As Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales is an excellent choice for any individual looking to begin a career in plumbing. A licence from NSW Fair Trading is required to carry out any plumbing, draining or gasfitting work in NSW, so the first step is ensuring you’ve got one.

Picking the right licence for you

To perform any plumbing work in NSW, individuals require a contractor licence or a tradesperson certificate. The former allows the holder to perform and sign off on all plumbing work. The latter requires a level of supervision on all work – individuals can complete plumbing work but cannot sign off on it. All work performed by the holder of a tradesperson certificate must be signed off by the holder of a contractor licence or qualified supervisor certificate. Make the right choice and read on to learn how to get the licence that you need to begin the next step in your career. NSW divides plumbing licences into a number of different classes depending on the precise nature of the work. These include everything from water plumbing and sewerage work to specialised plumbing on fire protection systems, fire sprinkler systems, urban irrigation and draining. Which you choose depends on your past experience and future employment goals. All largely carry similar restrictions – completion of a relevant apprenticeship or a Certificate III in Plumbing makes the individual eligible for a tradesperson certificate, with the contractor licence restricted to individuals who have gone on to complete additional units of competency and some length of industry experience.

Interstate plumbers

To reduce unnecessary paperwork and to minimise the financial strain of additional education on tradespeople, NSW Fair Trading recognises equivalent plumbing licences granted in other Australian and New Zealand jurisdictions. If you’re interested in converting your interstate or New Zealand licence to a NSW plumbing licence, refer to the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science’s license recognition website to determine if you hold an equivalent licence. After this, communicate with NSW Fair Trading to find out what more needs to be done to be granted a NSW licence. Skills Certified is partnered with Registered Training Organisations across the country, helping people receive the certifications they need to advance their career. For more information on how we can get your prior learning recognised, contact us today and start a conversation with one of our representatives.