On the 1st November 2012, Notifiable Work laws came into place for all plumbers. What does this mean for consumers? It means that certain maintenance jobs will incur a $35 fee for the plumber to lodge a Form 4 advising the Plumbing Council of the type of works that have been conducted on a consumer’s property. A certificate will be sent to the client once it has been lodged and paid.
Notifiable Work fees will only be incurred on the following types of jobs – these are just some common examples from the list that can be found:
- Works necessary for extending, altering, replacing or removing existing water supply piping
- Installation of hot water units
- Installing, replacing or removing temperature control valves that are installed on hot water units
For a full comprehensive list of what is notifiable work check out www.hpw.qld.gov.au/notifiablework or http://www.mpaq.com.au
Work that is NOT notifiable and doesn’t require a fee to be paid include
- Changing tap washers
- Replacing inlet valves and washers in toilet cisterns
- Replacing Shower roses and/or connecting hoses
- Unblocking drains
I have lodged Form 4’s with the Plumbing Council and I have had no issues with the system in place. The only hurdle is recognizing what needs to be lodged and what doesn’t. I prefer to lodge a form for a job done if I am unsure to avoid a hefty fine!
If you are a consumer/client I recommend that you need to keep your copy of the Form 4 in a file so that if the time comes to selling your home, you can produce these forms as proof that you have used a licensed plumber. There are many Handyman DIY bathroom and kitchen renovators that are disconnecting and altering their own plumbing without using a licensed plumber. Not only is it illegal, altering plumbing can cause future problems if the by-laws aren’t properly followed.
As a safe guard to prevent yourself from buying a lovely renovated house that may have been done by a DIY renovator, ask the seller for a copy of the Form 4’s that would have been lodged to the council. If the seller can’t produce them and your solicitor is unable to find any records of lodgement for the works done on the house, don’t buy it OR offer a low price taking into account that you may have plumbing problems in the future.
