· 6 min read · Taylor Plumbing
Most Christchurch homeowners only think about who they'll call for a plumber once something has already gone wrong, which isn't the best time to be checking credentials. A bit of groundwork before you need one saves stress later.
This guide covers what licensing actually means in New Zealand, which jobs legally require it, and the plumbing work that comes up most often in Canterbury homes.
Registered vs licensed, and why it matters
In New Zealand, plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying work above a certain level is restricted work. That means it has to be carried out or supervised by someone registered and licensed with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board.
A registered tradesperson can show you a current practising licence on request. If a business can't produce one, that's a fair reason to look elsewhere, particularly for anything involving gas, backflow, or a new sanitary connection.
What counts as licensed work
- Installing or altering water supply, sanitary plumbing or drainage pipework
- Any gasfitting, from a new hob connection to a gas hot water system
- Backflow prevention device installation and testing
- Hot water cylinder replacement, including pressure and temperature relief valves
- New drain connections to the council network
Get a certificate of compliance
For most restricted plumbing and gasfitting work you're entitled to a certificate confirming it was done to code. Keep it with your house file. It matters at resale, and it matters if something fails later and you need to show the work was compliant when it was carried out.
Common home plumbing jobs in Christchurch
- Leaking or dripping taps and mixers
- Toilet cisterns running or not flushing properly
- Hot water cylinder replacement, particularly older mains-pressure units past 15 years old
- Low water pressure, often linked to old galvanised pipe or a failing pressure-reducing valve
- Gas hob, gas heater and gas hot water servicing
- Bathroom and kitchen renovations needing pipework moved or upgraded
What drives the cost
Access is the biggest factor. A tap washer under a kitchen sink is a quick job; the same tap buried behind a vanity with no isolating valve takes longer and may need a valve added first.
Age of the house matters too. Homes built before the 1980s often still have galvanised steel pipework, which corrodes from the inside and can mean one leak points to several more nearby. Ground movement from the earthquakes has also left some pipe joints under stress in parts of the city, which shows up as small recurring leaks rather than one big failure.
Questions worth asking before you book
- Are you registered and licensed, and can I see the licence?
- Will I get a written quote before work starts?
- Do you provide a certificate of compliance for restricted work?
- What's included in the call-out, and what's charged separately?
Frequently asked questions
Need a hand with this?
Full-service residential and commercial plumbing across Christchurch, from leaking taps to complete pipe replacements.
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