STATE LICENSE
RequiredTexas State Board of Plumbing Examiners
Chapter 1301 of the Occupations Code builds a supervision chain rather than a company license. Every person doing plumbing holds a license or registration, and their work is supervised and controlled by a licensee. At the top sits the Responsible Master Plumber (RMP): a master plumber who lets a single company use their license to offer and perform plumbing work. Section 1301.351(a-2) is blunt — a person that advertises or offers to perform plumbing 'must secure the services of a responsible master plumber.'
The RMP designation is where the money and the exposure live. It costs $225 to add and $300 a year to renew, and it requires a certificate of insurance on file with the Board for at least $300,000 of commercial general liability coverage for all claims arising in a one-year period. Political subdivisions are required to verify that certificate through the Board's website before issuing a plumbing permit.
Below the RMP the ladder is well-defined: Plumber's Apprentice ($15, and hours do not count until you register), Tradesman Plumber-Limited (4,000 hours plus a 24-hour course; one- and two-family dwellings), Journeyman Plumber (8,000 hours plus a 48-hour course), and Master Plumber (two years as a journeyman). Everything renews annually with six hours of continuing professional education.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Texas mandates the local layer rather than merely permitting it: § 1301.551 requires every municipality over 5,000 inhabitants to regulate plumbing by ordinance and to require permits for anything beyond minor replacements, and plumbing inspections must be performed by a licensed plumbing inspector. Cities must accept permit applications and fees and issue permits by phone, fax or email. What they cannot do is charge a registration or administrative fee on top of the permit (§ 1301.551(g)), and where a city and another political subdivision overlap, only the city may inspect and collect the fee (§ 1301.553).
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Texas county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of September 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
Adding the RMP designation during your renewal period — which opens 90 days before expiration — costs only the $300 renewal fee; the $225 initial application fee is waived.
Expired less than 90 days costs half the renewal fee on top; expired more than 90 days costs a full extra fee. For an RMP that is $150 or $300 respectively.
You must register as a Plumber's Apprentice before you start counting experience. Hours worked before registration do not count toward the Tradesman or Journeyman requirements — a $15 filing that protects years of work.
A practical sequence for a new plumbing contractor in Texas. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Engaging in activity requiring a license, endorsement or registration without one — or employing someone who lacks it — is a criminal offense.
A person who violates the chapter or a Board rule, permit or order is exposed per act and per day after notice.
The Board may assess administrative penalties on a published schedule, treating each day a violation continues as a separate violation.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on September 2026.
Pending verification: Fee amounts for the medical gas, multipurpose residential fire protection sprinkler, and water supply protection specialist endorsements · Plumbing Inspector and drain cleaner / residential utilities installer registration fee amounts
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.