HomeCoursesPlumbingCertificate IV in Plumbing and Services
Certificate IV in Plumbing and Services
This certificate suits plumbers who want to work at a more senior level, either running their own contracting business or moving into design work.
- Duration: 1 year to 2 years
- Study mode: Online and on campus
- Course code: CPC40920
Where you can study this course
- Campuses
- 3 campuses
- Duration
- 1 year to 2 years
- Study mode
- Varies by campus
- Full fee
- $8,660
- Eligible students: subsidised from $2,440, concession $240
What students say
Many students speak well of the facilities and campus, and some rate the trainers and teaching highly, though opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching and student support, and some found the organisation and admin frustrating.
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
Victoria University
- Campuses
- 11 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Most students praise the student support, while others find it frustrating. Many rate the facilities and campus well, and some criticise the organisation and admin.
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
Charles Darwin University
- Campuses
- 12 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students often praise the facilities and campus, while some value student support and course content. Some found organisation and admin frustrating, and opinions are mixed on trainers and teaching, with communication also a concern.
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
Swinburne University of Technology
- Campuses
- 8 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Some students praise the facilities and campus, while some criticise organisation and admin for being frustrating, and opinions are mixed on course content. A number also mention student support and teaching positively or negatively.
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
TAFE Gippsland
- Campuses
- 11 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
- Visit course page → (opens in a new tab)
TAFE Queensland
- Campuses
- 3 campuses
- Duration
- Not stated by provider
- Study mode
- Varies by campus
- Full fee
- $11,400
- Eligible students: subsidised from $4,230, concession $2,685
What students say
Many students rate the facilities and campus highly. Some found course content and organisation and admin frustrating, while opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching.
- Campuses
- 26 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students rate the trainers, teaching, facilities and campus highly, though some found the organisation, admin and communication frustrating; opinions are mixed on facilities and campus.
- Campuses
- 5 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students rate the trainers and teaching highly, along with the student support and course content. Some found organisation and admin frustrating, and opinions are mixed on student support and course content.
Last reviewed 20 September 2026.
Is this course right for you?
Entry requirements
For the operations stream, a candidate must hold a Certificate III in Plumbing or be authorised to undertake plumbing work by an Australian regulator/licensing body. There are no entry requirements for the hydraulic services design pathway.
- Providers can set their own conditions, such as a minimum age or a current job in the industry, and practical training may need a workplace placement. Check each provider above.
- This is a licenced occupation in some jurisdictions, and licensing, legislative, regulatory and certification requirements may vary between states and territories. Relevant state and territory regulatory authorities should be consulted to confirm those requirements.
Entry recommendations
To be prepared for this course, it helps to have:
- an interest in how water, drainage and gas systems work
- an eye for detail when reading plans and specifications
- confidence with numbers for estimating and costing jobs
- a cautious approach to risk and safety on site
What will you learn?
You learn to design and size the systems behind a building: sanitary plumbing and drainage, stormwater, gas installations, and heated and cold water services. There is a business side too, covering risk management, estimating and costing jobs, and working with the regulations and plans that govern plumbing. A separate hydraulic services design pathway is open to people without a plumbing trade background, and the practical units are assessed in a real or closely simulated workplace.
- Reading and interpreting plans
- Designing sanitary drainage and plumbing
- Sizing stormwater systems
- Designing gas installations
- Hot and cold water services
- Estimating and costing work
Units of competency (10 core, 5 elective)
The qualification is made up of 15 units. Everyone completes the 10 core units below, and the remaining 5 are electives chosen from the list on training.gov.au, so they vary by provider. Select a unit to see what it covers.
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Data from training.gov.au and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (CC BY 4.0).