Residential plumbing works
Get a permit for plumbing works for new or existing residential buildings. Check if you can fast-track your application.
These applications are for plumbing assessment for new or existing Class 1a and/or Class 10a buildings. These buildings must meet the current Brisbane City Plan 2014 (City Plan) definition of a dwelling house.
Structures that aren’t under the same roof as the primary dwelling are classified as secondary dwellings or ancillary buildings. They include:
- awnings
- covered walkways
- patio roofs
- similar structures.
Find out which plumbing permit applications and forms you need.
What you need to do
- Determine if you need a plumbing permit.
- Find out which application you need to submit.
- Prepare your documents.
- Apply for a permit.
New dwelling house
You need to lodge an application for each new Class 1a building where you’re planning plumbing and drainage work.
Fast-track application for a new dwelling house
You may be able to speed up your application for works to a new dwelling house using our fast-track process.
You can apply for a fast-track assessment if it:
- meets the current City Plan definition of a dwelling house
and
- is one new Class 1a building, or
- is one new Class 10a building that is associated with a Class 1a building, or
- is one new Class 1a building and one new Class 10a building that is associated with the Class 1a building
and
- has its own separate and direct connection to the Urban Utilities water and sewer network
- doesn't involve an onsite sewage facility or greywater use facility
- doesn't involve installing a fixture relating to trade waste.
Your property isn’t eligible if it’s:
- connected to a combined sanitary drain
- serviced by private water and/or sewer services
- serviced by an onsite sewage facility.
A secondary dwelling is not eligible if it doesn’t have dedicated Urban Utilities water and sewer connections that are separate to the main dwelling or any other building.
A Class 10a building is not eligible if it doesn’t have dedicated Urban Utilities water and sewer connections that are separate to those for the main dwelling or any other building, unless it's lodged under the same fast-track application as a new Class 1a building with which it will share services.
Alterations to an existing dwelling house
You need to prepare a separate application for each existing Class 1a or Class 10a buildings if you’re planning to alter the plumbing and drainage to these buildings.
You need to lodge a request for referral agency advice with Council if you want to:
- add one or more bedrooms to a Class 1a building that's connected to an onsite sewage facility
- retain the existing onsite sewage facility.
We will assess whether the existing onsite sewage facility (including the land application area) has the capacity to handle the increase in wastewater associated with the additional bedrooms.
Following our assessment, you will receive a notice to advise of the outcome. If the existing facility is found to be insufficient and an increase to the size of the facility is required, you will need to lodge a separate plumbing application for alterations to the facility.
Request for referral agency advice wastewater management
Download and complete the form to request for referral agency advice for onsite water management.
You must include:
- floor plan showing the additional bedrooms
- site plan (as described on the request form)
- payment of the relevant fees if lodged via email (via a credit card authorisation form).
You can lodge the application:
- via email
- at a Customer Centre
- via mail to:
Locked Bag 1
Fairfield Gardens
Fairfield Qld 4103
If not lodging via email, you will be contacted by a Plumbing Services team member to arrange the fee payment.
Use the following table to identify which application you may need to submit when a dwelling is moved or relocated.
| Activity | Application |
|---|---|
| Relocated dwelling placed onto vacant land | Lodge an application for a new dwelling house |
| Existing dwelling relocated on the same lot with no changes to the internal plumbing and drainage | Lodge an application for a drain reconnection |
| Existing dwelling relocated on the same lot plus alterations to the internal plumbing and drainage | Lodge an application for alterations to dwelling house |
Other fast-track applications
You can speed up your application for the following permit works.
The following works can be lodged as a seal-off application:
- sealing or capping sanitary drainage
- removing/decommissioning an onsite sewage facility
- removing pedestals
- removing a trade waste fixture.
You can apply to reconnect an existing building to an Urban Utilities sewer connection. This building must already be associated with the site.
The following works can be lodged as a drain works application:
- repairing or diverting sections of existing sanitary drainage, including combined sanitary drains
- installing new sanitary drainage along an easement driving to the site of a future dwelling.
The following works can be lodged as an other works application:
- repairing sections of an existing water service.
You can apply for works connecting rainwater tanks to internal fixtures as a plumbed-in rainwater tanks application.
You can include a maximum of 4 rainwater tanks with each application.
The following prefabricated pods or units must be lodged under this application type:
- those that contain plumbing and drainage
- those that don't have watermark approval
- those that are to be inspected during construction at the factory.
A permit for a prefabricated pod or unit only covers its construction at the factory. Connection to services onsite will require an 'Other than dwelling' permit.
You can include a maximum of 4 pods or units with each application. Make sure each pod or unit is identified on the Form 1 (e.g. with serial number).
Combined sanitary drains
If you’re applying for dwelling houses connected to combined sanitary drains, we will need to undertake additional assessment of your application.
We’ll compare the number of fixture units proposed to the number of fixture units allocated to the property. This comparison is based on the number of lots connected to the combined sanitary drain. The assessment ensures the proposed dwelling will not overload the drain.
The maximum fixture unit load for the combined sanitary drain will be split equally across each individual lot served by the drain. The assessment will be based on the lot's portion of the maximum fixture unit load.
We'll advise you of any options you may have regarding the combined sanitary drain during assessment. Apportioning the fixture unit load equally ensures future development is accessible for all lots on the combined sanitary drain.
If a development approval is required, you may need to come off the combined sanitary drain.
To find out more about the maintenance and assessment process for combined sanitary drains, read our fact sheet.
Application requirements
Make sure you’ve identified the correct application type and requirements before you submit your application.
You need:
- completed Form 1 – Permit work application for plumbing and drainage and onsite sewerage work
You need:
- completed Form 1 – Permit work application for plumbing and drainage and onsite sewerage work
- proposed site plan
- proposed floor plan showing all plumbing fixtures, with all rooms labelled
- existing floor plan showing all plumbing fixtures, with all rooms labelled
- 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)
- payment of 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.
You need:
- completed Form 1 – Permit work application for plumbing and drainage and onsite sewerage work
You need:
- completed Form 1 – Permit work application for plumbing and drainage and onsite sewerage work.
You may also need to submit supporting documents for the following application types:
- drain works/other works
- drain reconnection.
This applies if there's sanitary drainage passing through or under a slab or footings.
The documents you also need to submit are:
- site classification report
- articulation design (where applicable for soil types H, E or P).
For more information about these documents, contact the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.
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.
We’ll assess your application within 2 business days for:
- fast-track applications for a new dwelling house
- other fast-track applications.
We'll assess your application within 10 business days for:
- works to a new dwelling house
- alternations to an existing dwelling house.
If we need more information, this timeframe will be paused until we’ve received and processed your response.
Five inspections are included with the inspection fees paid at lodgement for fast-track or new dwelling applications.
Three inspections are included with the inspection fees paid at lodgement for alterations to existing dwellings.
One inspection is included with the inspection fees paid at lodgement for seal-off, reconnection, drain works, prefab pods and rainwater tanks.
You’ll be charged for any additional, after-hours priority or extended inspections.
