Under Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) rules in Tasmania, a plumber relying on the listed gratuitous-work exception must be currently licensed as a Plumber, Certifier Level, and either the plumber or the property owner must have at least $5 million in Public Liability and Products Liability insurance covering the work. Plumbing must not start until a CBOS letter is received; CBOS says the letter will be sent within 14 business days, and records of the work, including insurance records, must be kept for ten years. The requirements are on CBOS’s Doing work for no payment (gratuitous work) page, dated 14 November 2022; figures checked 1 October 2026.
What does “free” mean in CBOS rules?
CBOS calls prescribed electrical, plumbing and gas-fitting work performed for no payment for friends, relatives or community groups gratuitous work. Community requests may come from groups such as churches or sports clubs, and the work can include work on a practitioner’s own house.
The no-payment label does not remove the licensing, approval, insurance or record-keeping questions. It identifies the type of work covered by the CBOS process.
How do practitioner and contractor licences differ?
CBOS separates the person carrying out prescribed work from the company or person contracting to perform it:
| Arrangement | General CBOS rule |
|---|---|
| A person carries out prescribed electrical, plumbing or gas-fitting work | The person must hold a valid practitioner licence. |
| A company or person contracts to perform prescribed work | It must hold a valid contractor licence and either employ practitioners or hold the practitioner licence itself. |
| A person works for a company with an appropriate contractor licence | No further licence is needed because the worker is not responsible for the contract. |
| A person with an appropriate practitioner licence performs gratuitous work | The person does not need an additional contractor licence. |
These are the general rules. The listed route for a plumber performing the work personally has a specific licence condition.
Why does the Plumber, Certifier Level route need a separate check?
CBOS’s plumbing-specific wording is narrower than its general practitioner-licence statement. It says a plumber holding a practitioner licence is not able to carry out gratuitous work, while defining the exception as a plumber who must be currently licensed as a Plumber, Certifier Level.
For the direct no-payment plumbing route described on the page, the named class to verify is therefore Plumber, Certifier Level—not simply any plumbing practitioner credential. A person working for a company with an appropriate contractor licence follows the separate employment and contracting rule instead.
What belongs on the pre-work checklist?
-
Confirm the licence status: The plumber must currently hold a Plumber, Certifier Level licence.
-
Complete and lodge the form for assessment: A certified plumber must complete the Gratuitous Work Form and lodge it with CBOS for assessment. The listed contact options are email
cbosinfo@justice.tas.gov.auor post to Consumer, Building and Occupational Services, PO Box 56, Rosny Park, TAS, 7018. -
Wait for the CBOS letter: No plumbing work is to start until the letter is received. CBOS says the letter will be sent within 14 business days. That is the stated sending period, not permission to begin while the assessment is underway.
-
Arrange the relevant local approval: Contact Building Surveyors, Councils, TasWater and/or any relevant authorities to arrange approval before commencing the work.
-
Check the insurance: Either the plumber or the property owner must have at least $5 million in Public Liability and Products Liability insurance that would cover the work performed.
-
Lodge the plumbing paperwork: The paperwork must also be lodged with the appropriate local authorities.
The CBOS letter and the local approval step are separate requirements in the cited guidance. The 14-business-day statement applies to sending the CBOS letter; the page gives no separate decision timeframe for the relevant local authorities.
What has to be kept for ten years?
CBOS’s plumbing record requirement covers:
- Records of the plumbing work.
- Insurance records within those work records.
- A retention period of ten years.
The insurance requirement is part of the same ten-year obligation, rather than a separate record period stated by CBOS.
What should you check before relying on the insurance?
CBOS requires insurance that would cover the work performed. Holding a policy with an amount of at least $5 million does not, by itself, establish that the policy responds to the particular job; the relevant work, exclusions, conditions and limits still need to be checked.
The cited CBOS material does not name a particular insurer or insurance product. Check the current CBOS regulator page and the relevant policy’s Product Disclosure Statement before proceeding. This article is general information, not financial or legal advice.
Sources
FAQ
What is gratuitous plumbing work?
CBOS uses the term for prescribed plumbing work performed for no payment for friends, relatives or community groups. It can include work on the practitioner’s own house.
Does a practitioner licence on its own open the direct plumbing route?
No. For the listed exception, CBOS says the plumber must currently be licensed as a Plumber, Certifier Level. A person working for an appropriately contractor-licensed company follows the separate general rule.
Who must hold the $5 million insurance?
Either the plumber or the property owner must have at least $5 million in Public Liability and Products Liability insurance that would cover the work performed.
Can the plumbing start during the 14-business-day period?
No. CBOS says the letter will be sent within 14 business days, but no work is to start until the letter is received. The relevant local approval must also be arranged before work commences.
What plumbing records must be retained?
Records of the plumbing work, including insurance records, must be kept for ten years.
Partner links. Using them costs you nothing extra and may earn us a commission.