Mechanical services licences

New licensing requirements for mechanical services work commenced on 1 January 2020. The licences are regulated by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC).

You need a mechanical services licence if you contract for, supervise or personally carry out mechanical services work in Queensland regardless of the value of the work.

There were transitional arrangements for new and existing QBCC licensees which were implemented in 2 stages:

  • Stage 1 (commenced 1 January 2020) all businesses (contractors), nominee supervisors and apprentices finishing a relevant apprenticeship after 31 December 2019 were required to hold a mechanical services licence from 1 January 2020
  • Stage 2 (from 1 January 2022) all other individuals performing mechanical services work had until 31 December 2021 to obtain a mechanical services licence. From 1 January 2022 all companies and individuals performing mechanical services work have been required to hold a licence.

Read more information about the mechanical services licences.

How we developed the licensing framework

We consulted on introducing a mechanical services licence as part of the Queensland Building Plan consultation sessions in 2017. Public feedback helped develop a licensing model for Queensland that recognises the following specialist streams of mechanical services work:

  • medical gas
  • air conditioning and refrigeration
  • plumbing.

In June 2019, we consulted on this model and feedback informed the final licensing framework.

Read the Decision Regulatory Impact Statement (PDF, 1.3MB).