The paperwork after plumbing work

From first notice to final papers

For a house on the North Shore connected to Sydney Water’s sewer, the regulator for this paperwork is Building Commission NSW, which runs plumbing and drainage inspections in Sydney. In order, the papers and steps are these.

1. Before work starts: the Notice of WorkA form that sets out the plumbing and drainage work to be done and who will do it. For work that needs an inspection in Sydney, the plumber lodges it with Building Commission NSW through its MyInspections Gateway. It is not needed for emergency work or for minor work such as replacing tapware or an existing hot water system, or a bathroom renovation where the fixtures stay where they were.
2. During the work: audit inspectionsPlumbers and drainers must arrange an inspection for work such as internal and external drainage, and a final inspection, generally when the work is finished and before it is backfilled or covered. The system is audit-based: only some work is inspected, and the plumber does not know whether theirs has been selected until the appointment time.
3. At the end: the final inspectionBooked when every fixture and fitting is connected and the building is ready for people to live in. For a single dwelling or duplex that nobody is living in yet, a plumber can ask for an unattended final inspection, with some exceptions such as recycled water areas.
4. On completion: the Certificate of ComplianceCompleted for all plumbing and drainage work, copied to the person who arranged it, and lodged with Building Commission NSW where the work required inspection.
5. After drainage work: the Sewer Service DiagramA copy goes to the person who arranged the work, and another to the regulator. Building Commission NSW says it aims to process diagrams about a week after the final inspection and then passes them on to Sydney Water.

The three documents

Small jobs still get a certificate

Work that does not need an inspection still needs paperwork. For minor work (for example, replacing tapware, fixtures or a hot water heater, or renovating a bathroom without moving the drainage fixtures), a plumber can use the Combined Notice of Work and Certificate of Compliance. Where no inspection is needed, the plumber does not have to send a copy to the regulator. The copy for the person who arranged the work is still part of the rule.

Finding older diagrams

In the Sydney, Illawarra and Blue Mountains areas, Sydney Water holds Sewer Service Diagrams, and they are available through the Tap in portal on its website. If a diagram is not available when a property is sold, Building Commission NSW notes that one is not required for the sale where it is not available in the ordinary course of administration, under the Conveyancing (Sale of Land) Regulation 2022.

When work does not comply

If an inspection finds a breach, Building Commission NSW issues one of two notices to the plumber: a caution for minor issues fixed on the spot during the inspection, or a written direction to comply for more complex issues, to be fixed within the time it sets and followed by a re-inspection. A plumber who ignores a direction can receive a penalty infringement notice, and paying it does not remove the duty to fix the work.

Separately, a plumber who finds existing plumbing or drainage that is defective or non-compliant must give the owner or occupier written notice, under section 11 of the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2011.

What to keep

• The Certificate of Compliance for each job, which names the plumber or drainer responsible for the work.
• The Sewer Service Diagram after any drainage work.
• Any written notice about existing defects.

Together they record who did what, and to which standard, when you next need a plumber or sell the house.