Tradie Forms: build the Queensland plumbing paperwork pack while the work is still in front of you. Use guided sections for permit, amendment, covered work, treatment plant, testing, backflow and final certificate records, then preview the official PDF layout and download the finished form for council, the owner or the job record.
Queensland plumbing paperwork can feel like a pile of similar form numbers until you tie each one to the job-site moment. One form starts permit work. Another changes a permit. Another records covered work. Another reports treatment plant service details. Form 19 is not a plumber declaration at all, but a final inspection certificate used by local government or a public sector entity.
This guide is a field list for Queensland plumbers, drainers, plumbing businesses and office admins who need to keep the paperwork moving without mixing up the forms. It covers the common set now available in Tradie Forms: QLD Form 1, QLD Form 2, QLD Form 3, QLD Form 5, QLD Form 9, QLD Form 11, QLD PDR Form 12, QLD Form 14, and QLD Form 19. You can also browse the full QLD plumbing forms page as more paperwork comes online.
Tradie Forms maps your entries onto the official PDF layout. It does not decide which form applies, whether work complies, or whether a person is authorised to sign or issue a certificate. That check stays with the licensed person, permit authority, local government or public entity responsible for the job.
Start with the job stage
Do not start by asking, "Which PDF did we use last time?" Start with the stage of the work.
If the job is permit work before it starts, QLD Form 1 is the permit work application. Business Queensland says permit work needs a permit before it starts, and permit work is inspected against the relevant plumbing laws, permit terms and plans that came with the application.
If the permit already exists and the scope or timing has changed, QLD Form 2 is for an application to amend a permit or request an extension of time.
If plumbing or drainage was covered before an inspector inspected it, and local government has allowed the declaration pathway, QLD Form 3 is the covered work declaration.
If the job needs a test or commissioning report, use QLD Form 5. If the job is a testable backflow prevention device report, use QLD Form 9.
If the work is servicing an on-site sewerage or greywater treatment plant, QLD Form 11 records the service report.
If a specialist work compliance statement is required for a permit application, QLD PDR Form 12 captures the statement, basis and qualified person details.
If a compliance declaration is required after a relevant action notice, QLD Form 14 records the completed work, responsible person and declaration.
If all or part of the permitted work has reached the final inspection certificate stage, QLD Form 19 is used by the local government or public sector entity to certify the work described on the form.
The practical form list
Form 1 - Permit work application
Form 1 sits at the start of permit work. The job details need to match the proposed work, the land, the fixtures and the supporting plans. Business Queensland's supporting documents guidance says extra documents may be needed depending on the proposed work and building class.
For a plumber on site, the risk is not usually the form number. It is stale job details. The address might be right, but the lot and plan might be missing. The fixture count might have changed after a builder meeting. The sanitary drainage design might not match the latest plan.
Use the QLD Form 1 template as the starting record, then attach the finished PDF to the job file beside plans, owner approvals and council correspondence.
Form 2 - Application to amend a permit
Form 2 belongs when the existing permit needs more time or needs to be amended. The official Queensland guidance says an extension should be applied for at least 10 business days before the permit term ends. It also says an amended permit needs to be approved and issued before extra work starts.
On site, Form 2 is useful when the real job has moved away from the approved job. Fixtures changed. The treatment plant changed. More time is needed. A site condition has forced a different run.
The QLD Form 2 template guides the property, permit, extension, amendment, fixtures, wastewater, owner, applicant and declaration details before export.
Form 3 - Covered work declaration
Form 3 is not a shortcut around inspections. Business Queensland describes it as an alternative in some cases where local government may accept a declaration or report instead of completing an inspection. The official guidance says it can be used if work is covered before an inspector has inspected the work and local government has allowed the form to be used to certify the work is compliant.
Use the QLD Form 3 template when the stage, location, inspection arrangements, responsible person and declaration need to be captured cleanly.
Form 5 - Testing or commissioning report
Form 5 is for a testing or commissioning report. It often sits beside permit or inspection paperwork because the test result explains whether the work is ready to move forward.
Do not leave test detail in a notebook only. Record the test while gauges, readings and equipment details are still fresh. The QLD Form 5 template helps turn those details into the official PDF layout.
Form 9 - Backflow report
Form 9 is the registration and report on inspection and testing of testable backflow prevention devices. The job-site detail is specific: device, location, owner, property, test result and tester details need to match the asset and local government record.
Use QLD Form 9 when the readings are fresh, then store the PDF with any repair notes, photos or owner handover records.
Form 11 - Treatment plant service report
Form 11 is for a service report for an on-site sewerage or greywater treatment plant. The official PDF says it must be submitted to local government and a copy provided to the owner within 10 business days after servicing the facility.
The QLD Form 11 template gives the service technician a guided path through plant details, system status, land application area, service tests, annual tests, owner details and declaration.
Form 12 - Compliance statement for specialised work
QLD PDR Form 12 is not the building Form 12. It is the plumbing and drainage compliance statement for specialised work. The official PDF asks for the description of work, basis of statement, reference documentation and suitably qualified person details.
Use QLD PDR Form 12 when the statement needs to be attached to permit paperwork and the basis needs to be clear enough for local government to review.
Form 14 - Compliance declaration
Form 14 is a compliance declaration tied to completed work and a relevant action notice. The official PDF asks for permit details, action notice details, a description of the work performed, completion date, responsible person, contractor details where needed, and the declaration.
Use QLD Form 14 when the finished declaration needs to match the action notice and the work completed.
Form 19 - Final inspection certificate
Form 19 is used by local government or a public sector entity. Business Queensland says it certifies that the permit work is compliant, operational and fit for use, and can be issued when all work under the permit, or a distinct part of the work, is complete.
If your business handles permit authority records or prepares details for council, the QLD Form 19 template keeps the property, permit, declaration and certification details in the official layout.
What to collect before export
Most rework comes from missing basics. Before exporting any Queensland plumbing form, check the job record for:
- Street address, lot and plan, suburb, postcode and local government area
- Permit number, issue date and action notice reference where relevant
- Owner, applicant, contractor, responsible person or technician details
- Licence numbers and contact details
- Fixture counts, treatment plant details, test results or device details
- Work description specific enough to identify the location and scope
- Signature, date and any required declaration wording
Saved details in Tradie Forms help with repeat typing, especially business, licence, owner and applicant details. The saved detail still needs a quick check before export. A licence number or company name copied from an old job can make a finished PDF look careless.
Build a clean handover pack
The finished PDF is only one part of the job record. For a clean handover, keep the form beside the evidence that explains it.
That could include plans, fixture schedules, test sheets, commissioning notes, backflow asset details, treatment plant service notes, photos, local government emails, owner approvals and job-system references.
The practical habit is simple:
- Fill the form on site while the details are fresh.
- Preview the official PDF layout before it leaves your hands.
- Fix missing fields before export.
- Download the finished PDF.
- Attach or store it with the job record.
If the job moves between the plumber, the office, the builder, the owner and council, a clean PDF and a tidy job record save phone calls later.
Where Tradie Forms fits
Tradie Forms is built for the paperwork moment on site. Instead of pinching around a flat PDF on a phone, you work through guided sections that match the form.
For Queensland plumbing forms, that means you can reuse business, licence and owner details, catch missing fields before export, preview the official PDF layout, download the finished PDF, and attach or store it with the job record. Related forms can sit together, so a Form 1 permit application, Form 2 amendment, Form 5 testing report and Form 19 final certificate can be easier to find later.
Tradie Forms maps entries onto official PDF layouts. The licensed plumber, drainer, responsible person, local government or public entity still needs to check the work, the form choice and the exported PDF before it is lodged or handed over.
Next steps
Start with QLD Form 1 for permit work applications, QLD Form 2 for amendments or extensions, QLD Form 3 for covered work declarations, or browse all QLD plumbing forms.
Official references
Check the Business Queensland plumbing and drainage forms and templates page, permit applications for plumbing and drainage work, supporting documents for permit applications, amending or extending a plumbing or drainage permit, inspection certificates for plumbing and drainage, and the current Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019.