Tradie Forms: complete QLD Form 5 on the official testing or commissioning report layout while the gauges, dates, permit number, and responsible person details are still in front of you. Preview the PDF, catch gaps, and download a clean copy for handover.
Queensland plumbing testing and commissioning paperwork can turn messy fast. The test is done, the equipment is packed, the next job is calling, and the Form 5 is still sitting in a PDF editor or on a clipboard.
That is when dates get guessed. Permit numbers get copied from the wrong text thread. The responsible person and competent person blocks blur together. A simple testing report becomes a phone call from the office or council because one field does not line up.
QLD Form 5 works best when you finish it at the job. You know what was tested, which installation type applies, who performed or supervised the work, and who needs the report next. Get those details into the official PDF layout before the site context disappears.
What QLD Form 5 is for
Business Queensland lists Form 5 as "A testing or commissioning report" under the plumbing and drainage forms for the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 framework.
The official Form 5 PDF says it is used for section 77(2) of the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019. It also says completion of all applicable sections is mandatory. In plain job-site terms, it records that plumbing or drainage work, or the relevant part of it, has been tested or commissioned.
The form is not the same as the permit application. It sits later in the job flow, when the relevant testing or commissioning has happened and the report needs to move from the competent person to the people who rely on it.
Use the Business Queensland plumbing forms page, the current Form 5 PDF, and the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019 as the official references for current requirements.
The handover timing matters
The Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019 sets the handover chain for testing or commissioning reports. The competent person must give the report to the responsible person within 5 business days after the testing or commissioning is finished. If the responsible person is given the report, the responsible person must then give it to the local government within the timeframe set out in the Regulation.
That makes Form 5 a handover document, not just a record for the drawer. If you are the competent person, the responsible person needs a usable report quickly. If you are the responsible person, you need to know whether the report is complete before it goes to local government.
The simple field habit is this: do the test, finish the form, preview the PDF, and hand over the finished report before the job slips into yesterday's pile.
Who is involved on Form 5
Form 5 uses three party blocks that are easy to mix up when you are moving quickly.
The responsible person is the licensed person who performs or supervises the performance of the work. Their details include name, occupational licence number, contractor licence number where applicable, phone, email, and postal address.
The contractor licence block applies when the responsible person is not the contractor for the work. If that situation applies, the contractor's company or individual details need to be included.
The competent person is the person who carried out the testing or commissioning. The official form describes that person as someone who holds a licence authorising the testing or commissioning, or someone the local government considers competent to carry it out.
On a small job, one person may fill more than one role. On a larger job, the roles may sit with different workers or businesses. Do not assume the saved contact block is right for every section. Check the role first, then fill the details.
Details to collect before you export
The Form 5 PDF is only two pages, but it pulls together information from the permit, site, test record, and licence details. If any of those live somewhere else, collect them before you sign.
Description of land
The official form says the description must identify all land the application covers. That usually means the street address, lot and plan, shop or tenancy number, storey or level, and local government area where applicable.
Do not rely on the customer's nickname for the job. "Bakery fit-off" might make sense to your crew, but the report needs to identify the land clearly enough for local government and future records. Unit sites, shopping centres, industrial estates, rural blocks, and new subdivisions need extra care.
Permit details
Add the permit number and date issued if known. If the report is tied to work under a permit, this is the link between the testing result and the approved work pathway.
Before export, compare the permit number against the job file, council portal, or approval paperwork. A single wrong digit can send the office hunting later.
Action notice details
Form 5 includes an action notice section if applicable. If the testing or commissioning report is connected to an action notice, include the reference number and date issued where known.
Leave it blank only because it does not apply, not because nobody checked. If an action notice is part of the job history, the report should make that connection clear.
Details of testing
This is the job-site core of the form. The official PDF includes date fields for testing or commissioning against installation types such as water plumbing installation, hot water service, hot water below 50 degrees Celsius, sanitary plumbing, sanitary drainage, floor waste gully branches, reticulated water static pressure testing below 500kPa other than fire service, and other testing details.
Enter the date against the installation type that was actually tested or commissioned. Do not copy one date across every line if only one part of the work was tested that day. If "other" applies, describe it clearly.
The form notes that testing and commissioning is done in accordance with the relevant part of AS/NZS 3500. Tradie Forms does not decide whether the test was adequate. It helps you put the details onto the official PDF layout, then the competent person still checks the report before handover.
Common QLD Form 5 mistakes
One date is copied everywhere
Different installation types may be tested or commissioned at different stages. A copied date can make the report look finished when a section was not tested that day.
Use the test record, not memory. If a section does not apply, leave it out. If it does apply, add the right date.
Responsible person and competent person are swapped
The responsible person is tied to performing or supervising the work. The competent person is tied to carrying out the testing or commissioning. Sometimes that is the same person. Sometimes it is not.
Read the role descriptions before filling the contact blocks. If the report is going to another licensed person, make sure their details are in the right place.
Contractor details are skipped
The contractor block is not just spare space. If the responsible person is not the contractor for the work, the contractor details must be provided on the form.
This can matter for subcontracted work, larger crews, and jobs where the licence holder and testing person are not the same business.
The site is not identified well enough
The description of land should point to the real site. Lot and plan details, tenancy number, storey, level, or local government area can all matter.
If someone needs to match the Form 5 to a permit, inspection, or site record later, a vague address slows everyone down.
The PDF is not reviewed before handover
Guided forms reduce missed fields, but they do not replace the licensed person's check. Before sending or storing the report, preview the official PDF layout. Check names, licence numbers, test dates, declaration date, and any sections that were not applicable.
A clean on-site Form 5 workflow
Use a repeatable closeout habit for testing and commissioning jobs:
- Confirm the site, lot and plan, tenancy, and local government area.
- Match the report to the permit or action notice where applicable.
- Record each relevant testing or commissioning date while the test record is open.
- Confirm who is the responsible person, contractor, and competent person.
- Add licence and contact details from saved business details, then check them.
- Read the declaration before signing.
- Preview the Form 5 PDF and download the finished copy.
- Hand it to the responsible person or keep it ready for the local government pathway.
That rhythm keeps the report close to the work. It also helps the office attach the finished PDF to the job record without chasing photos, notes, or old messages.
How Tradie Forms helps
Tradie Forms turns QLD Form 5 into guided sections instead of a flat PDF. You can work through land, permit, action notice, testing details, responsible person, contractor, competent person, and declaration sections in order.
You can:
- Save competent person details for repeat testing work
- Use address search for Queensland sites
- Catch missing required fields before export
- Preview the official PDF layout before handover
- Download the finished report for the responsible person, council pathway, customer file, or job record
- Attach or store the PDF with the job record where your business keeps closeout documents
Tradie Forms maps your entries onto the Queensland Form 5 PDF layout. It is not affiliated with the Queensland Government or any local government, and it does not decide whether the work passes testing or commissioning. The competent person and licensed tradie remain responsible for checking the work and exported PDF.
What to keep with the finished report
Keep the Form 5 PDF with the support material that explains the result:
- Test sheets, readings, or commissioning notes
- Permit number and approval documents
- Action notice details where applicable
- Photos of test points, plant, fixtures, or site conditions where useful
- Licence and contractor details used on the form
- Handover email, upload receipt, or local government lodgement record
This matters when a council officer asks for the report, the responsible person needs to prove what was handed over, or the next plumber wants to understand what was already tested.
Next steps
Start QLD Form 5 while the testing details are fresh, or browse QLD plumber forms for permit work, backflow, and other Queensland plumbing paperwork.
Related forms include QLD Form 1 permit work application before permit work starts and QLD Form 9 backflow for testable backflow prevention device reporting.
Official references
For current requirements, check the Business Queensland plumbing forms page, the Queensland Form 5 PDF, and the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019.