The Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) is committed to protecting consumers by targeting unregistered and unlicensed practitioners in the building and plumbing industries. We’ve launched a new online tip-off form to make it easier for both consumers and practitioners to report suspected unregistered or unlicensed individuals.
Once a tip-off is submitted, the BPC will assess the report, prioritising cases deemed high risk. Enforcement action will be taken against those found to be operating outside regulations to protect consumers and maintain industry standards.
Please note, we will assess each submission, however, we will not reply unless more details are required.
If you wish to lodge a formal complaint regarding someone performing unregistered or unlicensed work, and to receive a response from the BPC about this, then please visit the Issues, complaints and disputes page for more information.
Unregistered and unlicensed work can lead to unsafe practices and compliance issues, putting consumers at risk. As part of our harm-based regulatory approach, we’re using our full legislative powers to protect consumers and ensure compliance across the industry.
For any plumbing work exceeding $750, a licensed plumber is required to issue a compliance certificate so that the work complies with relevant safety standards and plumbing regulations. These certificates also provide additional protection to homeowners through insurance coverage. Note: Registered plumbers cannot supervise others or issue compliance certificates.
Completing this form should take only a few minutes.
Yes, but keep in mind that we won’t be able to contact you for further details if required.
When reporting known or suspected unregistered or unlicensed work, the more information you give us, the better we can investigate. Even if you only know partial details or can only complete some sections of the form, this information is still very useful.
We ask for your contact details in case we need further information. However, you can choose to remain anonymous.
If you have photographs or other evidence and are willing to be contacted, please indicate this on the form.
When we receive information through a tip-off, we cross check the information and assess whether further action is required.
Due to the circumstances of a tip off, we will not be able to tell you of the outcome of our investigation or provide progress updates.
If you prefer to obtain these, please consider lodging a complaint via the BPC Complaints Process page.
Rest assured we take all reports seriously. If we find enough evidence of unregistered or unlicensed work, we may take further steps to prosecute those involved for breaches under the Building Act 1993.
The BPC will collect, hold and use personal information through the online tip-off form to carry out its responsibilities under the Building Act 1993 (Vic) and other laws relating to the business of the BPC.
We do not use or disclose your personal information for purposes other than what it was collected for, unless permitted or required by law. We only collect information from you that is necessary to carry out our functions, from you directly, if practicable.
Please refer to the BPC Privacy Statement for more information about this.
