Guides · Compliance
If you're selling a home in Fish Hoek, Noordhoek or Kommetjie, the transfer can't go through without a plumbing certificate of compliance. It's one of the certificates people least expect to hold things up, and one of the most common reasons a transfer gets delayed in the last few weeks.
Our office is in Fish Hoek, so these three suburbs are home ground for us. Here's what the certificate actually is, what the plumber checks, and the local issues that tend to come up.
A City of Cape Town requirement, not a national one
The plumbing certificate is required by the City of Cape Town's Water By-law when a property changes hands. It's specific to Cape Town: sellers in other parts of the country don't need one. The certificate is issued by a registered plumber on the City's Schedule 4 form, after an inspection of the property's water installation.
What the plumber checks
- No hidden leaks. With every tap closed, the water meter shouldn't move. If it does, there's a leak somewhere that has to be found.
- The geyser installation. Valves, drip tray, overflow and discharge pipes need to be installed to the national standard for hot water installations. This is the item that most often needs work.
- No rainwater going into the sewer. Gutters and downpipes must not discharge into the sewer system.
- No cross-connections. Any borehole, wellpoint or rainwater tank must be completely separate from the municipal water supply.
- Taps, fittings and pipework. No leaking taps or fittings, pipes properly secured, and approved fittings used throughout.
What usually comes up on the South Peninsula
Boreholes and wellpoints
Plenty of homes in Noordhoek and Kommetjie have a wellpoint or borehole for the garden. That's fine, but it must never be linked to the municipal supply. If a previous owner joined the two to keep the garden going in a dry spell, that connection has to come out before a certificate can be issued. The City also expects these alternative water sources to be registered.
Older geyser installations
Many Fish Hoek homes still have the geyser that was fitted decades ago, or a replacement done without the full set of valves and a proper drip tray. It's the single most common reason a first inspection doesn't pass.
Gutters into the drain
In older houses it was common practice to run a downpipe straight into a gully. It's an easy fix, but it has to be done.
How we handle it
We do the inspection, recording it on site in our own app, then send you a report with photographs of every finding and the regulation behind it. If anything needs fixing, you get an itemised quote, and you're free to get other quotes using our report. Once the work is done, we issue the certificate. See how a transfer runs with us, step by step.
If you're also going to need an electrical certificate, or gas and beetle, we arrange all of them in one visit so the seller deals with one company instead of four.
Plumbing certificates across the South Peninsula
We do plumbing certificates in Fish Hoek, Noordhoek, Kommetjie, Sun Valley, Kalk Bay, Simon's Town and Scarborough, as well as the wider Southern Suburbs, all on one flat call-out rate.
Common questions
Who needs a plumbing certificate when selling in Cape Town?
The seller. The City of Cape Town's Water By-law requires a certificate of compliance for the water installation before a property can be transferred. The conveyancer will ask for it as part of the transfer documents.
How long does a plumbing certificate take?
The inspection itself usually takes an hour or two on an ordinary house. If everything complies, the certificate follows quickly. If work is needed, the timing depends on what has to be fixed, which is why we recommend inspecting early.
Does the plumbing certificate cover the geyser?
Yes. The hot water installation is one of the main items checked: the valves, drip tray, overflow and the way the geyser is installed must meet the national standard.
Is a borehole or wellpoint a problem when selling?
Not in itself. It becomes a problem if it's connected to the municipal supply. The two systems must be completely separate before a certificate can be issued.