Neil51

Can someone clarify what the situation is in Australia about doing one's own home repairs/renovations? None of the threads that I have searched on explain exactly whether plumbing and other DIY is permitted and the implications this has for subsequent house sales.
In the UK I have done my own plumbing, building, renovations, and installed a soild fuel fire. Hopefully I shall soon be arriving in Queensland where I would hope to do my own house renovations again when we find our new home.
Can someone please clarify what the Australian equivalent of the building regulations permit for DIY renovations and plumbling. In particular I would like to install my own solar water system.
Thanks,

cresta57

In QLD you can't touch any plumbing without having a licence. You even need a plumber to do simple tasks like tap washers and fitting washing machine taps, though most places already have a separate laundry anyway. Ditto electrical work, the TV ads currently running even specify getting licenced contractors in to change plugs etc.
If you get an owner builder licence see the QBSA site for details you can do most of your own renovation work though all electrical and drainage/plumbing work must still be done by a licensed person.
Be aware that any owner builder work negates your usual home construction insurance [see the QBSA link for more details] Any renovation work done by the householder costing in excess of 11k [that's the price of materials and the labour a licenced tradesman would quote] requires an owner builder permit
In some cases you may find a friendly plumber that will steer you in the right direction and allow you to do some of the simple but time consuming work like running & clipping pipes with him then charging you for making the connections and signing off the work. Don't get to excited about that prospect as the reality is those blokes are very few and far between.