On October 29, 2024, our Minister for Building and Construction announced a new plumbing and drainage self-certification scheme allowing accredited businesses and tradespeople to carry out low-risk building work without needing approval from building consent authorities.

The aim for this reform is to reduce unnecessary red tape around consenting to ultimately lower overall building costs.

Will This Affect Plumbers’ Quality of Work?

It may sound as though the plumbing industry is about to become the Wild West, but this is far from the reality. During a recent interview for The Platform NZ, Master Plumber CEO Greg Wallace reassures consumers that this reform will not impact plumbers’ quality of work. Plumbers must still abide by the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 which sets out clear, legal guidelines to protect the health and safety of the public by ensuring the competency of all those offering professional plumbing services. The PGDB (Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board) will continue to ensure these standards are upheld among all practicing individuals and companies.

Self-Certification Isn’t New to The Trades

New Zealand electricians and gasfitters have already been operating on a self-certifying basis for over 15 years, and regulatory laws and boards have ensured that high-quality standards are consistently maintained.

Plumbers in Australia have been successfully self-certifying for over 20 years. New homes in Australia tend to cost around 50% less to build than New Zealand — this is believed to be partly due to a reduction in third-party involvement in approving work.

Next Steps

The PGDB (Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board) will be working with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to roll out the new process. It is yet to be defined how the “opt in” scheme and accreditation will function, and how “low risk” building work will be identified.

The Minister announced plans for a consultation on the scope of the self-certification scheme, and the Board has indicated that they look forward to contributing their feedback to ensure the protection and satisfaction of the public.

You can find out more by reading the PGDB’s official response here.

Jarvis Will Continue to Operate at The Highest Quality Standards

We believe that self-certification will help increase productivity and efficiency on-site, which will save money for our customers.

We are certified Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers, ensuring the highest quality standard of work. If you’re afraid that the reform will cause any quality difference in the plumbing industry, make sure you’re hiring a certified Master Plumber.

Our friends at Master Plumbers have been amazingly responsive following the announcement of this reform — check out their Facebook Page for more insights on this change.

As always, our friendly team is happy to answer any questions you may have. Feel free to give us a ring or fill out the contact form.

Get in touch