RECORDS AND RETENTION

How long to keep trade job records in Australia

Ask three people how long to keep job records and you will get three answers, because liability, tax, and insurance each have their own clock. Here is the practical version.

What actually drives retention

• Liability. Plumbing work carries an extended window, commonly cited as seven years, and your job evidence needs to outlast it.
• Tax. The ATO generally expects business records to be kept for around five years.
• Insurance. A claim can hinge on records from a job long since closed.

The longest of these usually governs, which for plumbing means keeping job documentation for at least the liability window.

Digital versus paper

Paper degrades, gets lost, and is hopeless to search when you actually need one specific job from four years ago. Digital records win on findability and on backup, provided they are not sitting on a single device that can be dropped down a drain. Keep a copy off the phone.

A simple rule that holds up

Common questions

How long should I keep job records?

Keep job documentation for at least the liability window, commonly seven years for plumbing, which is usually longer than the tax record requirement of around five years.

Is digital or paper better?

Digital wins on findability and backup, as long as it is not sitting on a single device that can be lost. Paper degrades and is hard to search when you need one specific job years later.

General information for licensed tradespeople, not legal or regulatory advice. The licensed plumber remains solely responsible for compliance. Refer to the current AS/NZS 3500 standards and the Building and Plumbing Commission (formerly the VBA) for authoritative requirements.