Marlborough's water
That 2027 date comes from a government-published report, because the council's own site couldn't be read when we checked.
Nor could its pipe rules, so ask Marlborough District Council where its pipe ends before work near the boundary in Blenheim or Picton.
What counts as plumbing
Under the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006, sanitary plumbing means fixing or unfixing sanitary fixtures and appliances, with their traps, waste, soil, vent and overflow pipes, plus the water pipes that feed them inside your boundary. Only an authorised person may do it.
Some jobs fall outside that definition: repairing or replacing taps, ball valves, tap washers or plugs, fitting a dishwasher or washing machine where no pipes are fixed or unfixed, and a shower over a bath fed through the bath taps.
Small stand-alone homes
Since 15 January 2026, a new single-storey stand-alone home of 70 square metres or less can be built without a building consent if it meets Schedule 1A. Its water supply and drainage must follow listed acceptable solutions, and it can't have uncontrolled water heating.
The householder exemption doesn't cover plumbing for a home like this, so a licensed plumber and drainlayer still do that work.
Water heaters and consent
The general like-for-like exemption for plumbing doesn't reach water heaters. A cylinder swap is consent-exempt under clause 38 when the new heater is connected to a controlled heat source or has one of its own, and an authorised person fits it.
Check that person on the PGDB register first. Former licence holders still appear there, so look for a current licence, not just a name.
One gas certificate, two jobs
Gasfitting is energy work and usually needs no building consent. Once it's connected, the Gas Safety Certificate does double duty: it confirms the installation is safe, and it also counts as the Building Act certificate that the gasfitting meets the Building Code.
What we would do in Marlborough
Planning a small stand-alone home on your section? Bring the plumber and drainlayer in before the build starts. Ask which acceptable solutions they'll follow for the water and drainage, and how the water will be heated, because uncontrolled water heating rules the exemption out.
Send us the job. A Marlborough tradie who specialises in it can take it, and only they get your phone number and email.