Plumbing

Any work not included in the schedules of notifiable work, minor work or unregulated work will be 'Compliance Assessable Work' and will be subject to Council compliance assessment and inspection requirements.

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

From 1 November 2012 the QBCC (Queensland Building and Construction Commission) will be responsible for administering the Notifiable work reforms which includes accepting and processing notifications and maintaining the electronic lodgement system. The QBCC will also manage an audit program to help ensure that licensees are lodging the appropriate forms and continuing to comply with legislative requirements.

For a full list of notifiable works or further information please refer to the Department of Housing and Public Workswebsite, or the Queensland Building and Construction Commission 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:
  • work necessary for installing, replacing or removing any of the following apparatus:
    • a temperature control device
    • a water heater
    • a testable backflow prevention device
    • a dual check valve with an atmospheric port
  • replacing a domestic water filter cartridge

For a full list of minor works or further information please refer to the Department of Housing and Public Works website, or the Queensland Building and Construction Commission 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:

• leaning 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

To lodge a Plumbing Application you will need the following:

• payment in full of applicable fees and charges
• completed Form 1 - Application for Compliance Assessment
• 3 copies of Site Plans, Floor and Elevation Plans
• 3 copies of Soil Test Report
• if site classification is H, E, or P then a Flexible Joint Detail is required
• for unsewered sites - 3 copies of Onsite Waste Water Facility Design

Commercial applications may require additional information and quoted fees. Contact Council for more information.

To confirm a Plumber is Licensed it is strongly recommended that you refer to the Building Services Authority Online Licence Search which allows you to check if the Plumber you intend to use is currently licensed or not. It lists what type of license they have and if there are any conditions to these licenses.