| Situation | What the certificate costs you |
|---|---|
| Gas cooktop, oven or hot water install by a licensed gas fitter | Included in the gas work |
| New gas point or bayonet | Included in the gas work |
| Gas leak repair or line alteration | Included in the gas work |
| Certifying gas work a previous tradie never certified | Quoted after inspection, no set figure |
| Gas work offered with no certificate | Do not accept it at any price |
The question usually comes from one of two places: someone comparing quotes who sees "compliance certificate" listed and wonders if it is an extra, or someone who has just discovered their kitchen or hot water was connected years ago and no paperwork exists. Both get the same starting point: in Queensland the certificate is part of the gas work, not a product you buy on the side.
Is a gas compliance certificate a separate charge?
No. When we do gas work, the certificate is issued as part of the job and its cost sits inside the price we quote for the work. On our price index it is listed as included in the gas work, and that is how any licensed gas fitter should treat it. If a quote lists the certificate as an optional extra, or someone offers you a cheaper price without it, that tells you something about the work itself, beyond the paperwork. The certificate is the record that the installation was tested and complies, and a gas fitter who can leave without issuing one is either not licensed or not doing the test.
Why is it legally required in Queensland?
Because gas work in Queensland must be done by the holder of a gas work licence, and that licence holder is required to certify the work they have done. The certificate is how the state's gas safety framework tracks who did what to which installation. A cooktop swap, a bayonet, a hot water changeover, a leak repair, a line alteration: each of these is gas work and each requires the certificate at completion. There is no size of job below which it stops applying. A like-for-like appliance swap that took an hour needs it just as much as a full kitchen gas fit-out, because every disconnection and reconnection is a chance for a fitting to be left loose, and the certificate is proof the installation was pressure tested afterwards.
What does the certificate actually certify?
- That the work was carried out by a licensed gas fitter, with the licence number on the document
- Which installation and which appliances the work covered, at which address
- That the installation was tested for leaks and holds pressure
- That the appliances were commissioned and operate correctly, including flame and ventilation checks where they apply
- That the work complies with the gas installation standard and Queensland requirements
Keep the certificate with the appliance manual and your other house paperwork. Your insurer can ask for it after any gas-related claim, a buyer's solicitor can ask for it at sale time, and the appliance manufacturer can ask for it before honouring a warranty claim.
Why should I never accept gas work without one?
Three reasons, in order of how much they will cost you. Safety: uncertified work has not been shown to hold pressure, and a small leak inside a cabinet or wall does not announce itself. Insurance: most home policies expect gas appliances to have been installed by a licensed gas fitter, and an incident traced to uncertified work gives the insurer a clean reason to decline. Resale: a pre-purchase inspection that finds a gas cooktop with no certificate becomes a negotiating point against you, and the fix is dearer under time pressure than it would have been on the day of the install. Paying a licensed gas fitter for the job once is cheaper than any of those.
What if a previous tradie never gave me a certificate?
This is the honest, less tidy part. A licensed gas fitter can only certify work they can verify. If we come to a house where a cooktop was connected years ago with no paperwork, we can inspect the installation, pressure test it, check the fittings, regulator, isolation valve and ventilation, and if it passes, certify what we have tested. If parts of it cannot be inspected without opening things up, or if the work does not meet the standard, then it has to be brought up to standard before it can be certified, and that is real work, not a signature. None of this can be priced off a list, because we do not know what we will find until we look. So it is quoted after inspection, with the price confirmed before anything beyond the inspection goes ahead. What we will not do is sign off on gas work sight unseen, and you should be wary of anyone who offers to.
What to check on the certificate you are handed
Look for the gas fitter's licence number and name, the date, your address, a plain description of the work done and the appliances involved, and confirmation of the test. If any of that is missing, ask before they leave the driveway. If you have lost a certificate from work we did, ring us and we will send a copy.
Does every visit involving a gas appliance need one?
Only gas work does. If nobody has touched the gas side, there is nothing to certify: an electrician replacing an ignition module on a cooktop, for example, is doing electrical work. The moment a gas connection is undone, altered, added or repaired, it becomes gas work and the certificate applies.
One licence note
A plumbing licence and a gas work licence are two different things in Queensland. A plumber without the gas licence cannot do your gas work or issue the certificate. Ask specifically about the gas work licence when you book anyone for gas, and if the answer is vague, book someone else.
Want gas work done properly with the certificate in your hand at the end, or need old gas work inspected and certified? Book through our Gas Fitting service page or call Jieye on 0472 657 042. The certificate is part of the job, every job.