Does a Plumber Fix Gas? Plumbers vs Gasfitters in NSW

Does a plumber fix gas? Many do, but not simply because they're plumbers. In NSW, plumbing and gasfitting are separate categories of licensed work, and jobs like repairing a gas line, connecting a cooktop or replacing a gas hot water system need someone licensed for gasfitting.

This guide explains how the licence categories work, what counts as gasfitting, the certificate you should receive afterwards, and how to check a licence before anyone starts. If you can smell gas right now, go straight to the safety steps near the end.

Plumbing and gasfitting are separate licence categories in NSW

Building Commission NSW licenses plumbing, draining and gasfitting work, and the NSW Government's licensing page is clear: you need a licence or certificate for any of it, regardless of the cost or whether the job is residential, commercial or industrial. The work is split into categories, and a tradesperson must be licensed in every category they work in, or work under the supervision of someone who is.

The main categories are:

• Plumbing: water plumbing (including hot water), sewerage and sanitary plumbing. It doesn't include draining or roof plumbing.
• Draining: work on the sanitary drains that connect a property to the sewer or to an onsite wastewater system.
• Gasfitting: work on gas installations, flues and gas appliance connections.
• LP gasfitting and advanced LP gasfitting: narrower categories limited to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

So what is a gas plumber?

In everyday terms, a gas plumber is a plumber whose licence also covers gasfitting. A plumbing category on its own doesn't, so it's worth checking before you book any gas job. Supervision rules apply too: a tradesperson certificate holder works under the general supervision of a contractor licence or qualified supervisor certificate holder, and anyone without a licence, including an apprentice, must be under immediate supervision.

What counts as gasfitting work

Gasfitting covers more than fixing leaks. A gas installation is the pipework that carries gas from the meter, or from the connection point of a gas cylinder, to your appliances. Under NSW rules, gasfitting work includes:

• installing, altering, extending or repairing a gas installation
• installing, altering, removing or repairing a flue
• connecting a gas installation to, or disconnecting it from, the gas supply point
• connecting or disconnecting gas appliances such as cooktops, ovens, heaters and gas hot water systems, unless the connection is a gas outlet socket

The NSW Government's rule of thumb

Its guidance for homeowners: any gas repair or renovation, including moving or swapping a gas appliance, should be done by a licensed gasfitter. The rules carve out one everyday task, as changing over a gas cylinder doesn't count as gasfitting work.

Our licensed team does gas fitting. Jobs we've completed around Thirroul, Woonona, Austinmer and Wollongong include gas fitting, and you can read more about our gas services or our guide on when you need a gas plumber fast.

The certificate you should get after gas work

Gas work in NSW comes with paperwork. Once any work involving gas is complete, you're entitled to a certificate from the licensed gasfitter: a certificate of compliance for network gas, or for bottled gas a certificate of inspection. The certificate confirms the work was done by a licensed gasfitter and complies with the relevant standards, it must show the licensee's name and licence number, and the NSW Government says it protects you against faulty work.

The gasfitter has deadlines of their own. Within 5 business days of finishing work on a network gas installation, they must test it for defects and submit a certificate of compliance to Building Commission NSW; since 1 March 2026 that's lodged through the BCNSW eCert portal. On a bottled gas installation, they must inspect the cylinders, regulators and appliances, test the whole installation, attach a compliance plate and give the owner the certificate of inspection.

If the job also involved plumbing, such as connecting the water side of a gas hot water system, the plumbing has its own Certificate of Compliance, which the plumber must complete when the work is finished and give to the person who arranged it.

How do you check a plumber's gas licence?

It takes little effort to confirm who you're hiring. Service NSW's check a builder or tradesperson licence tool searches by licensee name, licence number, licence type, ABN, ACN or location, and Service NSW suggests checking before the work starts. When the result comes up, confirm:

• the name matches the person or business you're dealing with
• the licence is current and hasn't passed its expiry date
• gasfitting, or LP gasfitting for some bottled gas work, is listed among the categories, not just plumbing

Other ways to check

A digital licence can be checked in the Service NSW app, and the NSW Government's gasfitter advice lists 13 27 00 as a phone option for checking a gasfitter's licence details. For more on picking a tradesperson, see plumbers near me: how to choose well.

If you smell gas: what to do first

Jemena, which runs the gas network that supplies Wollongong, says gas smells like rotten eggs or cabbage and can signal a leak. Its advice and the NSW Government's come down to these steps:

• Leave the building straight away and get everyone out.
• Put out naked flames and cigarettes, and don't smoke or use your phone until you're away from the area.
• If you can do it safely, shut the gas off at the meter (or at the cylinder for bottled gas) and open doors and windows.
• Once you're clear, call 000 and ask for Fire and Rescue NSW.
• Report the leak to Jemena on 131 909, any time of day, 7 days a week. For bottled gas, contact your gas supplier; the number is on your gas bill.
• Then call a licensed gasfitter to find and fix the leak.

After the immediate danger has passed

You can reach us on 0411 251 759, 24/7. Our gas leak detection service can track down the source once the area is safe, and the less obvious warning signs are covered in our guide to spotting gas leak signs at home.