Notifiable work (QBCC Form 4)

Notifiable work is a category of regulated plumbing and drainage work in Queensland that a licensed plumber or drainer can carry out without a local government permit or mandatory inspection, but must register with the QBCC after the job is finished using Form 4. It sits between permit work (full council approval required upfront) and minor work (no approval or registration required at all).

The legal basis is the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 (Qld) ss 81-83 and Schedule 1 of the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019 (Qld) (verified 2026-05-09). Notifiable work covers most plumbing in existing buildings: kitchen and bathroom renovations, replacing or installing water heaters (electric, gas, solar, heat pump), relocating fixtures such as toilets, showers, basins and sinks, and extensions to sanitary plumbing or supply pipes.

New construction is permit work, not notifiable work. When a project triggers a building development approval and includes new sanitary drainage connections, the plumbing work requires a Form 1 permit from the local government before it starts.

The 12 categories (Schedule 1)

Schedule 1 of the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019 lists the categories of notifiable work (verified 2026-05-09):

Category	Description
1	Extending, altering, replacing or removing supply pipes in existing buildings
2	Extending or removing fire services associated with a building development approval in existing Class 2-9 buildings
3	Extending, altering, replacing or removing sanitary plumbing in existing buildings
4	Sanitary drainage work in Class 1 and 10 buildings or Class 1 extensions
5	Installing, replacing or removing temperature control devices (TMVs) in existing buildings
6	Installing, replacing or removing water heaters in existing buildings
7	Installing, replacing or removing testable backflow prevention devices in existing buildings
8	Installing greywater treatment plants generating no more than 3 kL daily, or replacing existing plants
9	Installing or relocating fixtures in Class 1 or 10 buildings
10	Installing or relocating fixtures (excluding sanitary drainage work) in 1-2 storey existing Class 2-9 buildings
11	Sealing sanitary drains upstream from a treatment plant or sewerage connection in existing buildings
12	Sealing supply pipes downstream from a water meter in existing Class 2-9 buildings

Form 4 lodgement

Use Form 4 for private persons and businesses. Use Form 4a for public sector entities (no registration fee applies for public sector work).

Key obligations under Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 (Qld) s 83 (verified 2026-05-09):

Register with the QBCC within 10 business days of issuing an invoice (or when work becomes operational if no invoice is issued).
Provide a copy of Form 4 to the occupier or the person who requested the work within 20 business days of the work finishing.

Who lodges

The “relevant person” under s 81 is: the licensed contractor supervising or directing the work; or the licensee carrying out the work; or, where multiple licensees jointly supervise, one of them.

How to register

Online via myQBCC (preferred): log in, select Plumbing, then “Register notifiable work”, complete all fields, upload supporting documents, pay by card.

Manual (Form 4 PDF): download, complete, attach documents, submit by mail or in person with payment.

Fees (current as at 2025-26, increase on 1 July each year)

Method	Fee
Online via myQBCC	$35.67
Manual (paper form)	$48.17
Public sector entity	Nil

Source: QBCC How to register notifiable work (verified 2026-05-09).

Documents to attach

For any underground sanitary drainage work: as-constructed diagrams are mandatory. These must show dimensions from key allotment features (buildings, boundaries), depths, setbacks, pipe runs, and fixtures installed. The online myQBCC form blocks submission without them for applicable categories.

Penalties for non-compliance

Failing to register or to provide a copy to the occupier is a separate offence under s 83, with a maximum penalty of 60 penalty units per contravention. At the 2025-26 Queensland penalty unit value of $166.90 (per Penalties and Sentences (Penalty Unit Value) Amendment Regulation 2025, verified 2026-05-09), that is up to $10,014 per offence.

QBCC audit program 2025-26

The QBCC’s approved audit program runs 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026. Plumbers, drainers, and restricted licensees may be selected at random or targeted based on complaints or compliance activity. Written notice is issued and the licensee must provide documentation within 10 days. Local councils also access the notifiable work register for their own compliance inspections.

Common errors

Wrong form: lodging notifiable work where permit work was required (e.g. new construction).
Late registration: forgetting the 10-business-day clock starts from the invoice date, not job completion.
Missing as-constructed drawings: required for underground sanitary drainage; blocks online submission.
Backflow device confusion: repair vs replacement, and the separate Form 9 that must go to the local government for testable backflow device installations.
No copy to occupier: the 20-business-day delivery obligation is a separate offence from the QBCC registration.

Also known as: Form 4, Form 4 notifiable work.

Category: Compliance / plumbing and drainage.