How to Become a Plumber: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

What Does a Plumber Do?

Plumbers install and repair the piping systems that carry water, waste, and gas through homes and buildings. According to BLS, demand comes from new construction and from the need to maintain and repair existing plumbing systems.

The work is physical. BLS notes that plumbers lift heavy materials, climb ladders, work in tight spaces, and often work outdoors in all weather. Common injuries include cuts, burns, and falls from ladders. Plumbers usually work full time, which can include nights, weekends, and on-call hours.

About 510,600 people held these jobs in 2025, and BLS reports 8% were self-employed. Plumbing contractors, government, manufacturing, and heavy and civil engineering construction are among the biggest employers by industry.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Plumber?

Plan on 4 to 5 years to reach journeyman level. A UA union apprenticeship typically lasts five years. Merit-shop programs from PHCC and ABC chapters run about four years, and the common standard is 8,000 on-the-job hours. The DOL model schedule for plumbers runs 5 years and 8,500 to 10,000 hours.

Starting at a technical school can add time up front but may shorten the path in some places. School programs range from about nine months for a certificate to two years for an associate degree. Because Texas requires 8,000 hours of plumbing experience whether you attend school or not, school alone does not replace the hours in that state.

Reaching master plumber takes longer. New York City asks for 7 years of experience within the prior 10, including at least 2 as a registered journeyman, so the full path from day one can run well past the journeyman milestone.

Plumbing License Requirements by State: 5 Examples

Licensing varies by state and often by city, so there is no single national rule. BLS says only that most states and some localities require plumbers to be licensed. These five examples show how different the paths can be. Always confirm with your own state or local board.

Texas: the TSBPE issues the journeyman license. You need 8,000 hours of plumbing experience, a 48-hour TSBPE-approved course (or enrollment in or completion of a DOL-approved apprenticeship), and registration as a Texas Plumber's Apprentice. The exam fee and initial license fee are $40 each.

New York City: licensing is local. For a Master Plumber license, the NYC Department of Buildings requires 7 years of experience within the prior 10, including at least 2 as a registered journeyman. The written exam is $585 and the practical exam is $530.

California: the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) licenses plumbing contractors under the C-36 classification. It requires four years of journey-level experience, with apprenticeship completion counting for up to three years, a $450 application fee, two exams (law and business, plus the trade exam), and a $25,000 contractor bond.

Florida: contractor licensing is split between a statewide certified license and a locally registered license that is valid only in that jurisdiction. Check the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and your county for the rules that apply to you.

Georgia: the state rule (121-3-.02) requires a minimum of one year of documented plumbing experience for a statewide journeyman license, plus passing an exam. Older guides cite three years, so confirm the current requirement with the Georgia Secretary of State's plumbing division before you apply.

More State Licensing Examples: Washington, Oregon, Illinois, and Massachusetts

The first five examples are only a slice of the map. Four more show how much the hour counts, exam formats, and licensing bodies differ, which is why you should read your own board's page before you plan your apprenticeship.

Washington: you must be certified by the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) to work in plumbing, and most people start as a plumber trainee. A journey-level certificate (PL01) takes at least 8,000 hours as a trainee under a certified journey plumber, and at least 4,000 of those hours must be commercial or industrial work. A residential plumber certificate (PL02) takes 6,000 hours, and a residential service plumber certificate (PL04) takes 4,000 hours, with the first 2,000 under direct supervision. Under WAC 296-400A-045, the trainee certificate is $56.40 a year, and a journey-level, residential, or residential service certificate is $227.90 for a three-year term. Washington has reciprocity with Idaho only, though applicants from other states may present a comparable license for review.

Oregon: the state lists three routes to a journeyman plumber license. The first is a certificate from a registered four-year apprenticeship. The second combines 576 classroom hours with on-the-job hours split between commercial and residential work. The third is an experience-based route with a much larger hour requirement. You also need a copy of your high school diploma or GED. The license fee is $100 and renews every three years, and the exam is a four-hour, 64-question open-book test. The state's own page lists processing at two to three weeks.

Illinois: plumbing is licensed by the state through the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). A plumber license requires four years employed as a licensed apprentice plumber, at least two years of high school or the equivalent, and an approved course through a college, university, or trade school. Apprentices can register from age 16 and must be sponsored by an Illinois licensed plumber or an approved apprenticeship program. You apply at least 30 days before the exam, and licenses renew by April 30. Chicago issues its own license in addition to the state's, so confirm which one your job requires.

Massachusetts: the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters sets the rules. The required hours depend on when your apprentice license was issued, and the board has changed the rules over time, so there is no single number to quote. Pull the current regulation (248 CMR) and check the date on your own apprentice license.

Not every state licenses journeyman plumbers at the state level. According to state sources, Ohio licenses commercial plumbing contractors at the state level but leaves journeyman licensing to cities such as Columbus, and North Carolina licenses plumbing contractors rather than individual journeymen. Verify against your state board before relying on this, because local and contractor-only systems change.

Do Your Apprenticeship Hours Transfer Between States?

Often only partly. Washington, for example, has formal reciprocity with a single neighboring state, and most other boards review out-of-state credentials case by case. A registered apprenticeship generally gives you cleaner paperwork than informal experience, because the sponsor tracks hours and classroom time for you.

If you might move, keep a personal log: dates, employer, supervising licensee, license number, and hours by type of work. Washington's commercial versus residential hour split shows why the type of work matters, not just the total. A few minutes of record keeping each week saves months of arguing over missing hours later.

What Apprenticeship Programs Ask For

Entry rules vary by sponsor, but they follow a pattern. The PHCC Greater Sacramento apprenticeship, listed with the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards, runs 48 months and requires applicants to be at least 18 with a high school diploma or GED. It includes a written test and an oral exam, lists physical requirements, and is approved for veteran benefits. Starting wage is given by contacting the program.

Other programs we reviewed look similar. Howard Community College in Maryland describes 8,000 paid field hours over four years with an age-18 minimum and a high school or equivalent credential. The Atlanta union program covered earlier adds a drug test and a driver's license. Expect an aptitude test, an interview, and often a drug screen.

Prepare for the math. Most aptitude tests cover arithmetic, basic algebra, and reading comprehension, the same skills you use to size pipe, calculate offsets, and read plans. If you are weak there, a community college math refresher before you apply costs far less than missing a short application window.

Using the GI Bill for a Plumbing Apprenticeship

Veterans can use education benefits for apprenticeships. The VA lists plumbing among the eligible trades, and the on-the-job training and apprenticeship benefit is open to veterans, reservists, and some dependents using Fry Scholarship, Dependents' Educational Assistance, or transferred benefits. It is not available to active-duty servicemembers.

The payment is a monthly housing allowance based on the E-5-with-dependents basic allowance for housing (BAH) rate for the zip code where you train. It steps down as you progress: 100% in months 1 to 6, 80% in months 7 to 12, 60% in months 13 to 18, 40% in months 19 to 24, and 20% after two years. The VA also pays up to $83 a month for books and supplies, prorated for apprenticeships and on-the-job training. Full payment requires working at least 120 hours a month. These rates apply from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027, so check the VA's current rate page. The housing allowance supplements your apprentice wage rather than replacing it.

Ask any sponsor you are considering whether the program is approved for veteran benefits. Your state approving agency, not the sponsor alone, determines whether the program qualifies.

Plan Your First Year

Months one through three: decide union or merit shop, find the application windows for programs in your area, and take any required aptitude test. Request transcripts, and gather a driver's license, birth certificate or passport, and diploma or GED. Some sponsors also ask for a DD214 if you served.

Months four through twelve: once placed, log every hour. Buy the tools your sponsor requires and learn the code book your area uses. The two main model codes are the Uniform Plumbing Code from IAPMO (the 2027 soft cover with tabs lists at $158 in the publisher's store) and the International Plumbing Code from ICC (the 2024 soft cover tab combo lists at $145). Your state or city adopts one of them, often with amendments, so ask your employer which edition applies before buying.

Years two onward: your wage steps up on a schedule, and your classroom coursework gets more advanced, covering topics such as venting, drainage design, and code interpretation. Start thinking about specialties early, since backflow testing and medical gas work open higher-paying niches.

Specialty Credentials That Add Pay and Options

Once you hold a journeyman license, a few add-on credentials widen your options. The ASSE/IAPMO Series 5110 backflow prevention assembly tester certification requires five years of documented practical experience in plumbing, mechanical, fire protection, irrigation, or related work, plus a course of at least 40 hours. You then pass a 100-question written exam (70% to pass) and a practical exam on test assemblies. The certification lasts three years. Many water utilities and building departments require certified testers, so this can be a steady side or full-time income stream.

Medical gas installation is another specialty. Washington lists a medical gas installer certificate as a journey plumber plus 32 hours of approved training, and other states require an ASSE 6010 medical gas certification along with an active journeyworker or master license. The UA also offers union members credentials such as medical gas, backflow, and service technician (STAR) certifications. Requirements and costs vary, so ask your local training center.

Union vs. Merit-Shop Plumbing Apprenticeships

A UA (United Association) apprenticeship is the union route. The UA says it typically lasts five years, pays you while you train, and carries no student debt. Details vary by local. The Mechanical Trades Institute in Atlanta (UA Local 72) lists 8,000 on-the-job hours and 1,200 classroom hours over five years, a $60 application fee, and entry requirements that include being 18 or older, a transcript or GED, an aptitude test, a drug test, and a driver's license.

PHCC Academy offers a merit-shop plumbing apprenticeship that runs 4 years with 156 classroom hours per course, about one year of classroom time. Tuition is not published nationally, you enroll through a state chapter partner, and an extension costs $250 per 6-month period. Not all courses are accepted in every state.

ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) chapters run similar four-year programs. ABC Virginia's Northern Virginia program lists 8,000 on-the-job hours and 600 classroom hours, with 2026-27 pricing of $2,050 for ABC members and $2,450 for non-members. You must work for a Virginia-licensed plumbing contractor, and OSHA 10 and CPR are required.

In every model you are employed and paid while you train. Look at the local sponsor's application dates, the classroom schedule, and whether the hours count toward your state license.

From Journeyman to Master Plumber and Contractor

A journeyman plumber can work independently on plumbing jobs where the license allows. Master and contractor licenses come later and add the ability to pull permits, take on larger jobs, and run a business, depending on your state.

The step-up requirements are different everywhere. New York City asks for 7 years of experience for a Master Plumber, and California asks for four years at journey level for a C-36 plumbing contractor. Plan to document your hours from your first day as an apprentice, because every board will want proof.

Government employers paid the highest median wage of the industries BLS lists for these occupations ($71,660 in May 2025), ahead of manufacturing ($65,770), heavy and civil engineering construction ($63,270), and plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors ($63,010).