for any job that calls for a compliance certificate, and the BPC issues or renews a licence only once that cover is held. The certificate guide explains what the certificate says about that insurance, and the BPC’s plumbing insurance page sets out the cover in full.
Each box links to its own page above. Two of them cover what sits outside the usual job: the two small jobs anyone may do, and what to do when a box stays empty.
For the job itself, the person to engage is a plumber registered or licensed in the classes it needs.