Which plumbing jobs need a PUB licensed plumber?

The PUB rule in plain words

According to PUB's page on plumbing works, regulated water service and sanitary plumbing works must be done by a PUB Licensed Plumber. The one exception is a list of simple plumbing works that handymen may do. Since 2018, it has been an offence to engage a plumber who is not PUB-licensed for regulated works.

That gives you a simple test. If you are asking "do I need a licensed plumber?", check your job against PUB's simple works list below. If the job is on the list, a handyman may do it. If it is not, and it involves water supply pipes, toilet bowls or sanitary piping, treat it as regulated work and book a Licensed Plumber. The type of work decides, not the size of the job.

Jobs a handyman may do

PUB sets out the simple plumbing works that a handyman may do without a Licensed Plumber. According to PUB's plumbing works rules, these simple works include:

• Replacing or removing a tap or mixer.
• Replacing a shower hose or showerhead.
• Replacing the connecting hose to a washing machine or dishwasher.
• Replacing or removing the pipe between a stop valve and an instantaneous water heater.
• Replacing a cistern flushing mechanism.
• Installing, replacing or removing a washbasin or sink and its trap.
• Installing, replacing or removing a bathtub, shower tray or shower enclosure.
• Replacing a floor trap grating.
• Clearing any blockage in a floor trap, water closet (toilet bowl) or sanitary appliance.

So replacing a dripping kitchen tap or a split shower hose is handyman work. For a worn basin or kitchen tap, our tap replacement page is a good place to start.

Read the edges of the list closely. It covers the pipe between a stop valve and an instantaneous water heater, not other water supply pipes. It covers the cistern flushing mechanism, not the toilet bowl itself. And it covers clearing a blockage in a toilet bowl, not removing or relocating the bowl. If you are weighing a handyman or specialist, these edges are usually where the answer lies.

Jobs that need a Licensed Plumber in Singapore

Anything outside the simple works list that touches water service or sanitary works needs a PUB Licensed Plumber. PUB names installing, changing or relocating toilet bowls and the sanitary piping system as sanitary plumbing work for a Licensed Plumber. Common examples include:

• Installing a toilet bowl, or changing an old bowl for a new one.
• Moving a toilet bowl, for example during a bathroom renovation.
• Installing, changing or relocating sanitary piping.
• Water supply pipe works beyond the simple list, such as altering or rerouting supply pipes.
• Work on water tanks, which are not on the simple works list.

With toilets, the line falls between the bowl and its parts. A handyman may replace the cistern flushing mechanism or clear a choked bowl, but changing or moving the bowl itself is Licensed Plumber work. For toilet jobs, see our toilet repair and replacement page.

Electrical parts are separate

Water heaters and pumps run on power, and the point that feeds them is electrical work, not plumbing. According to EMA, electrical work at home should be carried out or supervised by an EMA Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW). That includes installing, repairing or modifying wiring, and adding, extending or replacing power points such as sockets and switches. EMA says electrical work in an HDB flat needs a Licensed Electrician, the class of LEW approved for loads of up to 45kVA.

So one job can need two trades. With an instantaneous water heater, a handyman may replace the pipe between the stop valve and the heater, while a new or replacement power point for the heater is a job for an LEW.

How to check a plumber's licence

PUB licenses plumbers, and you can find Licensed Plumbers through PUB's online listings, the Singapore Plumbing Society or your Town Council. Before any regulated job:

• Ask for the licence number. Ask which Licensed Plumber will do the regulated work, and for that plumber's licence number.
• Check PUB's online listings. Look the plumber up before you agree to the work.
• Keep a record. Note the licence number on the quote or in your messages.

A listing in the HomezyPro directory is not a licence check, so confirm the licence yourself. For more, see our page on finding a licensed plumber.

Getting a fair quote

Price depends on the job, so this page gives no figures. According to PUB, PUB charges no fee for the regulatory submissions a Licensed Plumber lodges, and any such fee is the plumber's own commercial charge. PUB also advises you to:

• Discuss the scope of work and the cost first.
• Ask for itemised quotes.
• Get at least three quotes.

Check that each quote covers the same scope. If one company quotes for handyman work and another for Licensed Plumber work, the totals will not line up. When you compare plumbers in the directory, you can see each company's own published prices and the source behind them.

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