Plumber Won’t Fix It? How to Get Your Money Back (Australia 2026)

Last updated 27 October 2026 · Reviewed by the Claim Done team · Not legal advice

Can you get your money back from a plumber?

In most cases, yes. Plumbing on your home is a service “of a kind ordinarily acquired for personal, domestic or household use”, so the consumer guarantees in the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) apply whatever the bill (s 3(3)). The plumber guarantees that the work will be done “with due care and skill” (s 60), that it will be reasonably fit for any purpose you made known, or able to achieve the result you asked for (s 61), and that it will be done within a reasonable time if no date was fixed (s 62).

The remedy depends on how serious the failure is:

• Minor and fixable, such as a dripping joint: you can require the plumber to fix it within a reasonable time. If they refuse or take too long, you can get another plumber and recover “all reasonable costs”, or cancel the contract (s 267(2)).
• Major: you can cancel and get a refund for work not delivered, or keep the work and claim the drop in its value below what you paid (s 267(3)). A failure is major if, among other things, a reasonable person who knew about it wouldn’t have paid for the work, or the work “creates an unsafe situation” (s 268(1)). A badly connected gas appliance could be one example.
• Damage the plumbing caused: water through a ceiling, swollen floorboards, mould, ruined carpet. These are losses that were reasonably foreseeable, and you can claim them on top of the remedy for the job itself (s 267(4)).

Plumbers often supply the parts too: a hot water unit, a toilet suite, mixer taps, a flexible hose. If the plumber sold you the part, they are its supplier, and the goods guarantees apply as well: the part must be of acceptable quality (s 54). You can claim against the plumber as supplier (s 259), and the law gives the supplier its own right to be reimbursed by the manufacturer (s 274). So “take it up with the manufacturer” is not a complete answer.

Two things a plumber cannot do:

• Exclude the guarantees with a “no warranty on labour” or “no refunds” line. Such a term is void (s 64).
• Avoid the due care and skill guarantee by blaming something outside their control. That defence doesn’t apply to s 60 (s 267(1)(c)).

The most common problems with plumbers

1. It still leaks. A repaired pipe, shower or toilet that leaks again within days. Ask for the job to be redone free; if they won’t, claim another plumber’s costs.
2. The leak caused damage. Water damage to ceilings, walls, cabinets or floors from a faulty joint or connection. Claim the repair cost as foreseeable loss (s 267(4)), with a quote and photos.
3. The blocked drain came back. If the plumber said the drain was cleared and it blocks again straight away, the service may not have achieved the result you asked for (s 61(2)). If they found a broken pipe and told you, that’s different: ask for their camera footage or report.
4. A faulty hot water install. Wrong size for the household you described, leaking relief valve, no tempering valve where one is needed. This can be both a services failure and, if they supplied the unit, a goods failure.
5. Charged far more than the quote. A quote you accepted is the agreed price. Ask for an itemised bill showing hours, rates and materials: the plumber must give it free within 7 days (s 101).
6. No compliance certificate. In NSW, Victoria and other states the plumber must give you a certificate for most work. A missing certificate is a breach in its own right, and can mean the work was never checked.
7. Unlicensed “plumber”. Plumbing needs a licence at any value in NSW and Queensland, and in Victoria for any work needing a compliance certificate. Report unlicensed work to the regulator.
8. Job left half done. Pipes capped off, wall open, plumber not answering. Claim the extra cost of another plumber finishing what you paid for, or cancel and recover what you paid for work not done (s 269(3)).
9. Damage caused while working. Cracked tiles, chipped basins, a broken pipe elsewhere. That’s a failure of due care and skill (s 60).

Plumbing licences and compliance certificates by state

Plumbing is one of the most tightly regulated trades. The rules below help you in two ways: they show what paperwork the plumber should have given you, and they point you to a regulator that can inspect the work and order it fixed.

New South Wales

Plumbing, drainage and gasfitting are “specialist work”: the contractor needs a licence at any value (Home Building Act 1989 s 4 and Sch 1). The plumber must give a certificate of compliance to the plumbing regulator and a copy to you, within 2 business days of finishing (or 7 business days if the regulator didn’t inspect in time) (Plumbing and Drainage Act 2011 s 15; Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2017 cl 8). Plumbing work generally needs a Notice of Work to the regulator before it starts, although Building Commission NSW says this isn’t needed for emergency work or “minor works” such as replacing tapware or an existing hot water system. Because plumbing in a home is residential building work at any value, the Home Building Act warranties apply: 6 years for a major defect (which includes waterproofing) and 2 years for other defects (s 18E). Check the licence at verify.licence.nsw.gov.au.

Victoria

A person must be licensed for any class of plumbing work that needs a compliance certificate (Building Act 1993 s 221E). Within 5 days of finishing, a licensed plumber must give you a signed compliance certificate for plumbing work worth $750 or more, for any gas appliance installation or replacement, and for below-ground sanitary drains (s 221ZH; Plumbing Regulations 2018 reg 47). If the plumber hasn’t finished and you believe they won’t, you can serve a notice and they must give you a certificate for the work done within 5 days (s 221ZH(2A)-(2B)). If a compliance certificate was issued, a damages claim for defects must generally be brought within 10 years of the certificate (s 134A). A contract for plumbing work only is outside the Domestic Building Contracts Act (Domestic Building Contracts Regulations 2017 reg 7), so a plumbing-only dispute goes straight to VCAT’s goods and services list. The Building and Plumbing Commission (1300 067 088) licenses plumbers and takes complaints; check a plumber at bpc.vic.gov.au.

Queensland

The QBCC says “all regulated plumbing and drainage work must be performed by a licensed plumber and drainer”, and plumbing needs a licence even under the $3,300 value that applies to other trades (QBCC Regulation 2018 Sch 1 s 2). For “notifiable work” the plumber must register a Form 4 with the QBCC within 10 business days of invoicing and send you a copy within 20 business days of registering it. Plumbing to a home is domestic building work (QBCC Act Sch 1B s 4(6)), so for a building dispute you must go through the QBCC’s dispute process before QCAT (s 77(2)). Lodge a plumbing complaint through the QBCC Portal, or call 139 333.

Western Australia

Building and Energy takes complaints “about faulty building and plumbing work”. You must first try to sort it out with the plumber. For plumbing-only work completed in the last six years that the plumber has failed to fix, use its plumbing complaint form; an inspection can lead to a rectification notice. Money and contract disputes go to Consumer Protection (1300 30 40 54) instead. Check a licence on the WA licence search.

South Australia, ACT and Tasmania

In South Australia, CBS’s building guide says registered workers who do plumbing or gas fitting on a new home must provide a Certificate of Compliance; CBS can conciliate disputes with tradespeople and check licences. In the ACT, plumbers, drainers and gasfitters must be licensed (Construction Occupations (Licensing) Act 2004) and appear on the Access Canberra public register. In Tasmania, Building Standards Tasmania issues plumbing licences and handles building disputes (1300 654 499).

What you can claim from a plumber

• The reasonable cost of another licensed plumber fixing or finishing the job, after the first refused or failed (s 267(2)(b)(i)).
• A refund of money paid for work not done, if you cancel (s 269(3)).
• Compensation for the drop in value of the work, for a major failure you live with (s 267(3)(b)).
• Water damage and other foreseeable loss: ceiling and floor repairs, carpet replacement, drying equipment hire, mould treatment, and, where the home was unusable, reasonable alternative accommodation may also be claimable (s 267(4)).
• The overcharge above the agreed quote.
• For a faulty part the plumber supplied: repair, replacement or refund of the part under the goods guarantees (s 259).

How to work it out. Total the second plumber’s invoice or quote, the builder’s or flooring quote for the damage, and your other receipts. Don’t include the price you’d have paid anyway for a job done properly.

Example (round numbers, for illustration only): a plumber charges $1,800 to replace a shower waste and mixer. Three weeks later water is coming through the laundry ceiling. The plumber won’t return calls. A second plumber charges $600 to find and fix a joint that wasn’t sealed. A ceiling repair quote is $1,400, and you spend $200 hiring a dehumidifier. Your claim: $600 + $1,400 + $200 = $2,200. You keep the new mixer, so you don’t claim the original $1,800.

Evidence to gather

1. The quote, invoice and any messages about what the plumber would do and the price.
2. Proof of payment: transfer records, card statement, receipt.
3. The compliance certificate (or a note that you never got one), and the plumber’s licence number.
4. Dated photos and video of the leak or fault, and of the damage it caused. Photograph water stains as they spread.
5. A written report or invoice from the second plumber saying what was wrong and what they fixed. Ask them to keep the faulty part, or keep it yourself.
6. Quotes for repairing water damage, and receipts for drying equipment or cleaning.
7. Any camera inspection footage or report from a drain job.
8. Your messages asking the plumber to return, and their replies or silence.
9. The business’s legal name and ABN from ABN Lookup.

How to get your money back: 5 steps

Step 1: Tell the plumber in writing what went wrong and what you want

Ring if it’s urgent, then follow up in writing. Say what work was done and when, what’s wrong now, and what you want: come back and fix it by a set date, refund $X, or pay the second plumber’s invoice and the damage. If water is still escaping, say you will get the leak stopped by another plumber straight away to limit the damage, and that you’ll claim that cost. Give a short deadline and keep a copy. If the job also involved other trades, see our page on getting money back from a tradie, and the get your money back hub for other businesses.

Step 2: No answer, a refusal or a runaround? Send a formal demand

Our Consumer Guarantee Letter sets out the services guarantees, the plumber’s liability for foreseeable water damage (s 267(4)), the amount and a 14-day deadline. It’s the letter a tribunal expects to see before you file. If the only problem is a bill above the quote, the Overcharge and Invoice Dispute letter ($49) fits better. The general Letter of Demand ($49) covers anything else.

Send a Consumer Guarantee Letter – $49

Step 3: Complain to the plumbing or consumer regulator

Plumbing regulators can inspect work and, in several states, direct a licensed plumber to fix it. They usually can’t order a refund. Attach your letter.

• NSW: Building Commission NSW, 13 27 00, home building dispute resolution. NSW Fair Trading (13 32 20) handles general consumer complaints.
• VIC: Building and Plumbing Commission, 1300 067 088, for plumbing work. Consumer Affairs Victoria, 1300 55 81 81, for the money dispute.
• QLD: QBCC, 139 333, plumbing and drainage complaints.
• ACT: Access Canberra, 13 22 81, get help with a consumer issue.
• NT: NT Consumer Affairs, 1800 019 319 or 08 8999 1999, conciliation request.
• WA: Building and Energy plumbing complaints for faulty work; Consumer Protection, 1300 30 40 54, for money disputes.
• SA: Consumer and Business Services, 131 882, disputes with a builder or tradesperson.
• TAS: Building Standards Tasmania or Consumer Affairs Tasmania, 1300 654 499.

Step 4: Still unpaid? Send the final demand

The final demand quotes your first letter, the plumber’s response or silence, and any regulator reference or inspection outcome. It says you will file a claim if they don’t pay by a set date. In South Australia the courts expect a final notice and a 21-day wait before you file.

Send the final demand – $49

Step 5: Take it to the tribunal or court in the plumber’s state

File in the state where the plumbing business is (see the table below). In NSW, a plumbing claim on a home is a home building claim at NCAT, which usually needs the Building Commission to have looked at it first (Home Building Act s 48J). In Victoria, a plumbing-only job goes to VCAT’s goods and services list. In Queensland, use the QBCC process before QCAT. In WA, SA and Tasmania you file a court claim at the Magistrates Court. Our Hearing Bundle ($97) organises your photos, reports and quotes the way a tribunal member or magistrate expects.

Prepare your tribunal application – $97

In WA, SA and Tasmania the same product prepares your court claim.

Where your claim goes in each state

The claim goes to the forum in the state where the plumber’s business is.

If the plumber is a sole trader living in another state. NCAT (NSW) and VCAT (VIC) cannot decide a dispute between residents of different states where the other side is an individual (Burns v Corbett [2018] HCA 15), so in those states the claim goes to a court. QCAT in Queensland is a court of a State (Owen v Menzies [2012] QCA 170) and is not affected. This doesn’t affect claims against a company. ABN Lookup shows whether the plumber trades as a company.

After you win: getting paid

In NSW, a contractor’s licence is automatically suspended if they fail to pay a tribunal or court order on a building claim (Home Building Act s 42A). If the plumber still doesn’t pay, the order can be enforced: in most states it is registered or filed with the court and enforced as a judgment, through a garnishee order on the plumber’s bank account or on money customers owe them, seizure and sale of property such as a work van, or an examination of their finances under oath.

Tribunals do not collect the money for you. In NSW, Victoria, Queensland, the ACT and the NT, an unpaid tribunal money order is first registered, recorded or filed with a court. In WA, SA and Tasmania the Magistrates Court decides the claim, so you already have a court judgment. Then you apply for the court’s enforcement tools.

Enforce your order – $97

Enforce your order – $97

Questions people ask

Is a plumber responsible for water damage from a leak they caused?

Yes, if the leak came from work not done with due care and skill. The Australian Consumer Law lets you claim reasonably foreseeable loss on top of fixing the job (s 267(4)), and water damage from a faulty joint is the classic foreseeable loss. Get a second plumber’s written report on the cause, and quotes for the repairs.

The plumber won’t come back to fix the leak. What can I do?

Ask in writing with a deadline. If they refuse or don’t come within a reasonable time, you can get another licensed plumber and claim the reasonable cost (s 267(2)). Our Consumer Guarantee Letter demands that cost plus the damage within 14 days, and it’s the letter a tribunal expects to see.

Do I have to pay a plumber who did a bad job?

It depends on the failure. For a major failure you can cancel and claim back money for work you didn’t properly receive (s 269). For a minor failure, the law expects you to ask the plumber to fix it first (s 267(2)). Either way, put your complaint in writing before withholding payment, and pay any amount that isn’t in dispute.

Can a plumber charge more than the quote?

Not without your agreement. A quote you accepted is the agreed price; any extra work needs your approval. Ask for an itemised bill showing hours, hourly rate and materials, which must be free and given within 7 days (ACL s 101). Our Overcharge and Invoice Dispute letter disputes the difference.

What is a plumbing compliance certificate and do I need one?

It’s the plumber’s certificate that the work meets the plumbing standards. In NSW the plumber must give you a copy within 2 business days of finishing most work. In Victoria it’s required for work of $750 or more and for gas appliance work, within 5 days. Keep it: it’s evidence of who did the work and when.

The plumber never gave me a compliance certificate. What now?

Ask for it in writing. If they don’t provide it, report them to the plumbing regulator in your state, which can check the work. In Victoria, if the plumber hasn’t finished the job, you can serve a notice and they must give you a certificate for the work done within 5 days (Building Act s 221ZH(2A)).

How do I check if a plumber is licensed?

Use the official register: verify.licence.nsw.gov.au in NSW, the Building and Plumbing Commission’s practitioner check in Victoria, the QBCC (139 333) in Queensland, the WA licence search, the CBS “Find a licence holder” tool in SA, and the Access Canberra register in the ACT. Screenshot the result with the date.

The hot water system the plumber installed has failed. Who do I claim against?

Against the plumber, if they supplied the unit. As supplier they must provide a remedy under the goods guarantees (ACL s 259), and the law lets them recover their costs from the manufacturer (s 274). If the installation was faulty, that’s a services claim against the plumber too. If you bought the unit yourself, the retailer is the supplier.

The blocked drain came back a week later. Can I get my money back?

Often, yes. If you asked for the drain to be cleared and it blocked again straight away, the service may not have achieved the result you made known (s 61(2)). Ask the plumber to return free. If they had found tree roots or a broken pipe and told you a full repair was needed, a short-lived fix may not be a failure.

Can I take a plumber to NCAT or VCAT?

Yes. In NSW, a plumbing claim on a home goes to NCAT as a home building claim, usually after Building Commission NSW has looked at it. In Victoria, plumbing-only disputes go to VCAT’s goods and services list with no money cap. Our tribunal application ($97) prepares the claim.

How long do I have to claim against a plumber?

It depends on the state and the claim. In NSW, the home building warranties run 6 years for a major defect, which includes waterproofing, and 2 years for other defects. In Victoria a defects claim must generally be brought within 10 years of the compliance certificate. Don’t wait: leaks spread and the evidence gets harder to pin on one job.

Sources

All sources checked 19 October 2026.

• Competition and Consumer Act 2010, Schedule 2 (Australian Consumer Law): ss 3, 54, 60-64, 101, 259, 267-270, 274
• Home Building Act 1989 (NSW); Plumbing and Drainage Act 2011 (NSW); Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2017 (NSW)
• Building Commission NSW: Plumbing inspection documents
• Building Act 1993 (Vic); Plumbing Regulations 2018 (Vic); Domestic Building Contracts Regulations 2017 (Vic)
• Building and Plumbing Commission (Vic)
• QBCC: Complaint about plumbing and drainage work; QBCC: What is notifiable work; QBCC Act 1991
• WA Building and Energy: Plumbing work complaints
• SA Government: Disputes with a builder or tradesperson; CBS: Building, extending and renovating a home
• Construction Occupations (Licensing) Act 2004 (ACT); Building Standards Tasmania
• NCAT fees, VCAT fees, QCAT fees, ACAT fees, NTCAT fees, WA Magistrates Court fees, SA Magistrates Court fees, Tasmanian Magistrates Court fees

Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. This page is general information. For a complex or high-value matter, speak to a lawyer or a free community legal centre.