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Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA): NCC Volume Three

The Plumbing Code of Australia is NCC Volume Three, the national plumbing and drainage code. It calls up the AS/NZS 3500 series as the deemed-to-satisfy pathway.

By Chalkline. Last updated 25 May 2026. Verified 25 May 2026.

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The Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA) is Volume Three of the National Construction Code: the national code that sets the minimum requirements for the design and construction of plumbing and drainage in all Australian buildings. It sits alongside the building code volumes (the BCA, Volumes One and Two) and governs the water, drainage, and related services side of a build (verified 2026-05-25, ABCB NCC Volume Three).

First, the acronym clash

“PCA” means two different things on a building site, and they are not related:

  • Plumbing Code of Australia (this article): NCC Volume Three, the plumbing and drainage code.
  • Principal Certifying Authority: in NSW, the registered certifier who issues approvals and inspects the build.

When someone says “the PCA”, check which one they mean from the context. This article is the plumbing code.

What it governs

The PCA covers the design and construction of plumbing and drainage systems, against minimum requirements for safety and health, amenity and accessibility, and sustainability. In practice that is four main streams (verified 2026-05-25):

  • Water services (cold and drinking water supply).
  • Sanitary plumbing and drainage (from fixtures to the sewer or on-site wastewater system).
  • Stormwater drainage (roof, surface, and subsoil drainage).
  • Heated water services.

It also reaches on-site wastewater and works with the gas installation rules, so the wet trades on a job all trace back to it.

How compliance works: AS/NZS 3500

The PCA is performance-based: it states Performance Requirements, and there is more than one way to meet them. The primary deemed-to-satisfy pathway is the AS/NZS 3500 series, which carries the technical detail (verified 2026-05-25). The parts map to the PCA’s streams:

  • AS/NZS 3500.1 water services,
  • AS/NZS 3500.2 sanitary plumbing and drainage,
  • AS/NZS 3500.3 stormwater drainage,
  • AS/NZS 3500.4 heated water services.

Follow AS/NZS 3500 and the relevant Performance Requirement is taken to be met; a Performance Solution is the alternative route where the standard is not followed.

How it sits in the NCC

The NCC has three volumes:

  • Volume One (BCA): Class 2 to 9 buildings (commercial, apartments).
  • Volume Two (BCA): Class 1 and 10 buildings (houses and sheds).
  • Volume Three (PCA): plumbing and drainage for all buildings.

So a house is built to Volume Two for the building work and Volume Three for the plumbing. The BCA versus PCA distinction is which volume governs which part of the job.

How it is enforced

The PCA sets the standard; the states administer it. Plumbing and drainage work must be done by a licensed plumber (and gasfitting by a licensed gasfitter), and compliance is documented by a certificate of compliance lodged with the state plumbing regulator (see, for NSW, the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2011). NCC Volume Three is free to access at ncc.abcb.gov.au.

For a builder

  • You are not the plumber, but the PCA governs your plumbing inspections. The sign-offs and the standard for rectifying defective plumbing are the PCA plus AS/NZS 3500.
  • Know which “PCA” is being discussed. Plumbing code or NSW certifier, they are unrelated.
  • Use licensed wet trades and collect the certificates. The plumber’s (and gasfitter’s) certificate of compliance is the evidence the Volume Three work is compliant.
  • Point disputes at the right document. Defective plumbing is measured against the PCA and AS/NZS 3500, not the building code.

Also known as: PCA, NCC Volume Three.

See also

Last updated: 2026-05-25. Verified: 2026-05-25. Quarterly review for currency.

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