Rectification Notices
At some stage you may have carried out plumbing work that does not comply with the prescribed plumbing standards. If one of the Board’s compliance officers confirms that your work does not adhere to these standards, you may be issued with a rectification notice.
Rectification notices are issued to licensed plumbing contractors to ensure that standards of workmanship and the integrity of plumbing systems in WA are maintained. A notice can be issued up to 6 years after the date the Board receives a certificate of compliance for the work. Therefore, every day certification for a job is late is an extra day you can be required to rectify work.
The following is a quick guide to what to you need to know if you are issued with a rectification notice:
- Rectify the work by the date and time given on the notice.
The date on the notice is binding. If you do not rectify the work by this date, penalties can be applied. If unforeseen circumstances arise that prevent you completing the work on time, you must contact the officer who issued the notice and let them know of the situation. For valid reasons an alternate arrangement can be made. The notice will also tell you which Standard(s) you have breached. If you are unsure as to the best way to proceed, call the Board’s Technical Advice Line on 1300 360 897 or contact the officer you have received the notice from. - Complete and return the Compliance Statement attached to the Rectification Notice.
It is important that as soon as possible after completing the work, you notify the compliance officer that issued the notice, or if he or she cannot be notified, the Board. This is like submitting a certificate of compliance on the rectified work. The easiest way to do this is to fill in the statement that comes with the notice. You can be fined for failing to notify that a rectification notice has been complied with in the same way as you can be fined for not submitting a certificate of compliance. - You cannot charge for rectification work.
It is your responsibility to pay for the cost of rectifying non-compliant plumbing work. The owner of the property where plumbing work is to be rectified will be given a copy of the rectification notice. They will also be informed that you are not entitled to any form of payment for rectification work, and that you can be penalised for requesting payment. - Re-inspection Fees may be applicable.
Where a compliance officer has to return to the site to confirm the plumbing work has been rectified, a re-inspection fee may be charged. The fee is $60 an hour or part hour, plus GST, and is calculated from the time a compliance officer has to spend on site inspecting the plumbing work plus the travelling time from the nearest GPO. - Any questions? Ask!
For most plumbers, receiving a rectification notice is not a regular occurrence. If you are issued a notice and have any questions about the process, don’t hesitate to contact the issuing officer or the Board’s Technical Advice Line on 1300 360 897.