Plumbers, Gasfitters
and Drainlayers Board
Apply for self-certification endorsement
Certifying plumbers and certifying drainlayers can apply for the self-certification endorsement through the Trade Login.
Self-certification is not automatically applied to your licence. Certifying plumbers and certifying drainlayers must first obtain a self-certification endorsement from the Board before self-certifying work.
Ready to apply for the self-certification endorsement?
- Confirm your insurance arrangements
- Confirm that you have appropriate business systems and recordkeeping processes
- Ensure MFA is set up in your Trade Login
- Complete your training in your Trade Login
- Pay the application fee and audit levy of $2,260.
What you need to know before applying
Once you have been granted the endorsement, you can self-certify jobs where the Building Consent Authority has granted the building consent allowing the plumbing or drainlaying to be self-certified.
Insurance guidance
You must have and maintain appropriate insurance for the work you intend to self-certify. You will declare this when you apply for endorsement.
The Board does not prescribe a specific type of policy, insurer or amount of cover because insurance needs can vary depending on your business structure, employment arrangements and the type of work you carry out. It is your responsibility to make sure your insurance is appropriate for the self-certification work you
undertake. If you are employed, talk to your employer. You may also wish to speak with your insurer
or insurance broker.
Business systems guidance
To hold a self-certification endorsement, you must have and maintain business systems that support your certification decisions.
You do not need to use any particular software, template or business process.
You need to keep evidence showing why you were satisfied that the work complied. This may include photos, inspection records, test results and other job documentation.
For many practitioners, their existing systems for recording work are likely to meet this requirement.
Self-certification training
You must complete the Board-approved training before your endorsement can be granted.
The training is designed to help you understand how self-certification works, what your responsibilities are, and the limits that apply when you certify eligible work yourself.
Self-certification does not lower Building Code standards or reduce your accountability. If you certify work, you must be able to support your certification decision with clear records and evidence.
What the training covers
Module 1: The basics and practitioner responsibilities
What self-certification is, who can do it, what work can and cannot be self-certified, and your responsibilities for supervision, records, insurance, audits, complaints, liability, and disputes.
Module 2: Using remote inspection tools and capturing compliant evidence
How to capture clear, traceable evidence that supports your decision to certify the work, including photos, testing evidence, measurements, approved plans, and records of work before it is concealed, buried, or covered up.
Module 3: The self-certification pathway and consent process
How self-certification fits within the building consent process, what the building consent must show, minor variations, and when you should use the standard inspection process instead.
Why is the self-certification fee and audit levy $2,260?
- The $2,260 fee and audit levy covers the full three-year endorsement period, around $753 per year. Remember the endorsement is for a three-year period.
- Self-certification is optional. You only pay the fee and audit levy if you choose to apply for the endorsement.
- The law requires the ongoing costs to be met by the practitioners who choose to participate. That means we cannot spread costs across all licensed practitioners.
- Because this is a new scheme, we do not yet know how many practitioners will choose to join. The fee and audit levy has therefore been based on the best available estimates of uptake, certification volumes, audit activity and operating costs.
- The Board is operating the scheme on a cost-recovery basis. The fee and audit levy funds the systems and oversight needed to run the scheme, including processing applications, maintaining the register and online systems, providing practitioner support, and carrying out monitoring and audits.
- The law does not allow the Board to charge per job or per certificate.
- The Government funded the establishment of the scheme, but not its ongoing operation.