Plumber Trade License (Gas- und Sanitaertechnik)
Key Facts
- Type: Regulated trade (reglementiertes Gewerbe)
- Qualification: Qualification exam (Befaehigungspruefung)
- Registration cost: Free (€0)
- Exam fees: Covered by government since July 2023
- Start immediately: Yes, upon registration
- Also covers: Water supply, drainage, gas installations
What Does This Trade Cover?
The Gas- und Sanitaertechnik trade license covers all plumbing and sanitary installations, including:
- Water supply systems (cold and hot water)
- Drainage and sewage installations
- Gas installations and gas appliance connections
- Bathroom and sanitary facility installations
- Fire extinguishing systems (water-based)
Qualification Alternatives
- Apprenticeship (Lehrabschluss) in Gas- und Sanitaertechnik + Master exam
- HTL diploma (Technical High School) in relevant field + 3 years practical experience
- University/FH degree in relevant engineering + 2 years practical experience
- Individual assessment (§19 GewO) based on extensive work experience
- Qualified manager (§39 GewO) who holds the qualification
Important: Gas Installation Regulations
Combination with Heating Technology
Many plumbers also hold the Heizungstechnik (heating technology) license, as the two trades frequently overlap. You can hold both qualifications and offer combined services. The qualification exams share some common modules.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the plumber trade license also cover gas installations?
Yes, Gas- und Sanitaertechnik covers water, drainage, AND gas installations. However, you must also register with the local gas network operator.
Can I combine plumbing with heating technology?
Yes, many plumbers hold both qualifications. The exams share common modules, making the combination efficient.
Qualification: how to prove it
Gas- und Sanitärtechnik is a regulated trade under §94 Z.25 of the Austrian Trade Act (GewO 1994). The standard route is the qualification exam (befähigungsprüfung).
- Examined by: Meisterprüfungsstelle WK
- Exam modules: 5
- Exam fee: €0 — exam fees are covered by the federal government
If you cannot sit the exam, these routes are open to you:
- Lehrabschluss Installations- und Gebäudetechnik
- Relevant HTL technical college plus practical experience
- Individual assessment under §19 GewO
- Appointing a qualified managing director
Registering the trade
- Cost: Free — registration itself carries no fee
- Where: District administrative authority (Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde)
- Decision within: max. 3 months
- Typically takes: 1-5 Werktage (bei vollständigen Unterlagen)
You can register in these ways:
- Online via GISA (the trade register)
- Online via USP (the business service portal)
- In person at the authority
Who may register
- Minimum age: 18
- Citizenship or residence: Austria, EU, EEA or Switzerland
- Clean record: no disqualifying convictions (checked by the authority)
Documents to bring
- Photo ID
- Certificate of competence (Befähigungsnachweis)
- Criminal record certificate
Terms shown in German are the ones printed on the Austrian forms — you will meet them exactly like this at the authority.
Where to go, by province
| Province | Competent authority |
|---|---|
| Vienna | Magistrat der Stadt Wien, MA 63 |
| Lower Austria | Bezirkshauptmannschaft |
| Upper Austria | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat |
| Styria | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Graz |
| Tyrol | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Innsbruck |
| Salzburg | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Salzburg |
| Carinthia | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Klagenfurt/Villach |
| Burgenland | Bezirkshauptmannschaft |
| Vorarlberg | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Bregenz |
Sole trader, GmbH, or partnership?
Trade law does not prescribe a legal form — but it does draw one line. Under § 9 (1) GewO, legal entities and registered partnerships (GmbH, OG, KG) may hold a trade licence, but they „must have appointed a managing director (§ 39)“ — a named person who carries the qualification and the legal responsibility for the trade. As a sole trader you are that person yourself.
Whether a GmbH pays off financially depends on profit, drawings, SVS contributions and allowances. There is no general profit threshold, and that question belongs to a tax adviser, not to this page.
Running this trade alongside a job
Nothing in Austrian law forbids running a trade as a side business. Two things about social insurance are regularly misremembered, and both cost money.
- The obligation follows Chamber membership, not profit. Under § 2 (1) 1 GSVG compulsory SVS insurance attaches to membership of the Economic Chamber, which you acquire with the trade licence itself. It therefore applies in a year in which you make no profit at all.
- There is an exemption — but only on application. § 4 (1) 7 GSVG lets very small businesses be exempted while turnover and income stay under the limits it refers to. Nothing happens automatically: without the application, the obligation stands.
If you are employed, check your employment contract separately for a secondary-activity clause — that is a matter between you and your employer, not trade law.
Legal basis: GewO 1994 §94 Z.25 . Last reviewed April 2026. This is not legal advice.