Three steps to the right trade
Name the job
Start with the closest match: no hot water, a leak, a blocked drain, a gas appliance, or something new going in.
Ask yourself three questions
Is it gas or electric? Is the problem inside the house or under the ground? Will pipes be fitted, moved or taken out? Jot the answers down.
Find the closest row below
The table shows which trade covers each common job, and why the law puts it there. Some jobs, such as an electric cylinder, need more than one trade.
Common jobs and the trade behind them
| Who does it | Why | |
|---|---|---|
| A new tap washer, ball valve or plug | You can, if you like | The Act leaves repairing or replacing taps, ball valves, washers and plugs out of sanitary plumbing |
| A leaking pipe, toilet, basin or shower | A plumber | Fixing or unfixing fixtures, and the pipes that feed and drain them inside your boundary, is sanitary plumbing |
| An electric hot water cylinder | A plumber, with an electrician for the wiring | The cylinder and its pipes are plumbing; the power supply is electrical work |
| A califont or gas storage water heater | A gasfitter | All gasfitting is restricted. A licensed gasfitter the Board accepts as competent may also fit the water pipes to and from a gas water heater |
| A heat pump water heater | A plumber and an electrician | Rinnai says the install needs a licensed plumber, an electrician and a suitable site |
| Repairing, relaying or altering a drain, or fitting a gully trap | A drainlayer | That is drainlaying under the Act, whether the drain carries wastewater or stormwater |
| A blocked drain you can reach | You can try first | PGDB says a homeowner may clear a blocked drain if that doesn't mean altering or repairing the inspection or vent pipe |
| A barbecue or patio heater with its own gas bottle | You can, though PGDB recommends a gasfitter | Work on a portable appliance that carries its own gas bottle isn't gasfitting |
Once you know the trade
Ask for that trade, then check the licence matches the work. PGDB tells homeowners to make sure the tradesperson is licensed for that particular trade.
Ask to see their practising licence, on a card or in the PGDB app, and look at the expiry date. On the PGDB public register, search their first and last name and look for the tick or green mark that shows a current licence. Checking a PGDB licence walks through it.
If they work under a supervisor, ask who that is and check the supervisor's name as well.