Plumbing licence Victoria: VBA classes and compliance certificates

What it is

A plumbing licence in Victoria is the authority to do regulated plumbing work for another person and to sign the Compliance Certificate that finishes the job. The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) registers and licenses plumbers, and the Plumbing Regulations 2018 set the technical and administrative rules. Victoria runs a two-tier system: registered plumbers can carry out work but cannot sign Compliance Certificates, while licensed plumbers can both do the work and sign off on it.

The legislation behind it

The Building Act 1993 is the parent statute. Part 12A of that Act deals with plumbing. The Plumbing Regulations 2018 sit underneath it and pick up the Plumbing Code of Australia and the AS/NZS 3500 series of standards. The VBA administers the scheme and runs the public register of practitioners.

A licensee who signs a Compliance Certificate is warranting that the work meets the Plumbing Code of Australia, the relevant Australian Standards and the Regulations. That warranty runs for six years from the date the certificate is lodged.

The six classes of plumbing work

The Plumbing Regulations 2018 divide regulated work into classes. A plumber can hold registration or a licence in one class, several or all of them.

Water supply

Cold water and warm water systems including connection to the water authority's main.

Sanitary

Soil and waste pipes inside the building, fixtures and vent stacks.

Drainage

Sanitary drains, stormwater drains and trade waste pipework below ground.

Gasfitting

Installation and connection of gas appliances and gas piping for LPG and natural gas. This class has the highest training overlay because of the safety risk.

Roofing (stormwater)

Gutters, downpipes, flashings and the roof side of stormwater discharge.

Mechanical services

Heating, cooling and ventilation pipework. Two sub-classes apply: Type A for larger systems, Type B for domestic and light commercial work.

Two further classes round out the scheme: irrigation (non-drinking water systems) and fire protection (sprinklers, hydrants and hose reels). The VBA publishes the scope of each class on its website.

Registered versus licensed

The split is important. A registered plumber must do the work under the supervision of someone with a licence in the same class, or under their own day-to-day control if they hold an employer's authority. They cannot sign Compliance Certificates. A licensed plumber can run their own contracts, sign Compliance Certificates and supervise registered plumbers.

To move from registered to licensed you need to pass the VBA's licensing assessment, which is a written and practical exam in the relevant class, on top of the underlying Certificate III qualification.

The Compliance Certificate

Every piece of regulated plumbing work in Victoria needs a Compliance Certificate. The plumber lodges it through the VBA portal within five business days of finishing the work. The owner gets a copy, the VBA keeps a copy and the relevant water authority is notified for connections to its assets.

The certificate states the class of work, the address, the standard or code the work meets and the licensee's number. For non-prescribed work under five hundred dollars in value the rules are lighter, but most residential work on a new build or renovation is prescribed and needs the certificate.

Inspection is risk based. The VBA audits about ten per cent of certificates each year, with hot water, gasfitting and below-ground drainage seen more often than other classes.

What builders need to check

If you are a builder using a sub-contracted plumber on a residential job, three things matter. Confirm the licence is current and in the right class for the work on the VBA register. Get a copy of every Compliance Certificate before final progress payment, not after handover. Keep the certificates in the project file because the owner will need them at sale.

Renewals and continuing requirements

Registration and licences renew every five years. The VBA can impose conditions, ask for continuing professional development and suspend a practitioner who has unresolved complaints or unpaid penalties. Fee schedules are on the VBA site and move each financial year.