New Plumbing Business Setup Guide

Take the Business Queensland readiness check

Complete the Queensland Government's free business readiness health check to confirm you, your idea and your finances are in good shape to start a plumbing business.

Apply for the Self-Employment Assistance Program (optional)

If you've recently been unemployed or are at risk of unemployment, the federal Self-Employment Assistance Program (delivered in Queensland by BUSY At Work) provides free business training, mentoring and an income allowance while you launch.

Choose your business structure

Decide whether to trade as a sole trader, Pty Ltd company, or via a discretionary trust. Use TradeDesk's Business Structure Adviser to model the tax outcome at your projected profit level, then confirm with a registered tax agent.

Incorporate Pty Ltd company (if applicable)

Register your proprietary limited company with ASIC. You'll receive an ACN. Most plumbers use an ASIC-registered agent or accountant who bundles incorporation, constitution, share register and ASIC annual review into a single package.

Establish discretionary trust (if applicable)

Have a solicitor or specialist trust provider draft a discretionary (family) trust deed, settle the trust, and stamp it (Qld stamp duty is $0 on a new discretionary trust deed since 2002 but still must be lodged for assessment).

Get your Director ID (companies + corporate trustees)

Every director of an Australian company — including the corporate trustee of a trust — must have a Director Identification Number issued by ABRS. You apply once and keep it for life.

Apply for a Tax File Number (entity)

Sole traders use their personal TFN. Companies and trusts each need their own TFN, applied for via the same Australian Business Register form as the ABN.

Apply for an ABN

Apply for an Australian Business Number through the Australian Business Register. This is a single online form that also lets you apply for a TFN, GST and PAYG withholding at the same time.

Register a business name with ASIC

If you trade under any name other than your own personal name (sole trader) or your registered company name, you must register that business name with ASIC. Search availability first using ASIC's Connect register.

Secure your domain name (.com.au)

Register your business domain through an auDA-accredited registrar. To hold a .com.au domain you must hold an ABN matching the domain name. Lock in the matching .com and .net.au if possible to protect the brand.

Hold a QBCC occupational plumber & drainer licence

You must personally hold an occupational plumber and drainer licence to physically perform regulated plumbing or drainage work. You qualify by completing CPC32420 Certificate III in Plumbing plus the QBCC's required units.

Apply for a QBCC plumbing & drainage contractor licence

To run a plumbing business that contracts directly with customers — invoicing, quoting, advertising — the entity (you, your company or your corporate trustee) needs a contractor licence. You'll need a nominee supervisor (often yourself), a financial soundness declaration, and to declare your Maximum Revenue.

Prepare your QBCC Minimum Financial Requirements (MFR) report

Contractor licensees must hold positive Net Tangible Assets and meet a current ratio of at least 1:1, declared annually. SC1 (turnover ≤$200k) is self-declared; SC2 onwards requires an MFR Report signed by a qualified accountant.

Add gas work licence (if doing gas)

Gas work in Queensland is licensed by the Petroleum and Gas Inspectorate (Resources), not QBCC. You need a Type A Gas Work Licence with the appropriate authorisations (consumer piping, appliances, LP gas, etc.).

Add backflow / TMV / on-site sewerage endorsements (if applicable)

Specialist endorsements (backflow prevention testing, thermostatic mixing valves, on-site domestic waste-water management, fire-protection) are issued by QBCC after completing the relevant accredited training units.

Public & products liability insurance

Take out a Public & Products Liability policy with a minimum $20 million limit. Most QBCC contractor licensees, principal contractors and councils require evidence of cover before you can quote on a job.

Professional indemnity insurance (recommended)

Covers your liability for loss caused by professional advice or design — e.g. specifying the wrong size hot water unit, or sketching out a drainage layout that fails inspection. Increasingly required by commercial clients.

Tools, plant & equipment insurance

Cover for theft and accidental damage of your hand tools, power tools, drain machines, locating equipment and plant kept in the vehicle and on site.

Commercial motor & trailer insurance

Comprehensive commercial vehicle and trailer cover for your work ute and any towed plant. Make sure to declare it as commercial use, not private — otherwise claims will be denied.

WorkCover Queensland accident insurance (employers)

If you employ workers — including apprentices, casuals, or yourself when trading via a Pty Ltd company that pays you a wage — you must take out a WorkCover Queensland Accident Insurance policy within 5 business days of becoming an employer.

Personal income protection (sole traders)

Sole traders are not employees and so are not covered by WorkCover Queensland for their own injuries. Take out a personal income protection policy that pays a monthly benefit if you are unable to work due to illness or injury.

Register for GST (if turnover > $75k)

Register for GST through the Australian Business Register (you can tick the box during your ABN application). Once registered you must lodge quarterly Business Activity Statements and add 10% GST to invoices.

Open a separate business bank account

Open a dedicated business transaction account in your trading entity's name. For companies and trusts this is legally separate; for sole traders it's not required by law but strongly recommended for clean bookkeeping.

Set up accounting software (Xero / MYOB / QuickBooks)

Choose ATO-listed Standard Business Reporting–enabled accounting software. Xero, MYOB Business and QuickBooks Online all integrate with your bank feed and most plumbing job-management tools, and lodge BAS direct to the ATO.

Set up super (employees + yourself if a Pty Ltd)

If you employ workers (including yourself when paid wages from your own Pty Ltd) you must pay Superannuation Guarantee at the current rate (12% from 1 July 2025) into a complying fund, using a Stapled Super lookup if no choice is made.

Join Master Plumbers' Association of Queensland (MPAQ)

MPAQ membership gives you access to plumbing-specific contracts, free legal and HR helplines, IR advice, training discounts, technical updates on AS/NZS standards, and the Master Plumber brand for marketing.

Register for the Plumbing Industry Council (PIC) Plumbers Card

Apply for your QBCC Plumbers Card (the photo-ID card you must carry while performing notifiable work). It's free for licensed plumbers and produced by QBCC after your occupational licence is issued.

Set up Work Health & Safety system

As a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) you have primary duty of care under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld). Set up a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) for high-risk work, document risk assessments, and keep an incident register.

Understand Fair Work obligations (if employing)

If you hire any employees or apprentices you must comply with the Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award 2020 (or relevant enterprise agreement), the National Employment Standards, payslip rules, and workplace policies. The Fair Work Ombudsman has free template letters and an award pay calculator.

Design your logo and brand identity

Develop a clean, recognisable logo, choose 1–2 brand colours and consistent typography. Apply them across your van signage, uniforms, invoices, business cards and website. Keep the name & QBCC licence number prominent everywhere.

(External link not provided — choose your own provider for this step.)

Build your business website

Build a mobile-first website covering: your services, your service area, contact phone, online booking/contact form, your QBCC licence number, ABN, recent jobs and Google reviews. Make sure HTTPS is enabled and the site loads in under 3 seconds on mobile.

(External link not provided — choose your own provider for this step.)

Claim your Google Business Profile

Set up a free Google Business Profile so you appear in the local map pack when customers search 'plumber near me'. Add real photos of your van and team, request reviews from happy customers, and respond to every review (positive or negative).

Choose a job-management / quoting platform

Pick a job-management app — ServiceM8, Tradify, simPRO, AroFlo or ServiceTitan are the main choices for Australian plumbers. They handle quotes, scheduling, time-sheets, invoicing and customer signatures from your phone.

Set up payment processing (cards, bank transfer, Tap to Pay)

Offer multiple ways to pay so customers settle on the spot — card-on-file via Stripe/Square, EFTPOS via your bank, Tap to Pay on iPhone/Android, and direct deposit. Add late-payment terms (7-day net + 2% per month) to your invoice template.

Sign-write the work vehicle

Get your business name, phone number, QBCC licence number and website applied to both sides and the rear of your work vehicle by a professional vehicle signage shop. Keep it clean — your van is a 24/7 mobile billboard.