Plumbing Licence Tasmania: CBOS Classes and Requirements

What it is

In Tasmania (TAS), plumbing is a licensed occupation regulated by Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) under the Occupational Licensing Act 2005 (Tas). You must hold a current CBOS licence to carry out plumbing work for reward in TAS, and the class of licence you hold sets exactly what work you are allowed to do and whether you can sign off on it.

The framework sits across two instruments. The Act sets the head powers around licensing, discipline and offences. Underneath that, the Administrator's Determination on Plumbing Work Licence Classes (in force since 8 May 2018) sets the actual licence classes, continuing competency requirements and the scope of work that attaches to each class.

The three licence levels

CBOS issues plumbing licences at three practitioner levels. Each one builds on the last.

Practitioner

A Practitioner licence is the entry licence after a Certificate III in Plumbing and apprenticeship. CBOS requires you to apply for the Practitioner licence within one calendar month of completing your training so you can keep working without supervision. A Practitioner can perform plumbing work but cannot sign off on the work themselves. They must be employed by, or work under, a Certifier.

Certifier

A Certifier licence lets you sign off on (certify) plumbing work in TAS and supervise other Practitioners. To move from Practitioner to Certifier you complete the relevant Certifier units from the Certificate IV in Plumbing and Services and apply through CBOS. A Certifier can be employed by a contractor, or hold their own Contractor licence and run their own business.

Contractor

A Contractor licence is the business-facing licence. It lets you contract to undertake plumbing work for a customer in TAS. A Contractor does not need to be a tradesperson themselves, but if they are not a Certifier in the relevant class of work, they must employ a Certifier who covers that class. Without that, the business cannot lawfully sign off on the work it carries out.

Streams of plumbing work

A standard TAS plumbing licence covers four streams of work, grouped as WSDR.

• Water
• Sanitary
• Drainage
• Roof (stormwater)

Beyond the standard streams there are also restricted classes and endorsements set by the Determination. These cover things like gas fitting (covered under a separate gas fitting licence), backflow prevention, thermostatic mixing valves and on-site wastewater management. A Practitioner or Certifier can only do work that falls inside the streams and endorsements written on their licence card.

Continuing competency

Plumbing in TAS is a continuing competency occupation. The Determination requires licence holders to keep their training current by completing CPD points each cycle. The exact CPD requirements vary by class and are published by CBOS in the CPD determination list. Failing to meet CPD by the renewal date can lead to your licence not being renewed.

Builders, owners and unlicensed work

Plumbing work carried out by an unlicensed person in TAS is an offence under the Occupational Licensing Act 2005. Builders engaging a plumber on a residential job should confirm the plumber holds the right class of CBOS licence for the work being done, and that a Certifier is signing off on it. Homeowners cannot lawfully do their own regulated plumbing work on a property in TAS, even on their own home, beyond very limited tasks like replacing a tap washer.

Practical takeaway for residential builders

For a residential job in Tasmania, the builder typically needs:

1. A Contractor (the plumbing business)
2. A Certifier on that business who holds the right WSDR stream coverage
3. Practitioners doing the on-tools work under that Certifier

If you cannot match those three roles to actual people on the job, the plumbing work probably should not be going ahead. Ask for the CBOS licence numbers up front and verify them on the CBOS public register before work starts.