A licensed plumber in Victoria must issue a compliance certificate when the total value of the plumbing work is over $750, counting materials, appliances, labour and GST, and for certain gas, drainage and cooling tower work whatever it costs. The certificate states that the work complies with the prescribed plumbing standards, and the plumber must issue it to you within five days of the work being completed.
General information, not advice. The rules are set out in Part 12A of the Building Act 1993 and on the Building and Plumbing Commission’s compliance certificates page.
When a certificate is required
| Work | Certificate |
|---|---|
| Any plumbing work with a total value over $750 | Required. The value includes materials, appliances, labour and GST, and materials and appliances count even if someone else supplied them. |
| Installing, relocating or replacing a Type A gas-using appliance | Required, regardless of cost. |
| Converting a gas appliance to a different gaseous fuel | Required, regardless of cost. |
| Installing, modifying or relocating consumer gas piping (other than work for a gas company) | Required, regardless of cost. Each separately metered premises needs its own certificate. |
| Constructing, installing or altering a below-ground sanitary drain or its gullies | Required, regardless of cost. |
| Construction, installation, alteration, relocation or replacement of a cooling tower or any other part of a cooling tower system | Required, regardless of cost. |
| Complex gas installations and Type B appliances | Not covered by the BPC’s certificate scheme. That work is overseen by Energy Safe Victoria. |
Counting to $750
The part people miss is that materials and appliances count even when you bought them yourself. Suppose you buy a new kitchen mixer for $300, and a plumber charges $520 including GST to fit it.
| Item | Who supplied it | Counts towards the total? |
|---|---|---|
| Mixer, $300 | You | Yes |
| Labour and fittings, $520 including GST | The plumber | Yes |
| Total, $820 | Over $750, so a licensed plumber must issue a compliance certificate. | |
What happens, and by when
- The work is finished, or the contract endsThe clock starts when the plumbing work is completed or the plumbing work contract is terminated.
- Within five days: to youThe licensed plumber must issue the certificate to the customer.
- Within five days: to the regulatorThe plumber must also lodge it with the BPC, through its VBA360 system.
- If the work was not finishedIf the unfinished work is work that requires a compliance certificate, the plumber must still issue one. It must say the work was not completed, why, and to what stage it got.
What should be on it
Beyond saying the work complies, the BPC lists what a compliance certificate must contain:
- where applicable, the eleven-digit consent number, and confirmation that the plumber has lodged an “as-laid” plan with the relevant water authority;
- details of the appliances and fixtures installed, with any comments the plumber considers necessary to set out the extent of the work;
- if the work was not completed, a note saying so, why, and to what stage.
Who is allowed to issue one
Only a licensed plumber can issue a compliance certificate. They may issue one only for work they carried out or completed themselves, work they supervised a registered plumber or apprentice to do, work they engaged another licensed plumber to do, or work started by another licensed plumber that they inspected or tested before completing.
This is why it matters to you, not only to the plumber. Issuing a certificate for work they have not completed or supervised is an offence, and the BPC says it could leave both the plumber and the customer without cover from the mandatory plumbing insurance. You can check that the person who signs holds a licence in the right class: sheet 02 shows how.
A word on gas work
Gas work sits in two places. Type A gas appliances and consumer gas piping fall under the BPC’s compliance certificate scheme whatever the job costs. Complex gas installations cannot be self-certified this way: they need a Start Work and Compliance Notice lodged with Energy Safe Victoria. If you are replacing a gas hot water system, ask your plumber which applies. Sheet 04 covers hot water, including the change due for gas hot water from 1 March 2027.