Plumbing, draining and gasfitting are licensed work in New South Wales. That is not a formality: the licence is the thing that makes the work legal, insurable and, if something goes wrong later, actually someone's responsibility.
The register is public, free and takes about a minute to search. It is worth knowing how, and we would rather you checked us than took our word for it. Our NSW plumbing licence is 368473C and it is on every quote we issue.
Search the NSW public licence register at verify.licence.nsw.gov.au. You can look up a licence number or a name, and the result tells you whether the licence is current, what category of work it covers, and whether Fair Trading has issued any public warning or finalised disciplinary action. If there is no record, do not proceed.
- Ask for the licence number before any work starts
- Search it at verify.licence.nsw.gov.au
- Check it is current, not expired or cancelled
- Check the category actually covers plumbing or gasfitting
- Check the name matches who is standing in front of you
On this page
1. Why the licence is not just paperwork
In NSW you need a licence to carry out residential building work, and that expressly includes plumbing, draining and gasfitting. Unlicensed plumbing is illegal, and the consequences do not fall on the person who did it. They fall on the property.
The two that matter most to a homeowner: unlicensed work can void a home insurance claim, and it removes the statutory protections that come with licensed work. If a joint fails in three years, whether anyone is answerable for it was decided the day you agreed to the job.
It also matters for gas specifically. Gas work carries a Certificate of Compliance, and only a licensed gasfitter can issue one. No licence means no certificate, which means no record that the work was ever done properly.
The licence number costs nothing to ask for and nothing to check. Asking afterwards, when there is a problem, is when it gets difficult.
2. How to search the register
The NSW public register lives at verify.licence.nsw.gov.au. It covers trades and contractor licences, and it is free to use with no account.
- Ask the plumber for their licence number. A licensed tradesperson will give it without hesitating, and it should already be on the quote.
- Open verify.licence.nsw.gov.au and choose the trades register.
- Search by the licence number, or by name if that is all you have.
- Read the result properly rather than just checking that something came back.
It takes about a minute, and it is the same minute whether you are checking us or anybody else.
3. What the result actually tells you
A search returns more than a yes or no, and the detail is the useful part.
- Who holds it. The licence holder's name, year of birth and business address. Check the name matches the person or business quoting you.
- Its status. The register shows current, expired and cancelled licences. Expired is not a technicality. It means not licensed today.
- The category of work. A licence covers specific classes. Someone licensed for one trade is not thereby licensed for plumbing or gasfitting.
- Public warnings. Whether Fair Trading has issued a public warning about the licensee.
- Disciplinary action. Whether Fair Trading has finalised any disciplinary action against them.
If a licence number brings back no record, that is not a website problem. Stop, and do not let anyone start work while you sort it out.
4. When the details do not quite match up
Sometimes the licence is real but the details are not aligned, and there are innocent explanations as well as bad ones. A tradesperson may work under a company licence held in another name. A business may trade under something different from its registered entity.
The reasonable response is to ask, plainly: whose licence is this, and what is your relationship to it? An honest operator answers that in one sentence. Someone who becomes irritated at a simple question has told you something useful.
The same applies to the ABN. It should appear on the quote and it should belong to the business you are dealing with. The ABN Lookup service is free and public too.
Want to check ours first?
NSW Plumbing Licence 368473C, ABN 40 679 445 884. Look them up, then call us.
5. The approach worth being ready for
There is a pattern that turns up in most suburbs and it is worth naming without naming anybody. Someone arrives unannounced, says they have noticed a problem with your drain or your roof, offers to look at it now, and needs a decision today.
The defence is the same regardless of whether the person is legitimate. Ask for the licence number. Ask for the quote in writing. Say you will ring them back tomorrow. Nothing about a genuine plumbing fault requires a decision in the next ten minutes, and anyone telling you otherwise is telling you about their business model rather than your pipes.
A real emergency is different, and you will know: water where it should not be, gas you can smell, sewage surfacing. Even then the licence number is a question you can ask on the phone in five seconds.
6. What we put in writing, every time
This is our end of it, and it is the part we can actually control.
- The licence number and the ABN on the quote, before you agree to anything.
- A fixed price in writing, not a number said over the phone.
- The camera footage handed over on drain work, so you have evidence rather than our word.
- The Certificate of Compliance on gas work, which is legally required and free with the job.
- No expiry pressure. Take the quote away, have whoever you like read it, ring us back.
None of that is generous, it is just what a quote should be. It is worth saying out loud because it is also the list you can hold any plumber to, including us.
- Plumbing, draining and gasfitting are licensed work in NSW. Unlicensed work is illegal.
- The register at verify.licence.nsw.gov.au is public, free and takes a minute.
- It shows status, category of work, public warnings and finalised disciplinary action.
- Unlicensed work can void a home insurance claim, and gas work cannot be certified without a licence.
- Never agree to work on the spot because somebody says it has to happen today.
Checking a licence FAQs
Where do I check a NSW plumbing licence?
At verify.licence.nsw.gov.au, which is the NSW public licence register. It is free, needs no account, and covers trades and contractor licences. You can search by licence number or by name.
What does the register actually show?
The licence holder's name, year of birth and business address, whether the licence is current, expired or cancelled, the category of work it covers, whether Fair Trading has issued a public warning about them, and whether it has finalised disciplinary action.
Is plumbing really licensed work in NSW?
Yes. A licence is required for residential building work including plumbing, draining and gasfitting. It is not optional and it is not a trade association membership, it is a government licence you can look up.
What happens if I use an unlicensed plumber?
Unlicensed plumbing work is illegal in NSW and it can void a home insurance claim. It also means gas work cannot be certified, and it removes the protections that attach to licensed work if something fails later.
The plumber gave me a number but nothing comes up. What now?
Do not let the work start. Ask them to confirm the number and whose licence it is, since people do legitimately work under a company licence held in another name. If the answer is not straightforward, find someone else.
Should I check the ABN as well?
It is worth thirty seconds. The ABN should be on the quote and should belong to the business you are dealing with. ABN Lookup is free and public, the same as the licence register.