How to choose a plumber in Queensland
Start with the licence
In Queensland, plumbing and drainage work must be done by a person who holds a QBCC plumbing and drainage licence, apart from a small range of unregulated work. Check any plumber for free on the QBCC licensee register, by name or licence number, before you book them, and make sure the name on the register matches the name on the quote. The tile that says a business states a QBCC licence means the business says so itself; this directory does not check licences.
Know what kind of job it is
Minor work, such as clearing a blocked drain, repairing a broken pipe or replacing a tap, needs a licensed plumber but no council approval. Notifiable work covers most jobs in an existing home, such as replacing a hot water system or renovating a bathroom. Your plumber registers it with QBCC on Form 4 within 10 business days of invoicing and gives you a copy, so ask for it. Plumbing on a new building, and some other work, needs a council plumbing permit before it starts, which your plumber arranges.
Hot water systems
When a hot water system is replaced, a temperature control device must generally be fitted so bathroom hot water is delivered at no more than 50°C, or 45°C in places such as aged care and schools. Ask whether it is included in the quote, and which system types the plumber installs: gas, electric, solar or heat pump.
Sewer and drains: whose pipe is it?
Pipes on your side of the sewer connection are the property owner's responsibility, and the water utility looks after its own network. In Unitywater areas (Moreton Bay, the Sunshine Coast and Noosa) the dividing point is the inspection opening. If a sewer or stormwater repair means digging, lodge a free enquiry with Before You Dig Australia first so the plumber has plans of underground services. Plumbers who offer a CCTV drain inspection can find the problem before anyone digs, and some can reline a damaged pipe from the inside.
Plan around the weather
Queensland's storm and cyclone season typically runs from November to April, the time of year heavy rain tests gutters, downpipes and stormwater drains. The months before November are the time to have them checked.
Reading a listing
Each listing shows a tile for every service the business states on its own website, and one muted line for the services it has not mentioned either way, so call and ask about those. Ratings are Google reviews: a 4.8 from 300 reviews tells you more than a 5.0 from three. For bigger jobs, get two or three written quotes, ask what each one includes, and ask who will lodge any QBCC form.