BC plumbers invoice under GST plus PST, not HST, and their lien protection runs through the Builders Lien Act with a tight 45-day window. Markup tracks that deadline on every job and splits GST and PST into separate lines, which software built for HST provinces gets wrong.
Tax
5% GST + 7% PST
Lien deadline
45 days
Lien statute
Builders Lien Act, SBC 1997 c.45, s.20
Holdback
10% statutory holdback on the pre-tax value of each draw
Plumbing rules in BC
Plumbing work in BC follows the BC Plumbing Code and is permitted through your municipality; gas work requires a Technical Safety BC gas contractor licence. Markup does not handle permits or trade certification. It is your invoicing and compliance layer: invoices, tax, lien deadlines, holdback, and T5018.
What Markup does for plumbers in British Columbia
- Calculates 5% GST and 7% PST as separate lines, the way BC requires.
- Tracks the 45-day Builders Lien Act preservation deadline per job, with alerts at 14 and 7 days.
- Calculates 10% statutory holdback on the pre-tax value of each draw.
- Keeps a running T5018 total for any subbed plumber, flagging the $500 line.
- Produces clean, itemized service-call and project invoices.
Plumbers in British Columbia: common questions
How long do I have to file a builders lien in BC?
45 days under section 20 of the Builders Lien Act, from completion of the head contract or a certificate of completion. It is shorter than Ontario's 60 days and strictly enforced. Markup tracks it per project.
How does Markup handle GST and PST for a BC plumber?
BC charges 5% GST plus 7% PST. Markup calculates them as two separate lines and keeps the tax amounts separate from the base amount on every invoice.
Does Markup handle plumbing permits in BC?
No. Plumbing permits go through your municipality under the BC Plumbing Code, and gas work runs through Technical Safety BC. Markup handles your invoicing, tax, liens, holdback, and T5018.
Built for plumbers in British Columbia.
Proper invoices, lien deadlines, holdback, T5018, and 5% GST + 7% PST. Free for 14 days, no card.