What home jobs can you legally DIY in Victoria? 23 jobs checked
Short answer
Of 23 common home jobs, 8 are yours to do in Victoria, 11 need a licensed tradie and 4 depend on the details. In Victoria you can change tap washers and fit a water-efficient shower head yourself. Switches, power points and every gas job need a licensed tradie, and gas work always needs a compliance certificate.
Victoria has some of the clearest guidance in the country: Energy Safe Victoria publishes a “don’t do it yourself” list for electrical work, and the plumbing regulations spell out the minor jobs owners can do.
We checked 23 of the most common home jobs against Victoria’s regulators. Each row says whether you can do it yourself, and why.
The quick list
You can DIY: change a light globe; replace a battery-only smoke alarm; plug an appliance into an existing power point; change a tap washer or jumper valve; replace a screw-on showerhead; clear a blocked sink or drain with a plunger; patch a hole in plasterboard; regrout tiles or replace shower silicone.
Needs a licensed tradie: replace or add a power point; replace a light switch; replace a light fitting or downlight; install a ceiling fan; install a hardwired smoke alarm; connect a hardwired oven, cooktop or rangehood; replace a whole tap or mixer; replace a toilet suite; connect a dishwasher to water and drain; replace a hot water system; install or move a gas appliance or bayonet.
Check with the regulator first: replace the plug on an appliance or extension lead; replace washers inside a toilet cistern; plug a portable gas heater into an existing bayonet; waterproof your own bathroom (membrane).
Electrical
Anything connected to fixed wiring is licensed electrical work in every state. What you can do is anything that plugs in, and changing globes.
| Job | In VIC | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Change a light globe (guide) | DIY OK | Changing a globe is normal use of the fitting, not electrical work. Switch off at the wall and let hot globes cool first. |
| Replace a battery-only smoke alarm (guide) | DIY OK | A battery-only alarm isn’t connected to mains wiring, so you can fit or replace it yourself. Check your state’s smoke-alarm rules for rentals and sales, some require interconnected hardwired alarms. |
| Plug an appliance into an existing power point (guide) | DIY OK | Plugging an appliance into an existing power point is normal use. Adding or moving the power point is licensed electrical work. |
| Replace or add a power point (guide) | Licensed tradie | Energy Safe Victoria: electrical work isn’t a DIY job, even for small jobs such as changing power points or light switches. |
| Replace a light switch (guide) | Licensed tradie | Energy Safe Victoria names changing light switches as work that isn’t DIY. |
| Replace a light fitting or downlight (guide) | Licensed tradie | Light fittings and downlights are wired into the lighting circuit, so replacing them needs a licensed electrician in every state. |
| Install a ceiling fan (guide) | Licensed tradie | Installing a ceiling fan connects to fixed wiring and needs a licensed electrician in every state. You can assemble it before the electrician arrives. |
| Install a hardwired smoke alarm (guide) | Licensed tradie | Hardwired (mains-powered) smoke alarms connect to fixed wiring, so they must be installed by a licensed electrician. |
| Connect a hardwired oven, cooktop or rangehood (guide) | Licensed tradie | Hardwired appliances must be connected by a licensed electrician. You can position and fit the appliance, just not make the connection. |
| Replace the plug on an appliance or extension lead (guide) | Check first | We couldn’t confirm your state’s position from the regulator. Don’t assume it’s allowed, ask your electrical regulator, or have an electrician do it. |
Plumbing
Plumbing is where the states differ most. Some let owners do small repairs; the rest is licensed.
| Job | In VIC | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Change a tap washer or jumper valve (guide) | DIY OK | Tap washers and other minor tap repairs in a home are exempt from Victoria’s plumbing licensing rules. |
| Replace a whole tap or mixer (guide) | Licensed tradie | Replacing a whole tap or mixer means disconnecting and reconnecting the water supply, licensed plumbing work. The homeowner exemptions cover repair only. |
| Replace a screw-on showerhead (guide) | DIY OK | Changing over a water-efficient showerhead is exempt from Victoria’s plumbing licensing rules. |
| Replace washers inside a toilet cistern (guide) | Check first | We couldn’t confirm a homeowner exemption from your regulator, treat it as licensed work unless they confirm otherwise. |
| Replace a toilet suite (guide) | Licensed tradie | Replacing a toilet suite involves the water supply and the sewer connection, licensed plumbing work in every state. |
| Connect a dishwasher to water and drain (guide) | Licensed tradie | Connecting a dishwasher to the water supply and drain isn’t on any state’s homeowner exemption list we could confirm, use a licensed plumber. |
| Clear a blocked sink or drain with a plunger (guide) | DIY OK | Using a plunger on a blocked sink or basin is normal household maintenance. Opening up drains or using drain machines is licensed work. |
| Replace a hot water system (guide) | Licensed tradie | Replacing a hot water system is licensed plumbing work everywhere, and gas units also need a licensed gasfitter. |
Gas
Gasfitting is licensed everywhere. Using an existing bayonet is what it’s designed for; installing one isn’t DIY.
| Job | In VIC | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Install or move a gas appliance or bayonet (guide) | Licensed tradie | In Victoria, installing, moving or replacing a gas appliance needs a licensed gasfitter and always needs a compliance certificate. |
| Plug a portable gas heater into an existing bayonet (guide) | Check first | Plugging a portable appliance into an existing bayonet is what bayonets are designed for. Installing the bayonet is licensed gasfitting. Some states restrict unflued gas heaters, check the heater is legal to use where you live. |
Building and finishing
Finishing work is generally yours to do, as long as it doesn’t touch the plumbing, wiring or waterproofing.
| Job | In VIC | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproof your own bathroom (membrane) (guide) | Check first | Domestic building work on your own home over $20,000 needs an owner-builder certificate of consent. Must meet the building code. |
| Patch a hole in plasterboard (guide) | DIY OK | Patching plasterboard is cosmetic work with no licence needed. Check for cables and pipes before cutting; repairs to either need a licensed electrician or plumber. If the wall might be asbestos-containing fibro, get it tested first. |
| Regrout tiles or replace shower silicone (guide) | DIY OK | Regrouting and replacing silicone is maintenance you can do yourself everywhere. If water is getting behind the tiles, the waterproofing may have failed; that needs more than new grout. |
Rules specific to Victoria
These are the jobs where Victoria’s regulator has said something specific:
- Replace or add a power point: Energy Safe Victoria: electrical work isn’t a DIY job, even for small jobs such as changing power points or light switches.
- Replace a light switch: Energy Safe Victoria names changing light switches as work that isn’t DIY.
- Change a tap washer or jumper valve: Tap washers and other minor tap repairs in a home are exempt from Victoria’s plumbing licensing rules.
- Replace a screw-on showerhead: Changing over a water-efficient showerhead is exempt from Victoria’s plumbing licensing rules.
- Install or move a gas appliance or bayonet: In Victoria, installing, moving or replacing a gas appliance needs a licensed gasfitter and always needs a compliance certificate.
- Waterproof your own bathroom (membrane): Domestic building work on your own home over $20,000 needs an owner-builder certificate of consent. Must meet the building code.
If you’re not sure
Ask the regulator: Energy Safe Victoria. Rules change, and the details of your job matter. When a job needs a licensed tradie, a clear brief with photos gets you quicker, more accurate quotes, see how to write a job brief tradies can quote from.
Compare the same job in another state with the free DIY legality checker.
Sources
Every rule on this page is taken from these official sources. If a rule has changed, please tell us and we’ll fix it.
This guide is general information, not legal or professional advice. Rules differ between states, councils and individual properties, and they change. Confirm with your state regulator or council before starting work, and if in doubt, get a licensed tradesperson.