Plumbing, draining and gasfitting can be separate licence classes. A trading name on a van, a uniform, or a well-presented quote is not the licence. Check the contracting entity named on the quote, in the state or territory where the property is. A licence issued somewhere else does not, by itself, answer the question for the property in front of you. If mutual recognition applies, that is for the plumber to hold in the state where the work happens. You still look up the register for that state.
Who publishes the register
Each government publishes its own register. The pages below are the ones the sources page links to, because those addresses loaded. Use the register for the property, not a national directory, and not an advertisement.
| Where the work is | Who publishes the register |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | NSW Fair Trading, checked through Service NSW |
| Victoria | Building and Plumbing Commission |
| Queensland | Queensland Building and Construction Commission |
| South Australia | Consumer and Business Services |
| Western Australia | Building and Energy |
| Tasmania | Consumer, Building and Occupational Services |
| Australian Capital Territory | Access Canberra |
| Northern Territory | Building Practitioners Board |
Ask for the licence number on the quote and look up that number, or the legal name, before you accept. Confirm the class covers the work. Water supply, sanitary plumbing, drainage, gasfitting and roof plumbing are not always one licence. A bathroom that includes a membrane may involve a waterproofing credential as well. If the quote is silent on the class, ask. The links sit on the sources page so the addresses stay in one place.
What a register can and cannot tell you
A register is there so you can see whether the name on the quote holds a current licence for that class of work, and sometimes whether conditions or disciplinary notes are published. It does not choose the plumber for you. It does not set a price. It is not a review, and a clear search is not a promise about workmanship on your job. If the name on the quote does not appear, or the class does not cover the work, do not fill the gap with an assumption. Ask the plumber to explain, in the legal name the register uses, before you accept.
PlumberQuotes does not claim to have checked a licence unless that check is recorded. Plumbers who apply here confirm they hold a current licence for the work they offer. That confirmation is not a substitute for the register. Before you accept a quote, do the search yourself in the state or territory of the property.
Names to match
Match the entity, not a first name on a text message. A quote from a company should be checked as that company. A quote from a sole trader should be checked as that person. If a subcontractor will do the gas work or the drainage, ask for that licence too. The person who visits to price the job and the person licensed to certify it are sometimes different, and the quote should say so.
This site does not publish a ranking of plumbers and it does not hold a public phone number. To ask for an introduction, use the quote form. To ask about a page, email pipematch.au@gmail.com.
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PlumberQuotes introduces you to a local plumber. It is not a plumbing contractor, and it does not promise a time.