Guide
Who has to be licensed to work on your kitchen
Four kinds of kitchen work are restricted in New Zealand: sanitary plumbing and gasfitting go to a person authorised by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, fixed wiring goes to a registered electrician who must give you certification, and structural changes go to a Licensed Building Practitioner. Every one of them is on a public register you can search.
Updated
Key takeaways
- Sanitary plumbing and gasfitting: PGDB-authorised only.
- Fixed wiring: a registered electrician, and you should receive the certification for the work.
- Structural changes: restricted building work, carried out or supervised by an LBP.
- Every one of these is on a free public register. Ask for the number and check it.
- We hold none of these licences. We subcontract to people who do, and we name them in your contract.
The four restricted jobs in a kitchen
Cabinetry, benchtops, painting and tiling are not restricted work: anyone competent can do them. The restricted parts are the ones that can flood a house, gas it, electrocute someone or drop a ceiling, and each has its own licence and its own register.
| The work | Who is allowed to do it | Where to check them |
|---|---|---|
| Sink waste, water supply, dishwasher connection | A plumber authorised by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board | PGDB public register |
| A gas hob or a new gas point | A gasfitter authorised by the PGDB | PGDB public register |
| New circuits, outlets, hard-wired appliances, lighting | A registered electrician, who must provide the certification | EWRB, and ask for the paperwork |
| Removing or altering a load-bearing wall | A Licensed Building Practitioner, doing or supervising the work | LBP public register |
Cabinetry, benchtop fabrication, tiling and painting are not restricted work.
How to check someone before they start
Ask for a name and a licence or registration number, then search the relevant register yourself. It takes two minutes and it is the single most useful piece of due diligence a homeowner can do on a renovation.
If a company will not tell you who is doing the restricted work on your job, that is the answer to the question you were asking.
- Plumbing and gasfitting: the PGDB consumer pages.
- Electrical: the EWRB page on the documentation your electrician must give you, and WorkSafe's guidance on getting electrical work done.
- Structural: the LBP register.
Keep the paperwork
Electrical work generates certification that belongs to you, and it matters when you sell the house or make an insurance claim. Ask for it as a condition of the final payment rather than chasing it afterwards.
Our own payment schedule holds the final 10% until the plumber's and electrician's compliance records are handed over, precisely so this does not get forgotten. See pricing.
What we are and are not
We design kitchens and manage the job. We are not a licensed plumber, a gasfitter, a registered electrician or a Licensed Building Practitioner, and we will never claim to be. Those trades are subcontracted to people who hold the licence for the work.
That is why our Remodel package is on the waitlist: remodels frequently involve restricted building work, and until our LBP builder partner is contracted we will not sell a job we cannot legally deliver. See how it works.
Questions
Can a builder plumb in my kitchen sink?
Not unless they are authorised for that work. Sanitary plumbing is restricted to people authorised by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board. Ask who is doing it and check the register.
Do I need an electrician just to move a power point?
Yes. Altering fixed wiring is work for a registered electrician, and you should receive the certification for it. See the EWRB's page on the documentation you are entitled to.
What is restricted building work?
Work that affects the structure or weathertightness of a home. In a kitchen it usually means removing or altering a load-bearing wall, and it has to be carried out or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner.
Is a kitchen installer licensed?
Kitchen installation itself is not a licensed trade in New Zealand. Judge an installer on their work and their references, and make sure the licensed parts of the job are going to the right people.
Sources
- Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board: plumbing for consumers
- Electrical Workers Registration Board: documentation from your electrician
- WorkSafe NZ: getting electrical work done
- Licensed Building Practitioners public register
Checked 15 September 2026. We re-check every published figure quarterly.
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