Who runs plumbing licensing in Victoria
The Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC). ABLIS, the Australian Government's business licence directory, names the BPC as the administering agency for plumbing licences under the Building Act 1993 and the Plumbing Regulations 2018.
Before work starts, ask for the plumber's full name and their registration or licence number, then check it with the BPC. Write the number on your copy of the quote so it's easy to find later.
Registered or licensed: why it matters to you
A registered plumber may do the class of plumbing work they are registered for. A licensed plumber may do that work too, and can also design work, supervise other plumbers and issue compliance certificates.
So if your job needs a compliance certificate, the person signing it must hold a licence, not registration alone. Only licensed plumbers can issue one in Victoria.
The classes are called main, restricted and specialised. ABLIS doesn't list the subclasses, so ask which class covers your job and confirm it with the BPC.
Gas hot water from 1 March 2027
Victoria's new rule bites when a gas hot water system in an existing home wears out. From 1 March 2027, its replacement must be an efficient electric system, such as a heat pump. A gas unit that still does its job can stay, and repairing it is still allowed.
We haven't found the legal instrument behind the rule, so check current rules before you buy anything. Our guide to the 2027 rule sets out what Solar Victoria and the Government have said so far.
Rentals have separate minimum standards from the same date. A rental system that permanently fails and can't be repaired must give way to an efficient heat pump or an electric-boosted solar water heater.
Owner-occupiers may qualify for a Solar Homes rebate on an eligible heat pump or solar product. The conditions are on our Victorian rebates page.
One open question: whether a like-for-like replacement in Victoria now needs a tempering valve. The regulator hasn't confirmed it, so ask the plumber.
What we couldn't confirm
The BPC's own pages couldn't be read during our research. That leaves three gaps: whether Victorian plumbers must print a licence number in their ads, which jobs need a compliance certificate, and what homeowners may legally do themselves.
Until those are confirmed, put the question to the BPC. And ask the plumber for their number regardless: anyone who holds one will hand it over.
Warning signs Victorian regulators have raised
- A profile on an app or marketplace with no registration or licence number. In March 2021 the Victorian Building Authority warned about unregistered people advertising that way.
- A quick look, then the job is suddenly complex and urgent, with a quote in the thousands and a big deposit on the spot. Consumer Affairs Victoria described this pattern in a May 2025 public warning.
- Many near-identical websites under different names. The company in that warning had more than 200 linked to its ABN.
Victorian cities
Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo each have their own page, along with regional centres listed below. Pick yours, tell us the job, and we'll find one plumber who specialises in it and is licensed for that class of work.