Texas contractor licensing
Do You Need a License for Plumbing in Texas?
Yes. Texas requires a Master Plumber license with Responsible Master Plumber (RMP) designation from the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) for plumbing, and that state license comes first. 35 of the 37 Texas cities and counties here require a local license or registration for it, and 2 do not. Local fees run from free in Abilene to free in Waco. 37 of the 37 places we could rate score 62, and Waco rates hardest at 62.
The Texas state layer for plumbing
| License | Master Plumber license with Responsible Master Plumber (RMP) designation |
|---|---|
| Board | Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) |
| Fee | $325 (first license: $25 exam processing + $75 Master license + $225 RMP designation; renewals $75 (Master) and $300 (RMP)) |
| Exam | Texas Master Plumber Examination. Given by Pearson VUE. Exam fee $128.50. |
| Experience | Journeyman Plumber license held at least 2 years, after the 8,000 hours a journeyman needs, so about 6 years in all. |
| Insurance | At least $300,000 commercial general liability (RMP designation). |
| Background check | Required |
| Continuing education | 6 hours before each renewal. |
Plumbing work in Texas requires a TSBPE license. The RMP is responsible for plumbing work done under contracts secured under the license and must carry at least $300,000 commercial general liability insurance. A Master Plumber exam candidate must have held a Journeyman Plumber license for at least two years (one year with a DOL-approved apprenticeship); the Journeyman exam requires 8,000 hours of plumbing experience plus a 48-hour training program. Fingerprints are required once. Six hours of continuing professional education are required before each renewal. Cities may require plumbers to register locally, but a licensed RMP, plumbing contractor or other person who must get a plumbing permit cannot be charged a plumbing registration fee or administrative fee (Occupations Code 1301.551(g)); building permit fees are still allowed.
Cities commonly require plumbers to register their TSBPE license locally before pulling permits.
Checked October 18, 2026 against TSBPE Responsible Master Plumber; TSBPE Master Plumber; TSBPE Journeyman Plumber; TSBPE continuing professional education; Texas Occupations Code 1301.551.
Exams for plumbing in Texas
| Texas Master Plumber (written) | Pearson VUE, for TSBPE | $128.50 to Pearson VUE, plus a $25 TSBPE processing fee | Exam fee paid again for each attempt; five attempts per approval, waiting 30, 60, then 90 days after failures | Closed book | 308 | 360 minutes, plus a 30 minute break | 70% |
|---|
Tap a column to sort. Each exam name opens the provider's bulletin or exam page. A blank cell is a fact not confirmed from the provider, and the linked bulletin has the full rules.
- Study references for Texas Master Plumber (written) are Texas Plumbing License Law and TSBPE rules, plus the 2018 International Plumbing Code and International Fuel Gas Code or the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code.
Checked October 18, 2026 against TSBPE Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE), August 2025; TSBPE Master Plumber license page.
Plumbing rules in each Texas city and county
Difficulty adds the Texas state layer to each local rule. The easiest and hardest cities page compares every trade.
| Abilene | Hard · 62 | Plumbing contractor registration | Free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amarillo | Hard or harder · 62+ | City plumbing contractor license | |
| Austin | Hard or harder · 62+ | Trade contractor | |
| Brownsville | Hard · 62 | Plumbing contractor registration | Free |
| Cedar Park | Hard · 62 | Contractor registration | Free |
| College Station | Hard or harder · 62+ | Plumbing contractor registration | |
| Converse | Hard or harder · 62+ | Contractor Registration | |
| Corpus Christi | Hard · 62 | Plumbing Contractor registration | Free |
| Dallas | Hard or harder · 62+ | City registration of the TSBPE license | |
| Denton | Hard · 62 | Plumbing contractor registration | Free |
| El Paso | Hard · 62 | Plumbing contractor registration | Free |
| Fort Worth | Hard · 62 | Master Plumbing registration | Free |
| Garland | Hard · 62 | State Plumbing Contractor registration | Free |
| Georgetown | Hard · 62 | Contractor registration in My Government Online, under the Plumbing Contractor category | Free |
| Grand Prairie | Hard or harder · 62+ | Plumbing Contractor Registration | |
| Houston | Hard · 62 | Master Plumber registration with the City of Houston | Free |
| Killeen | Hard or harder · 62+ | City of Killeen general construction registration plus state TSBPE plumbing license | |
| Kyle | Hard or harder · 62+ | Contractor registration with the Building Inspection Department | |
| Laredo | Hard or harder · 62+ | Plumbing Contractor registration | |
| Leander | Hard · 62 | Contractor registration form on file with Building Permits and Inspections | Free |
| Leon Valley | Hard · 62 | Contractor registration | Free |
| Lockhart | Hard or harder · 62+ | Subcontractor registration | |
| Lubbock | Hard · 62 | Plumbing contractor registration | Free |
| McKinney | Hard · 62 | Plumbing license registration | Free |
| New Braunfels | Hard or harder · 62+ | Subcontractor registration | |
| Odessa | Hard · 62 | Plumbing contractor registration | Free |
| Pflugerville | Hard or harder · 62+ | State license listed on the permit application | |
| Plano | Hard · 62 | Plumbing contractor registration | Free |
| Round Rock | Hard · 62 | Building Inspection contractor registration | Free |
| San Antonio | Hard · 62 | State Master Plumber License Registration | Free |
| San Marcos | Hard or harder · 62+ | Contractor's License / Registration, Plumbing category | |
| Schertz | Hard · 62 | Plumbing Contractor registration | Free |
| Seguin | Hard · 62 | Plumber registration | Free |
| Unincorporated Bexar County | Hard or harder · 62+ | Not required | |
| Unincorporated Comal County | Hard or harder · 62+ | Not required | |
| Universal City | Hard · 62 | Contractor registration | Free |
| Waco | Hard · 62 | Plumbing contractor registration | Free |
Tap a column to sort. Blank cells mean the city does not publish that fact. Checked October 18, 2026.
We also checked 25 more Texas cities and counties whose offices publish too little online for a full page yet.
What a plumbing job needs in each city
Licensing is half of it. This is how each city handles the permit for plumbing, from its own pages.
- Abilene. Plumbing permits are pulled by a registered, state-licensed plumber with $300,000 liability insurance.
- Amarillo. Plumbing permits ($68 stand-alone) are pulled by a TSBPE-licensed plumber licensed with the City.
- Austin. Plumbing work needs a plumbing permit activated by a plumber registered with BTCS.
- Brownsville. Plumbing permits are pulled by a TSBPE master plumber registered with the City.
- Cedar Park. Plumbing work, including water heaters and softeners, needs a permit by a registered, state-licensed plumber.
- College Station. Plumbing permits are obtained only by a licensed plumber registered with the City.
- Converse. All plumbing work, including yard line repairs of any size and pressure-reducing valves, needs a permit by a registered plumber.
- Corpus Christi. Plumbing permits are pulled by a TSBPE master plumber registered with the City.
- Dallas. Plumbing permits are pulled by a TSBPE Responsible Master Plumber registered with the City.
- Denton. Plumbing permits are pulled by a TSBPE-licensed plumber registered with the City.
- El Paso. Plumbing permits are pulled by a TSBPE master plumber registered with the City.
- Fort Worth. Plumbing permits are pulled by a TSBPE master plumber registered with the City.
- Garland. Plumbing permits are pulled by a TSBPE master plumber registered with the City.
- Georgetown. Plumbing work needs a plumbing permit by a city-registered plumber.
- Grand Prairie. Plumbing permits are pulled by a TSBPE-licensed plumber registered with the City.
- Houston. Plumbing permits are bought by a TSBPE master plumber who is registered with the City.
- Killeen. Plumbing permits are pulled by a TSBPE-licensed plumber registered in MGO.
- Kyle. Plumbing work, including water heater replacement, needs a permit pulled before work by a plumber registered with the city and licensed by TSBPE; gas permits can only be applied for by a Responsible Master Plumber.
- Laredo. Plumbing permits must be obtained by a licensed professional registered with the City.
- Leander. Plumbing work such as water heater changeouts needs a stand-alone permit by a registered, state-licensed plumber.
- Leon Valley. Plumbing work needs a trade permit by a registered, state-licensed plumber.
- Lockhart. Plumbing work always needs a separate plumbing permit by a registered plumber.
- Lubbock. Plumbing permits are pulled by a TSBPE master plumber registered with the City.
- McKinney. Plumbing permits are pulled by a registered RMP through CSS.
- New Braunfels. Plumbing work needs a stand-alone plumbing permit filed by a city-registered plumber before work starts.
- Odessa. Plumbing permits are pulled by a registered TSBPE Responsible Master Plumber.
- Pflugerville. Plumbing work needs a permit with the licensed plumber's license number on the application.
- Plano. Plumbing permits are pulled by a TSBPE-licensed plumber registered with the City.
- Round Rock. Plumbing work that is not part of a larger project uses a standalone plumbing permit by a registered, state-licensed plumber; otherwise it goes on the one building permit.
- San Antonio. Plumbing work needs a city plumbing permit pulled by a plumber whose state license is registered with the city.
- San Marcos. Plumbing work needs a trade permit ($63 residential stand-alone) by a city-registered plumber.
- Schertz. Plumbing repair or replacement needs a $60 plumbing permit by a registered plumber.
- Seguin. Plumbing work needs a permit by a city-registered plumber.
- Unincorporated Bexar County. No county plumbing permit was found for single-family homes; state TSBPE licensing still applies and on-site sewage systems need permits.
- Unincorporated Comal County. No county plumbing permit is listed; septic work needs an OSSF permit with a design by a registered engineer or sanitarian, and TSBPE licensing applies.
- Universal City. Plumbing work needs a permit by a registered plumber; a backflow form is required.
- Waco. Plumbing permits are pulled by a registered TSBPE-licensed plumber.
How to get licensed for plumbing in Texas
- Hold a TSBPE Master Plumber license with the Responsible Master Plumber designation, or work under a company's RMP.
- Check the city or county where the work is for local registration and permit rules.
Rules and fees change, and this is not legal advice. Confirm with the city where the work is before you apply or bid.