Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award

If you run a plumbing, gasfitting, drainage, roof plumbing or fire sprinkler fitting business in Australia and employ trades staff, apprentices or labourers who are not award-free, the Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award 2020 (MA000036) generally applies. Some on-site building work or off-site fabrication may fall under a different award, such as the Building and Construction General On-site Award, so confirm coverage against the Fair Work source before setting pay.

Match each worker to the level that reflects their trade qualifications and the work they actually perform, using the classification definitions in the award, which run from trades assistants and labourers through qualified tradespeople to special-class and supervisory bands. Title alone is not enough; assess qualifications and duties. Once you have the correct level, look up its current minimum rate on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Casual employees are paid an hourly rate plus a casual loading, commonly 25% across modern awards, in place of paid leave and other entitlements casuals do not receive. On plumbing work the loading sits alongside allowances and any weekend or overtime penalties, so treat 25% as a guide. Confirm the exact current casual loading, and how it interacts with allowances, for this award on the Fair Work source before running pay.

This award is allowance-heavy. It typically includes a tool allowance for tradespeople who supply their own tools, fares and travel or vehicle allowances for getting to and between sites, and a range of site and disability allowances for conditions such as confined, wet, dirty, hot or height-related work. Many are percentages of a standard rate. Identify which apply to each job and confirm the current amounts on the Fair Work Pay Calculator, as they change every July.

Apprentices are paid on a graduated percentage scale that rises with each year of the apprenticeship and with competency, and adult apprentices may be paid on a different basis. Apprentices may also be entitled to certain allowances and to reimbursement of training-related costs. Track each apprentice's stage carefully and confirm the current apprentice rates and entitlements for MA000036 on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before setting pay.

Saturday and Sunday work attracts weekend penalties on top of the ordinary rate. As a general guide, Saturday is commonly around 25% and Sunday around 50% across awards, and weekend work can also attract overtime treatment depending on the hours. The figures MA000036 actually sets depend on the circumstances, so confirm the current Saturday and Sunday rates on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing pay.

Work on a public holiday is paid at a significant premium, which across awards can reach up to 150% of the ordinary rate, and a minimum engagement may apply. Employees who would normally work that day but do not because it is a public holiday are generally entitled to their ordinary pay. The award's own provisions govern what applies, so verify the current public holiday entitlement for MA000036 against the Fair Work source.

Overtime generally applies to hours worked beyond the ordinary hours set by the award, such as exceeding the daily or weekly limits or working outside the spread of hours, with rates that step up after the first couple of hours and higher rates on Sundays and public holidays. A meal allowance may apply to qualifying overtime. Identify which hours count as overtime and confirm the applicable overtime rate for this award on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Yes. Part-time employees work fewer than full-time hours on a reasonably predictable pattern, and the award requires the agreed hours and days to be recorded in writing, with changes also agreed in writing. Part-timers receive pro-rata leave and the same minimum rates as full-timers for their classification, plus any allowances that apply to their work. Check the part-time provisions in MA000036 for the full requirements.

Annual leave loading is an extra payment on top of base pay when an employee takes paid annual leave, set at 17.5% under this award. It applies to full-time and part-time employees taking annual leave, while casuals do not accrue annual leave. Apply the loading when processing leave payments and confirm the calculation, and how it sits with regularly paid allowances, against the Fair Work source.

Minimum rates and the many percentage-based allowances are reviewed each year in the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review and take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. The 2026 review increased modern award minimums by 4.75%. Because plumbing allowances move with the standard rate, apply the new figures from the correct pay period and verify both wages and allowances on the Fair Work Pay Calculator each year.

Because plumbing is performed across changing job sites, the award provides fares and travel allowances, and in some cases a vehicle allowance, to cover getting to and between sites, with the entitlement depending on the distance and arrangement. These are easy to underpay if you treat travel as unpaid. Work out the applicable travel entitlement for each job and confirm the current rates for MA000036 on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Start by confirming each worker's correct classification and apprentice stage, then apply the current minimum rate, the right overtime and weekend penalties, and the full set of tool, travel and site allowances, refreshing every figure from the Fair Work Pay Calculator after each 1 July increase. Accurate records of hours, sites and allowances are essential in a mobile trade. Valont runs award-compliant payroll for trades businesses, mapping work to the correct classifications, allowances and penalties so the right amount is paid every cycle.