A plumbing contractor licence, in relation to plumbing work specified in the licence, authorises the holder to:

• carry out plumbing work the licensed plumbing contractor (LPC) is responsible for (contractor-level work);
• exercise general direction and control over or supervision of plumbing work the LPC is responsible for, by a tradesperson or another LPC performing the work at trade-level (trade-level work);
• supervise the carrying out of plumbing work the LPC is responsible for by an apprentice, pre-apprentice or provisional tradesperson;
• carry out plumbing work under the general direction and control or supervision of the responsible LPC at trade-level ; and
• supervise the carrying out of plumbing work by an apprentice, pre-apprentice or provisional tradesperson at trade-level.

An LPC who carries out or supervises plumbing work at trade-level must do so under the general direction and control of  an LPC — for whom the work is contractor-level work.

Eligibility for a plumbing contractor’s licence

To be eligible for a plumbing contractor’s licence you must already hold a tradesperson’s licence and have a statement of competency from a registered training organisation as a water supply plumber, sanitary plumber or drainage plumber.

How to apply

All applications must be made on a fully completed application form which can be found here:  Form 101 – application form.

Applications can be submitted:

• Online: Plumbing contractor licence online submission
• Post, or In Person;

If applying in person or by post your application also needs to be accompanied by a completed Application Payment Form

Details of how to apply in person or by post are included on the application form.

Should you have any queries regarding your application please contact 1300 489 099.

Each application is reviewed by Licensing Services staff and may be referred to the Plumbers Licensing Board if required.

Time frames for application processing

Most applications are determined within five weeks. You can assist us to keep processing times as low as possible by:

• Checking that you have attached all the required information, and have completed the application form in full, before submitting
• Submitting using the online option
• Allowing enough time for processing of your application before contacting us for an update.

Licensing officers will contact you if any additional information is needed to finalise your application.

Fees

Current application and licence fees for plumbers can be found in the fee schedule.

Application fee

An application fee is payable at the time of lodging an application.

The application fee is non-refundable and GST is not payable.

Licence fee

If your application is unsuccessful the licence fee will automatically be refunded and posted to the address specified on the application form.

All licences are valid for three years from the date of approval.

Variations to a plumbing contractor’s licence

Plumbing contractor’s licences may be limited to one or more of the following types of work:

• water supply
• sanitary
• drainage

Plumbing contractors can apply to have additional types of work added to their licence by completing the required training and providing statements of competency along with the application form: Form 98 – Amend types of work form