Plumbing and drainage laws and codes

This section lists the plumbing and drainage laws and codes that apply to Queensland's plumbers and drainers, builders, developers, local governments, community title managers, water service providers and householders.

New plumbing laws and regulations commenced on 1 July 2019. Read more about changes to legislation.

Make sure you're aware of the penalties for breaching plumbing laws.

Current laws and regulations

• Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 – law about plumbing and drainage, and the licensing of plumbers and drainers. The main purpose of this Act is to regulate the carrying out of plumbing or drainage work in a way that reduces risks to public health and safety and the environment.
• Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019 – ensures plumbing and drainage work is compliant.
• Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA) (Volume 3 of the National Construction Code) – contains technical requirements for the design and construction for plumbing and drainage systems in new and existing buildings of all classes whenever plumbing work is carried out. It also applies to sites where water services are constructed independent of buildings.
• Queensland Plumbing and Wastewater Code (Version 1: 2019) (PDF, 1MB) – adopts standards for matters not covered by the PCA. In some instances it imposes higher standards over and above the requirements of the PCA or replaces requirements of the PCA.