Plumbing

The plumbing team is responsible for all internal plumbing and drainage up to the point of connection to council’s infrastructure, including onsite sewerage systems, household sewerage treatment plants (HSTP), septic tanks, rainwater tanks, and backflow prevention devices.

Please note: all inspections must be booked 24 hours in advance and you must have your Plumbing Approval ‘PL’ number to book an inspection.

All plumbing and drainage work in Queensland is regulated by state government legislation and is categorised as regulated, minor or unregulated.

Approved Queensland Government plumbers’ and drainers’ forms.

  • Regulated work

    Regulated work must be performed by a licensed person and they must only perform the regulated work covered by their license. For example, a licensed drainer can perform regulated drainage work.

    An application for compliance assessment must be submitted to be assessed for compliance with the technical standards for plumbing and drainage and approval must be issued prior to the commencement of any regulated work.

    This plumbing application’s checklist has been developed to aid the process of submitting a plumbing application and includes all requirements to ensure your submission is accepted.

    We are required to assess the regulated work at particular stages and it is the licensed person’s responsibility to arrange the mandatory inspections and be aware of the specific inspection requirements [plumbing inspection requirements]. Inspections must be booked with 24 hours’ notice by calling 1300 242 686.

    Any licensed person that performs plumbing and drainage work must ensure it is compliant with the Queensland Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018.

    Once the regulated work has been satisfactorily completed and inspected by council, a final compliance certificate will be issued.

    Fees and charges: Commercial, Industrial and Multi Dwelling – Class 2-9 or Dwellings and Duplexes – Class 1-10.

  • Minor work

    Minor work is plumbing and drainage work that be performed without council approval— providing the work is performed by a licensed person. There are two categories of minor work: notifiable minor work and other minor work.

  • Notifiable minor work

    Notifiable minor work includes:

    Emergency work

    • Repairing or replacing a plumbing or drainage pipe that is broken or damaged unless the work involves repairing a drain at a connection point or replacing more than 6 metres of pipe or 3 metres of drain, which requires a full plumbing application.
    • Other work of a minor nature related to, and reasonably necessary for, repairing plumbing or drainage.
    • Work necessary to replace a tempering valve, water heater, cistern, pump or water meter.
    • Work necessary to maintain, repair or replace a backflow prevention device or thermostatic mixing valve.

    Within 20 business days of completing the work, a Form 4 (Notifiable Minor Work) must be submitted to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission by the licensed person that performed the work. We do not have to inspect all notifiable minor work, but it may be assessed for compliance with technical standards.

  • Other minor work

    Other minor work does not require notification to council, but the work must be performed by a licensed person. This includes:

    • Work necessary to maintain, repair or replace a fitting or fixture.
    • Work necessary to maintain or repair an apparatus other than a backflow prevention device, thermostatic mixing valve, tempering valve, water heater, cistern, pump or water meter.
    • Work necessary to maintain, repair or replace fire hydrants or fire hose reels.
    • Unblocking a pipe that is sanitary plumbing or sanitary drainage.
  • Unregulated work

    Unregulated work is plumbing and drainage work that does not require a license to perform, or any council approvals or notification.

    Some examples are:

    Sanitary Plumbing and Sanitary Drainage

    • Cleaning or maintaining ground level grates to traps on sanitary drains.
    • Replacing caps to ground level inspection opening on sanitary drains.
    • Maintaining an above or below ground irrigation system for the disposal of effluent from an onsite sewerage facility.

    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 cistern, a drop valve washer, float valve washer or suction cup rubber.

    Work on stormwater drainage is considered unregulated work.

    All regulated work will require one or more Queensland Government forms to be completed and submitted.

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