Plumbers do most of Australia’s heat pump hot water work, and the STC paperwork sits on top of the job rather than inside it. The good news is that the pack is short and repeatable. The bad news is that one wrong detail can hold up the claim. This page covers the paperwork, the steps in order, and where plumbers lose time.
The paperwork pack
- STC assignment form. The owner signs over the rights to the certificates in exchange for a discount. It must show the owner’s name, the installation address and the date. See our assignment form answer and the resource guide.
- Plumbing compliance certificate. Where your state requires one, it is part of the evidence. Our plumbing certificate answer covers Victoria, NSW and Queensland.
- Invoice or job card. Install date, address, owner, brand, model and serial number.
- Photo set. See heat pump installation photos.
- Installation type record. New, replacement or additional, with the old unit’s details if you removed one.
The steps, in order
- Confirm the model is on the CER register for the install date.
- Choose the installation type.
- Get the assignment form signed.
- Install and photograph, including the old unit before it leaves site.
- Create the claim in the registry, or hand the pack to your trader to lodge.
- Sell the registered certificates and issue the invoice or RCTI. See RCTI, GST and ABN.
The full sequence with more detail is in how to claim STCs on a heat pump.
Where plumbers lose time
Most delays are mismatches. The owner’s name on the form differs from the invoice. The serial in the photo does not match the one typed into the claim. The install date on the invoice is the day it was billed, not the day it was installed. The compliance certificate shows a different street number. Each is a five-minute fix before lodging and a week of back and forth after.
From the desk: build a one-page checklist and tick it at the end of every job, in the van, before you drive away. Photos are the item that cannot be redone.
Time limits
STCs generally need to be created within 12 months of installation. That is a ceiling, not a target. The longer a job sits in the pile, the harder it is to find a signed form or a missing photo. Read more in how long you have to claim.
What this means for installers
A tidy pack means faster cash. Use the hot water and heat pump checklist as the master list. If you sell certificates to a trader with a compliance desk that pre-checks claims, you catch gaps before the regulator does. See how it works, pricing and the hot water STC pillar.
Who signs when it is not the homeowner
On rentals and company-owned sites, the signature must come from the owner or someone with written authority. Keep that authority with the form. A signature from a tenant or an unrelated contact is a common reason a claim gets questioned.