Mendy Blog · Fixing it yourself

What home repairs can you legally do yourself in Australia?

Changing a light globe is fine. Swapping a power point is not. Here's where the line sits for electrical, plumbing and gas work in every state and territory.

By Alexander Lemos, founder of MendyPublished 8 October 20268 min read

Short answer

Less than most people think. Apart from small jobs like changing a light globe or testing your safety switch, electrical work needs a licensed electrician in every state and territory. For plumbing, most states let you fix a dripping tap and many let you change a shower head. South Australia allows the most and the ACT and NT the least. Gas work needs a licensed gasfitter, though connecting a BBQ to a portable cylinder isn't gasfitting in NSW, South Australia or the NT.

Can I do it myself? Common jobs at a glance

Each state sets its own rules, so the answer depends on where you live. This table covers the jobs people ask about most. The sections below have the detail for each state, and every rule links to its official source at the end.

Common home jobs and the rules, checked 8 October 2026
Job	Do it yourself?	What the rules say
Change a light globe	Yes	NSW's regulator names it as the one electrical maintenance job you can do. Queensland and South Australia list it too.
Test your safety switch	Yes	Regulators ask you to press the Test button regularly. NSW says every six months, Victoria and WA every three months.
Reset a tripped safety switch or circuit breaker	Yes	Queensland and South Australia list it as something a householder can do. If it keeps tripping, that is a fault for an electrician.
Replace a power point, light switch or light fitting	No	Licensed electrician. Victoria's regulator says electrical work isn't a DIY job, even changing power points or light switches. WA says never replace fittings and switches yourself.
Install a hardwired smoke alarm	No	Licensed electrician in NSW and Queensland. Battery smoke alarms need no electrical work. In Queensland they must be photoelectric, with a 10-year battery that can't be removed.
Repair a dripping tap (washer or jumper valve)	Yes, in most states	Allowed in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, South Australia and Tasmania, but not on thermostatic mixing valves in NSW or WA. The ACT and NT say any plumbing needs a licensed plumber.
Change a shower head	Yes, in most states	Allowed in Victoria (water-efficient heads), Queensland, WA, South Australia and Tasmania (like for like). NSW's exemption covers repairing a shower head, not replacing it.
Unblock a sink or toilet with a plunger	Usually	WA and Tasmania name plunging a blocked toilet or fixture as homeowner work, and South Australia lets you clear wastewater drains narrower than 50 mm. The other states' lists don't mention plungers.
Replace a toilet cistern washer	In some states	Allowed in Queensland, WA and South Australia. NSW's and Victoria's exemptions cover taps and shower heads only.
Connect a washing machine or dishwasher	South Australia only	South Australia lists it as something you can do. None of the other states' lists include it.
Install a toilet or hot water system, or alter pipes	No	Licensed plumber. No state's homeowner exemption covers it.
Connect a BBQ to a gas cylinder	In some states	NSW, South Australia and the NT say connecting or changing over a portable cylinder isn't gasfitting.
Any other gas work	No	Licensed gasfitter. NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, South Australia, the ACT and the NT all say so.
Install or regas an air conditioner	No	Handling refrigerant needs a licence from the Australian Refrigeration Council, and the electrical connection needs a licensed electrician.
Remove asbestos sheeting	Only within strict limits	Homes built or renovated before 1990 may contain asbestos. NSW lets homeowners remove less than 10 m² of bonded asbestos, and Queensland up to 10 m² without a training certificate. The ACT allows none.

Electrical work: almost none of it is DIY

DIY electrical work is illegal in every state and territory. NSW's safety guidance says you should never carry out electrical maintenance other than changing a light globe.

A few regulators spell out the small jobs a householder can do. Queensland's Electrical Safety Office lists changing a light bulb, a fluorescent tube or starter, or a fuse, and resetting a circuit breaker or safety switch. South Australia's list adds installing a TV or antenna, testing safety switches, changing smoke alarm batteries and cleaning solar panels. Everything else, including any work that touches wiring connected to the mains, needs a licensed electrician.

The fines are real. In NSW, an individual who does electrical wiring work without being qualified faces up to 200 penalty units, which is $22,000. In Queensland, doing electrical work without a licence carries up to 400 penalty units, more than $60,000.

Plumbing: what each state lets you do

Plumbing is where the states differ most. Most of them list the small jobs an owner or occupier can do on their own home without a licence, and the lists are short. In NSW and WA, someone helping you can only do it unpaid.

Plumbing you can do without a licence, checked 8 October 2026
State or territory	What the rules allow
NSW	Repair a tap or shower head (but not a thermostatic mixing valve, tempering valve or backflow device), and fit water-saving devices to tap ends and shower heads. Source: Plumbing and Drainage Act 2011, section 4.
VIC	Change over a water-efficient shower head, and repair or replace tap washers or make other minor tap repairs. Source: Plumbing Regulations 2018, regulation 13.
QLD	Replace a shower head, a water filter cartridge, or a tap washer or jumper valve. Repair or replace the washers and suction cup rubber in a toilet cistern. A few garden irrigation and drain grate jobs. Source: Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019, schedule 3.
WA	Maintain, repair or replace a shower head. Maintain or repair a tap (not a thermostatic mixing tap). Replace a cistern washer or water filter cartridge. Clear a blocked fixture or waste pipe with a plunger. Source: Building and Energy.
SA	Repair or replace a tap, or a tap washer or jumper valve. Change a shower head. Connect a washing machine or dishwasher. Replace cistern washers and suction cup rubbers. Clear a wastewater drain narrower than 50 mm. Garden irrigation, and stormwater pipes narrower than 90 mm. Source: SA Government.
TAS	On your own home, repair or replace tapware, shower heads or shower hoses like for like, replace a water filter cartridge, put in garden irrigation, and unblock toilets and fixtures with a handheld plunger. Source: Building Standards Tasmania.
ACT	The regulator says plumbers, drainers and gasfitters must be licensed for any plumbing, drainage or gasfitting work. Source: ACT Planning.
NT	The regulator says to always use a licensed plumber, including for work on fixtures and fittings. Plumbing licences apply in declared plumbing licence areas. Source: NT Government.

Anything beyond these lists needs a licensed plumber. South Australia's guide gives the usual examples, such as altering pipework, installing a toilet, replacing a hot water system, and kitchen or bathroom renovations.

Gas: call a licensed gasfitter

NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, South Australia, the ACT and the NT all require a licensed gasfitter for gas work. That includes connecting, moving or servicing a gas appliance, and any work on pipes or flues.

The common exception is the BBQ. NSW, South Australia and the NT say connecting or swapping a portable gas cylinder isn't gasfitting. South Australia includes portable equipment that runs on the cylinder, such as a patio heater.

Before you drill, cut or sand: asbestos

If your home was built or renovated before 1990, it might contain asbestos, according to the national Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency. Disturbing it can release fibres, so check before you start on walls, eaves, floors or old sheeting.

The rules on removing it yourself vary. NSW lets a homeowner remove less than 10 square metres of non-friable (bonded) asbestos. Queensland lets homeowners remove up to 10 square metres without a training certificate. In the ACT, only a licensed asbestos removalist may remove any amount. If you're not sure what you're dealing with, leave it alone and talk to a licensed removalist.

How Mendy draws the line

Mendy's fix guides only cover jobs on the safe side of this line, like changing a light globe, replacing a tap washer and unblocking a toilet. Every guide has a clear stop point for when the job becomes work for a licensed tradie. Check your state's rules above before you start.

When you scan a problem, Mendy also looks for hazards. If it flags electrical work, gas, major plumbing, structural work, working at heights or possible asbestos, it won't offer a DIY fix. It points you to licensed tradies instead, and can ring them for quotes.

Questions people ask

Can I replace a power point if I turn the power off first?

No. Turning the power off makes it safer, not legal. Replacing a power point or light switch is electrical work, and it needs a licensed electrician in every state and territory. Victoria's regulator names power points and light switches specifically.

Can I replace my own toilet?

No. None of the state homeowner exemptions cover installing a toilet, and South Australia's guide names it as a job for a licensed plumber. Replacing the washers inside the cistern is allowed in Queensland, WA and South Australia.

Can I install my own dishwasher?

In South Australia you can connect a washing machine or dishwasher yourself. The other states' homeowner lists don't include it. If the appliance is hardwired rather than plugged in, the electrical connection needs a licensed electrician.

What happens if I do my own electrical work?

Beyond the risk of a shock or a fire, it's an offence. In NSW the maximum fine for an individual is $22,000, and in Queensland it is 400 penalty units, more than $60,000.

Can a handyman do these jobs for me?

Only within the rules. A handyman without an electrical, plumbing or gas licence can't do licensed work. Even the small plumbing jobs are limited. In NSW and WA the exemptions cover only the owner or occupier, or someone helping them unpaid. Tasmania lets owners use a non-licensed qualified contractor for its listed jobs.

Not sure which side of the line your job is on?

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Sources

Every link above was opened and checked on 8 October 2026. Rules and registers change, so we recheck this guide every three months. Spotted something out of date? Email support@mendyai.app and we will fix it.

How this guide was written

Researched and drafted with the help of AI. Every rule, threshold and link was then checked against the official government source, and Alexander Lemos reviewed the guide before it was published.

Keep reading on Mendy

Written by Alexander Lemos, the founder of Mendy, the Sydney-built app that scans a household problem, finds the safe fix, or rings local tradies for real quotes.