Examples include:
- rooming accommodation
- apartments
- offices
- commercial and industrial buildings.
Commercial plumbing works
Submit an application for commercial plumbing works. Find out about fast-tracking your application.
Plumbing and drainage permit works
You need to submit a Building Type Other Than Dwelling application for certain permit work. This was formerly known as a ‘commercial’ application.
This includes permit work that:
- doesn't relate to a dwelling house
- isn't declared fast-track
- isn't limited to an onsite sewage facility.
It includes:
- dual occupancy
- multiple dwelling
- Class 1b buildings
- Class 2-9 buildings
- Class 10a buildings that aren’t associated with a Class 1a building.
Other types of plumbing and drainage works that fall under this application type:
- civil works
- fire services
- the installation of trade waste fixtures
- anything else that doesn’t fall under another plumbing application type.
For more information about building classifications, view Part A6 Building classification, Volume 2, National Construction Code on the Australian Building Codes Board website.
What you need to do
- Determine if you need a permit.
- Find out which application to submit.
- Prepare your documents.
- Apply for a permit.
Lodge your application
Application requirements
Choose the correct application type before you lodge your application.
You need to supply:
- completed Form 1 – Permit work application for plumbing and drainage and onsite sewerage work
- set of hydraulic plans that meet the relevant requirements
- site classification report (where there’s in-ground sanitary drainage passing through or under a slab and/or footings)
- plumbing articulation design (where applicable for soil types H, E or P)
- Urban Utilities water approval and approved civil plans (where applicable)
- payment for all relevant fees.
If the application involves works to an onsite sewage facility (OSF), you also need:
- site and soil evaluation
- site plan indicating the location and details of the proposed or existing OSF and all proposed and existing buildings.
Minor commercial installation is considered as fast-track permit work.
Works at a premises other than a dwelling house may be lodged as a minor commercial application if it doesn’t involve:
- more than 4 fixtures
- in-ground sanitary drainage
- trade waste
- a performance solution at the time of lodgement.
You need:
- a completed Form 1 – Permit work application for plumbing and drainage and onsite sewerage work
- to pay all relevant fees.
No plans required.
If you lodge your application online, you may be able to choose express assessment. This will incur an additional fee.
Express assessment isn’t available for applications:
- when there are more than 250 fixtures
- lodged in hardcopy form.
How to apply
Plumbing applications and supporting documentation can be lodged online using Council’s online lodgement portal or in hardcopy at a Customer Centre.
Additional information
Include the property’s rateable address and/or real property description (RPD) with any plans you include with your application. Make sure you include the address on every page.
If your property is being reconfigured, use the ‘proposed lot’ to show where the works are. To do this, set out the address and RPD on your documents as per the below examples:
- Address: Proposed lot (lot number) – [complete parent property address]” e.g., “Proposed Lot 1 – 147 Park Road, Woolloongabba
- RPD: Proposed lot (lot number) cancelling [complete parent property RPD]” e.g., “Proposed Lot 1 cancelling Lot 1 on RP 112233.
Identifying the exact location of the proposed works will help to reduce the processing time of your application.
If everything is correct at lodgement, we’ll assess your application within:
- 2 business days for minor commercial applications
- 10 business days for Building Type Other Than Dwelling applications.
The following timeframes apply to applications lodged for express assessment:
- 3 business days where an application involves fewer than 10 fixtures and there’s no development application involved
- 5 business days where an application involves 10 to 250 fixtures
- 10 business days where an application doesn’t comply with the hydraulic requirements or isn’t properly made.
If we need more information, this timeframe will be paused until we’ve received and processed your response.
Permit application and assessment fees apply to Building Type Other Than Dwelling applications. There's also a charge (if applicable):
- per fixture, capped point or sub-water meter (depending on the nature of the work)
- for each testable backflow prevention device in the design.
Minor commercial applications only incur permit and inspection fees (no assessment fee).
Building Type Other Than Dwelling applications
You need to pay the inspection fees:
- after we've issued your permit
- before inspections begin.
We calculate inspection fees based on the number of fixtures, capped points or sub-water meters on the approved plans. We display this charge on the approval stamps.
If there are no fixtures, capped points or sub-water meters, we charge inspection fees per metre of pipework.
Inspection fees are recalculated each financial year until paid.
Minor commercial applications
4 inspections are included with the inspection fees paid at lodgement. You’ll be charged for any additional, after-hours, priority or extended inspections.
Chargeable fixtures
When calculating assessment and inspection fees for Building Type Other Than Dwelling applications, we charge for the following fixtures.
Autopsy table
Bain-marie
Basin
Bath (foot, baby, shower)
Bedpan sterilizer
Bedpan washer/sterilizer
Bidet, bidette
Boiling water unit (includes under bench)
Circular wash fountain
Clothes washing machine
Coffee machine
Dental unit/chair
Dishwashing machine
Drinking fountain
Floor waste gully without fixture connected
Glass washing machine/glass cleaner
Garbage grinder
Ice maker
Points capped for future use
Potato peeler
Sanitary napkin disposal unit
Shower (single/multiple)
Sink
Sink/bar
Sink cleaner
Sink laboratory
Sink (pot or utility)
Sink/tea
Slop hopper
Trough (ablution)
Trough (laundry)
Tundish
Urinal stall, or each 600mm length of slab
Urinal - wall hung (includes waterless)
Water closet pan (WC)
Wok sink
You need:
- completed Form 1 – Permit work application for plumbing and drainage and onsite sewerage work
- set of hydraulic plans for each stage (with works related to the other stage hashed out)
- any other documents that apply (e.g. site classification report, articulation design, Urban Utilities water approval).
You must also pay the relevant fees using the credit card authorisation form.
How to apply
Lodge your application by email to Council.
You need:
- completed Brisbane City Council Performance Solution Submission form
- cover letter that states:
- why the performance solution is being submitted
- all submitted documents
- the performance solution is submitted in accordance with the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019, Section 11 (2) Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA)
- signed letter from both the current property owner and builder. This must include:
- statement that they’re aware of the performance solution and agree to it
- brief description
- application reference
- address
- a reference to:
- which assessment method is being used (refer to the Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA) clause A2.2)
- the relevant performance requirements from the PCA (refer clause A2.2)
- the deemed to satisfy provisions (e.g. AS/NZS 3500)
- 3 referee letters (if ‘expert judgement’ is used as the assessment method)
- any other relevant documents.
Additionally, you may need to submit an amended application if:
- you're submitting the performance solution after an application has been approved, and
- changes need to be made to the approved plans.
You can pay the relevant fees using the credit card authorisation form.
How to apply
If you submit the performance solution with an application, we’ll contact you for payment of the additional fee following lodgement.
If you’ve already lodged an application, submit the performance solution by email to Council.
