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CV examples · Trades

Plumber CV example

Plumbing ads screen on your registration class first, then on the kind of work: new builds, maintenance or commercial. This example puts the class and licence where they're found fast, with bullets that show jobs finished, signed off and passed.

Written for New Zealand, with notes for Australia · Checked

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The example

A Plumber CV, start to finish.

Hemi Parata is made up, and so are the employers. The layout and the wording are what New Zealand employers expect: no photo or date of birth, the most recent job first, and every bullet showing what was done and what came of it.

Hemi Parata

Certifying Plumber, residential and light commercial

Auckland · 021 555 0126 · hemi.parata@email.com

Profile

Certifying plumber with eight years since qualifying, in residential new builds, renovations and maintenance, plus light commercial fit-outs. Plans jobs from the drawings, supervises an apprentice and a licensed plumber, and gets work through inspection the first time.

Skills

Residential new builds · Bathroom and kitchen renovations · Hot water systems · Backflow prevention testing · Leak detection and maintenance · Reading plans and specifications · Supervising restricted work · Site safety

Experience

Certifying Plumber, Tōtara Plumbing

Auckland · 2022 to now

  • Run plumbing on 15 to 20 townhouse new builds a year, from rough-in to final fit-off
  • Supervise a licensed plumber and a third-year apprentice, checking and signing off their work
  • Book and attend council inspections, with a first-time pass rate above 95 percent last year
  • Test and certify backflow devices for 40 commercial maintenance clients each year
  • Price variations on site so clients approve changes before work goes ahead

Plumber, Kākā Plumbing and Gas

Auckland · 2018 to 2022

  • Completed bathroom and kitchen renovations in older homes, replacing galvanised pipe with modern systems
  • Fixed leaks and blocked drains for maintenance clients, usually on the first visit
  • Installed and replaced electric and gas hot water cylinders, with the paperwork done the same day

Apprentice Plumber, Kākā Plumbing and Gas

Auckland · 2014 to 2018

  • Completed a plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying apprenticeship on residential work
  • Installed water supply and sanitary pipework under supervision

Education

New Zealand Certificate in Plumbing, Gasfitting and Drainlaying (Level 4), Unitec

2018

Other details

Registration
Certifying Plumber with a current practising licence, Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board
Driver's licence
Full, with own tools
Site safety
Site Safe passport

Referees

Available on request

Hemi wrote a cover letter to go with it. Read the plumber cover letter

Skills and keywords

What plumber job ads look for.

Use the ad's own words where they're true of you. An ATS, and a recruiter skimming, both look for them.

  • Certifying plumberSay your exact class. Many ads need someone who can supervise and sign off restricted work.
  • Practising licenceSay your practising licence is current. Employers can check it on the Board's public register.
  • Backflow testingMaintenance and commercial ads ask for it. Say if you're qualified to test and certify.
  • Hot water systemsName what you install: electric, gas or heat pump cylinders.
  • New buildsName the kind of work: new builds, renovations, maintenance or commercial.
  • InspectionsPassing council inspections the first time saves builders money, so say how you do.
  • Site SafeHealth and safety is in nearly every trades ad.

Bullet points

9 strong lines to borrow from.

Each says what was done, how, and what came of it. Swap in your own facts: a line is only strong if it's true.

  1. 1Ran plumbing on 15 to 20 townhouse new builds a year, from rough-in to final fit-off
  2. 2Supervised a licensed plumber and an apprentice, checking and signing off their work
  3. 3Passed council inspections the first time on more than 95 percent of jobs
  4. 4Tested and certified backflow devices for 40 commercial clients each year
  5. 5Replaced galvanised pipe in older homes during bathroom and kitchen renovations
  6. 6Fixed leaks and blocked drains for maintenance clients, usually on the first visit
  7. 7Installed electric and gas hot water cylinders, with compliance paperwork done the same day
  8. 8Priced variations on site so clients approved changes before work went ahead
  9. 9Worked from plans alongside builders and electricians to keep new builds on programme

Common mistakes

What costs plumber CVs interviews.

  • Writing "registered plumber" without saying which class.

    Say plumber or certifying plumber, and whether you also hold gasfitting or drainlaying. Employers are looking for a specific class.

  • Listing "general plumbing" for every job.

    Split it into new builds, renovations, maintenance and commercial, and say the size and number of jobs.

  • Leaving out what you can sign off.

    Say if you supervise others' restricted work, test backflow devices or complete compliance paperwork. Those are what set a senior plumber apart.

New Zealand and Australia

What changes across the Tasman.

New Zealand

Plumbers in New Zealand must be registered with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board and hold a current practising licence. Show your class and that your licence is current.

New Zealand CV format

Australia

Plumbing licences in Australia are issued by each state and territory, so say which licence you hold and where. Australian employers usually say resume rather than CV, and expect about two pages.

Australian CV format

Sources: Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board: self-certification, Australian Business Licence and Information Service.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Something else on your mind? Email support@smartcvs.ai and a person will reply.

Should I list gasfitting and drainlaying separately?

Yes, if you're registered in them. They're separate classes with the Board, and an employer wanting a gasfitter will look for that word.

Should I mention self-certification?

If you hold the endorsement, yes. From 7 September 2026, certifying plumbers can apply to the Board for an endorsement to certify that their own work meets the building consent, instead of waiting for a council inspection. That saves an employer time on every job.

How do I show my apprenticeship?

List it as a job with the kind of work you did. Once qualified, keep it to a line or two and lead with your work since.

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