How to Check a Licensed Plumber in Hong Kong
Start with what you can see, hear, and record. Then use the Water Supplies Department records to check the person proposed for the work. An official directory check answers one question about permitted plumbing work. It does not identify the source of a leak or prove service quality.
Describe the problem before contacting providers
Write down the room, fixture, affected surface, and time you noticed the problem. Add photos that show the same area from near and far. Tell the provider whether building management has inspected a common area, but do not turn an observation into a diagnosis.
The Water Supplies Department gives registered consumers a basic meter check: turn off all taps, observe the meter for 30 minutes, and watch for a change in the last digit. The same guidance warns that ceiling or wall seepage may come from drainage pipes, defective seals, or rainwater rather than a water-supply pipe. Read the full WSD guidance for registered consumers before using the check.
Share the observations with each provider. Ask each one to state what needs inspection and which parts remain unknown.
Check the licence and permitted scope
WSD defines a licensed plumber as a person licensed under the Waterworks Ordinance to construct, install, maintain, alter, repair, or remove fire services or inside services. Its Licensed Plumbers page links to the directory and to a list of licensed plumbers interested in inside-service seepage investigation and repair.
Search the plumber’s name in the official directory. Ask the provider to put the name and directory details on the quotation. If a company sends another worker, ask who will supervise the plumbing work and which person appears in the official record.
Compare inspection steps and written quotations
Give each shortlisted provider the same observations. Compare the written response by field:
| Field | Record from each provider |
|---|---|
| Inspection | Areas and fixtures the provider plans to inspect |
| Working scope | Work included and excluded |
| Access | Unit, meter, shaft, or common-area access requested |
| Materials | Items named in the quotation |
| Approval | Permission or building-management step that the provider identifies |
| Handover | Test, photo, receipt, or work record offered at completion |
Keep unknowns visible. A short quotation with no inspection plan gives you little basis for comparison.
Keep records for access, work, and handover
Save the directory result, photos, messages, quotation, and access arrangements in one folder. Note who entered the premises and which area they inspected.
After the work, ask the provider to identify the work completed and any condition left outside the scope. Keep the invoice and handover record with the earlier observations. If the signs remain, return to the evidence and seek another inspection instead of extending the first diagnosis by guesswork.
Common questions
Where can I check a plumber’s licence?
Use the directory linked from the Water Supplies Department’s Licensed Plumbers page. Match the name in the directory to the person named on the quotation.
Which work does the WSD licence cover?
The Water Supplies Department defines a licensed plumber as a person licensed under the Waterworks Ordinance to construct, install, maintain, alter, repair, or remove fire services or inside services.
Can a water-meter check show an inside-service leak?
The WSD tells registered consumers to turn off all taps and watch the last digit of the meter reading for 30 minutes. A change indicates leakage in the inside services. The department notes that this check may miss a trace leak in its registered-consumer guidance.
Does ceiling or wall seepage prove that a water-supply pipe leaks?
The WSD guidance says seepage may come from a drainage pipe, a defective seal, or rainwater entering through a roof or external wall.
Does the WSD list plumbers interested in inside-service seepage work?
The WSD Licensed Plumbers page links to a list of licensed plumbers interested in investigation and repair work for inside-service water seepage.
Sources
All information is compiled from sources available on the open internet.
- WSD - Licensed Plumbers — Water Supplies Department. Accessed 2026-07-21.
- WSD - Registered Consumers — Water Supplies Department. Accessed 2026-07-21.