How do I check if a plumber is PUB licensed?

Check this first. Plenty of small jobs are legal for a handyman, and you pay more than you need to if you insist on a Licensed Plumber for a tap. PUB keeps a list of "simple plumbing works" that anyone may do. Everything else on the water supply or the sanitary side needs a PUB Licensed Plumber.

Some plumbing sites list taps, basins and cistern parts as licensed work. PUB's list says they are not. If someone tells you a tap change needs a licence, ask them to show you where.

PUB moved the directory. The old app.pub.gov.sg link that many pages still give no longer loads. The working page is eservices.pub.gov.sg/bpp/searchlicensedplumber, titled "Find a Licensed Plumber".

1. 1Get the full name and licence number of the person who will do the licensed work. A company name is not enough, because the licence belongs to a person.
2. 2Open the page and type the name or the licence number into the box marked "Search by Name or Licence No.". Leave the service filters on "All".
3. 3Press search. A valid result shows the name and licence number, a contact number, operating hours, preferred locations, and the water and sanitary services the plumber does.
4. 4Check that the name matches the person coming to your home, and that the services listed cover your job. A heater swap is water service work; a toilet bowl change is sanitary work.
5. 5No result? Check the spelling against the plumber's ID, or search by licence number instead. If the plumber still does not appear, treat them as unlicensed for regulated work.

The same page works in reverse. Leave the name blank, pick the type of water or sanitary service you need and an operating-hours option (9am to 6pm, or 24/7), and it lists plumbers who do that work. PUB also points people to the Singapore Plumbing Society and to town councils.

Before the job

• The name and licence number of the Licensed Plumber who will do the regulated part of the work.
• To see the plumber's PUB identification card on the day. PUB gave this advice after a widely reported 2021 water heater case.
• An itemised quote, with the unit, labour, removal of the old item and any electrical work on separate lines. PUB recommends itemised quotes for licensed work.

For water pipe and storage heater work, the Licensed Plumber notifies PUB before starting. PUB does not charge any administrative or processing fee for these submissions. If a quote has a "PUB fee" line, that money is the plumber's own charge, and you can ask what it covers.

After the job

• Confirmation that the Licensed Plumber has submitted the Certificate of Satisfactory Completion to PUB. It is due within 7 days of finishing water service work.
• An invoice that names the work done and the Licensed Plumber. Keep it with your flat documents.

Since 1 April 2018, engaging an unlicensed plumber for regulated work has been an offence. PUB states the maximum penalty as a fine of up to $10,000, jail of up to 3 years, or both.

PUB took enforcement action against about 40 companies or individuals a year from 2018 to 2020. In a written parliamentary reply on 9 September 2026, the government said PUB had detected 47 cases of unlicensed plumbing work in the past year and taken 46 enforcement actions, with one still under investigation. The reply does not say how many of those actions were against homeowners rather than the people doing the work.

A PUB licence covers pipes, not wiring. A new power point for a storage heater, an instant heater or an electric bidet seat must be done by a Licensed Electrical Worker. Budget about $250–450 for a new power point, on top of the plumbing.

If a job needs both, ask who is doing each part. A like-for-like heater swap that reuses the existing power point usually needs only the Licensed Plumber. See storage water heater prices and instant water heater prices for the full breakdown.

• They will not give a name or licence number, or the number is for someone who never turns up.
• "BCA certified" offered as proof of a licence. The BCA Academy plumbing certificate is a qualification. A PUB licence comes later, after two years' supervised work, a mentorship and an assessment.
• "Licensed" meaning a company registration or a UEN. That is a business registration, not a plumbing licence.
• An offer to skip the licensed plumber to save money on a storage heater or toilet bowl.
• A replacement pushed hard before you have a price. In the 2021 case, the bill was $3,350, including $2,500 for a water heater listed online at about $260, and PUB later found defects in the installation.

A licence does not tell you the price is fair. For that, compare against typical ranges in the HDB plumbing price list and our guide to paying a fair price.

With us, water heater, toilet bowl and water pipe work is done by a PUB Licensed Plumber, and the price is agreed before work starts. See PUB licensed plumber for what that covers.

Many people searching for a plumber licence want to get one. The short version of PUB's route:

1. 1Get a recognised qualification, such as BCA Academy's Builder Certificate in Plumbing & Pipefitting or one of the ITE Nitecs PUB lists.
2. 2Work at least 2 years after qualifying, under a Licensed Plumber's supervision, and get that experience documented.
3. 3Apply on GoBusiness. PUB runs 3 intakes a year, closing on 30 April, 31 August and 31 October.
4. 4If selected, attend the Singapore Plumbing Society mentorship programme and pass the oral and written assessments.
5. 5Once licensed, attend the refresher course every 3 years, or the licence is cancelled.

BCA Academy lists the Builder Certificate at S$4,496 including GST before funding. After SkillsFuture funding it is S$2,433.61 for most Singaporeans and PRs, or S$1,608.66 for Singaporeans aged 40 and above and SME-sponsored trainees. The course runs 396 hours over about 9 months of evening and Saturday classes, and BCA Academy says a revised version is being developed, so check the current intake on its site.