Most plumbing work in Queensland can only legally be done by a licensed plumber. Checking a licence takes about a minute and costs nothing.
No obligation. Takes 30 seconds.
Rapid Plumbing Ipswich connects Ipswich and the Ipswich region property owners with qualified, connects Ipswich property owners with licensed local plumbers for qld licensing. Tell us your suburb and what is happening and we will pass it to a licensed plumber who covers your area. Firm price from them after they have seen it.
Most of it. Under the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 and the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019, plumbing and drainage work falls into three categories, and all of them require a QBCC-licensed plumber or drainer.
Permit work needs a local government permit before it starts. Notifiable work needs no permit but must be registered with the QBCC within ten business days of invoicing. Minor work needs neither.
Ask for the licence number and search the QBCC's public register. It is free, it is online, and it shows whether the licence is current and what class it is.
Gas work requires a specific gas authorisation on top of a general plumbing licence. If the job involves gas, check for that specifically.
Insurance. After water damage, an insurer may ask who did the work and whether they were licensed. An unlicensed installation can complicate a claim at precisely the moment you need it to be simple.
Licensed work also generates paperwork — compliance certificates and QBCC registration — which is what proves the job was done properly when you sell.
We only refer licensed plumbers, and we check. But you should still ask for the number and verify it yourself. Anyone legitimate expects that question and will not be offended by it.
Ipswich.
Where this job typically sits. Access is usually a bigger cost driver than size.
| Job | Indicative price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Standard call-out and first hour | $150 – $300 | Business hours. Most plumbers charge a call-out that includes some labour. |
| After hours or emergency call-out | $250 – $500 | Nights, weekends and public holidays carry a premium. Ask before you agree. |
| Clear a blocked drain (machine) | $250 – $600 | Depends on access and how far down the blockage sits. |
| Drain camera inspection | $250 – $450 | Often the difference between guessing and knowing. Sometimes bundled with a clear. |
| Replace a hot water system | $1,500 – $3,500 | Electric storage at the lower end. Gas and heat pump run higher, plus any compliance work. |
| Repair a hot water system | $200 – $700 | Elements, thermostats and valves are usually worth repairing. A rusted tank is not. |
| Burst pipe repair | $300 – $900 | Accessible pipework at the lower end. Under a slab is a different job entirely. |
| Pipe relining, per metre | $400 – $900 | More than a clear-out up front, less than excavation, and it lasts. |
| Replace a tap or mixer | $150 – $400 | Plus the tapware. A dripping tap is often just a washer. |
Prices here are indicative only. What a plumbing job costs depends on what is actually wrong, how accessible the pipework is, whether it is after hours, and what has to be replaced rather than repaired. You get a firm price from the plumber after they have seen it.
Almost all of it. Regulated plumbing and drainage work must be done by a QBCC-licensed plumber or drainer. Only a narrow band of minor work sits outside that.
Work that needs no permit and no mandatory inspection, but which the plumber must register with the QBCC within ten business days of invoicing you. There are twelve categories in schedule 1 of the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019.
Water escaping, no water at all, or sewage backing up — the calls that cannot wait.
Read more →Machine clearing and camera inspection — and knowing which one you actually need.
Read more →Repair, replace, and the decision between them.
Read more →Gas appliance installation and leaks — licensed work, no exceptions.
Read more →Tell us your suburb and what is happening and we will get it to the right person.
Call 0485 010 530