Certified by Ryan Gaw, VBA-registered Pool Safety Inspector
Licence IN-PS 100055 · Building Inspector (Pool Safety), licensed by the Building and Plumbing Commission (formerly the VBA)
What Is a Pool Certifier in Victoria?
A pool certifier is the person who inspects your pool or spa barrier against Victoria's safety standard and, if it passes, issues the Form 23 Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance — the document most people are actually searching for when they look up a swimming pool compliance certificate. In Victoria that person must be registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission (formerly the Victorian Building Authority) in the specific category of Building Inspector (Pool Safety) — the same registration that sits behind the informal terms "pool inspector" and "pool safety inspector" you'll see used interchangeably across the site.
The word "pool certifier" mostly travels down from Queensland and New South Wales, where it's the everyday term. Queensland runs its own licensed pool safety inspector register under separate legislation, with its own certificate and a different renewal cycle. The core idea carries across the border: a registered person checks the barrier and certifies it. Almost nothing else does, though. Your regulator here is the BPC rather than the QBCC, your certificate is a Form 23, and Victoria re-inspects on a four-year cycle instead of QLD's shorter one. So if you're a Victorian property owner, what you actually need is a Form 23 from a BPC-registered Building Inspector (Pool Safety). That's what "pool certifier" means here.
Pool Certifier vs Pool Inspector vs Building Surveyor
- Pool certifier / pool safety inspector — BPC-registered Building Inspector (Pool Safety); the only person who can issue a Form 23
- Building surveyor — issues occupancy permits (Form 22) for the whole build; a separate registration that does not cover pool barrier certification
- QLD "pool safety inspector" — a different register under Queensland legislation; not valid in Victoria and vice versa
- Local Pool Inspections — Ryan Gaw, VBA/BPC-registered pool certifier, Licence IN-PS 100055
Do I Need a Pool Certifier or a Pool Inspector in Victoria?
You need both terms to point you at the same thing. In Victoria there is no separate "certifier" register distinct from "inspector" — both describe a Building Inspector (Pool Safety) registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission. Whichever word brought you here, what you're after is someone who can legally inspect your barrier and sign a Form 23. Ask any provider one direct question before booking: are you registered with the BPC as a Building Inspector (Pool Safety), and what's your licence number? A genuine pool certifier will give you that number without hesitation — Ryan Gaw's is IN-PS 100055, verifiable on the BPC practitioner register.
How Much Does a Pool Certifier Cost?
With Local Pool Inspections, a pool certifier visit is $250 all-inclusive — the on-site barrier inspection, the Form 23 issued the same day if your barrier passes, and a free re-inspection if it doesn't, all in the one flat fee. There's no callout charge and no per-suburb price difference across Geelong, the Bellarine, Moorabool, Melton or Wyndham. Once your Form 23 is issued you'll also lodge it with your local council, which charges a small lodgement fee for that certificate, capped by the statutory maximum set under the Building Regulations 2018 — see the council-by-council breakdown on our Form 23 page, or confirm the current amount directly with your council.
How Do I Find a Registered Pool Certifier Near Me?
Check the BPC's public practitioner register for a Building Inspector (Pool Safety) covering your area, or call a registered inspector directly and ask for their licence number. Ryan Gaw (IN-PS 100055) runs same-day bookings most weeks across Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, Moorabool, Melton and Melbourne's western suburbs (Wyndham, Melton and the Moorabool fringe) — call 0402 860 499 or see our full service area list.
What Happens If My Pool Fails Certification?
If your pool doesn't meet the barrier standard, your pool certifier provides a Non-Conformance Report detailing exactly what needs fixing. Once the repairs are done, book a free re-inspection and, if compliant, your Form 23 is issued that day. For the full picture of what pool compliance covers and how to reach it, see our pool compliance Victoria guide.
Pool Certifier FAQs
Do I need a pool certifier or a pool inspector in Victoria?
How much does a pool certifier cost?
How do I find a registered pool certifier near me?
Is a pool certifier the same as a building surveyor?
Where our pool certifier covers Victoria
Ryan Gaw certifies pools right across Greater Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula, out to Moorabool Shire and Melton, and across Melbourne's western corridor — see the Western Melbourne pool inspections hub for Werribee, Point Cook, Tarneit and the rest of Wyndham and Melton's growth suburbs, or the full service area list for every suburb we cover.
Book your $250 all-inclusive pool certifier visit
Same-day Form 23 where compliant, free re-inspection if you don't pass first time. Call 0402 860 499 or book online.