In Victoria, plumbing work may only be carried out by someone with a current plumbing registration or licence, or by a plumbing apprentice. You can check a plumber online before any work starts, using the Building and Plumbing Commission’s practitioner search, which shows their registration or licence status, the type of work they may do and any conditions on it.
General information, not advice. The official place to check is the Building and Plumbing Commission’s “Find and check a practitioner” page.
A new name for the regulator
Victoria’s regulator for the building and plumbing industries is the Building and Plumbing Commission, or BPC. It brings together the work of the Victorian Building Authority (VBA), Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria and the domestic building insurance function of the VMIA.
If a quote, a website or a certificate mentions the VBA, it is the same regulator under its earlier name: the BPC’s own site describes it as the Victorian Building Authority, trading as the Building and Plumbing Commission.
Registration and licence are not the same
Each class of plumbing work has two levels: registration and licence. Accreditation is granted only to individuals; the BPC does not register or license plumbing companies. So the name to check is the person doing the work, not only the business name on the quote.
| In each class they hold | Registered plumber | Licensed plumber |
|---|---|---|
| Carry out the plumbing work | Yes | Yes |
| Supervise apprentices or other plumbers | No | Yes |
| Issue compliance certificates | No; a supervising licensed plumber must issue it within five days of completion | Yes |
| Undertake design work | Not listed among what registration allows | Yes |
| Granted for | Up to three years | Up to 12 months |
A licensed plumber must also hold and maintain the required insurance, and the BPC will not issue or renew a plumbing licence without evidence of it.
How to check, before work starts
- Ask for a name and number. The BPC’s search works by practitioner name, business name, registration or licence number, location or type of work.
- Search the register. Use Find a plumber on the BPC site to confirm the registration or licence is current, what type of work it allows, and whether it has any conditions or limits.
- Match the class to the job. Plumbing is split into classes, so a plumber can be registered in one and not another. The list is below.
- Look at the card. Registered and licensed plumbers are issued a BPC practitioner ID card, must carry it whenever they do plumbing work, and must show it on request. The back of the card lists their classes.
- Check the enforcement register. The BPC’s Compliance and Enforcement Register shows whether a builder, plumber or company has had certain disciplinary or prosecution action taken against them. Not every complaint, inspection or compliance activity appears there.
- Do it before you sign. The BPC’s advice is not to rely only on advertising, business cards, quotes or what someone tells you, and to check before signing a contract or letting work start.
The classes, as the BPC lists them
A person may be registered or licensed in one or more main classes. Specialised and restricted classes each sit under a “parent” main class. To hold a specialised class, a plumber must first hold its parent class; a restricted class covers restricted parts of its parent class’s work.
| Kind | Classes |
|---|---|
| Main | Drainage; gasfitting; mechanical services; roofing (stormwater); sanitary; irrigation (non-agricultural); water supply |
| Specialised | Backflow prevention; thermostatic mixing valve; Type A appliance conversion; Type A appliance servicing |
| Restricted (examples) | Mechanical services restricted to single head split systems; restricted to solid fuel heaters; refrigerated air-conditioning restricted to split system heat pump water heaters |
If the job is a gas appliance, look for gasfitting; if it is a heat pump water heater, the BPC lists a restricted class written for exactly that. When the card or the search result does not show the class that matches your job, ask the plumber about it before work starts.
Who signs off the work
Only licensed plumbers can issue a compliance certificate. A registered plumber must either work under a licensed plumber’s supervision or stick to work that does not need a certificate. It is an offence for a licensed plumber to issue a certificate for work they have not completed or supervised, and the BPC warns this could leave both the plumber and the customer outside the mandatory plumbing insurance. Sheet 03 covers when a certificate is due.
If something goes wrong
The BPC assesses non-compliance by plumbers and, for issues within its scope, outcomes can include requiring rectification or referral for investigation, prosecution or disciplinary action. Its site has an issue screening tool that suggests who to talk to and the steps to take.