MAINE · plumber
Journeyman Plumber
Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation — Plumbers' Examining Board →Scope of Work
A Maine Journeyman Plumber is authorized to perform plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs under the supervision of a licensed Master Plumber. The credential does not authorize contracting for plumbing work in the Journeyman's own name; that requires a Master Plumber license. The Plumbers' Examining Board, within Maine's Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, administers plumbing licensure under 32 M.R.S.A. Chapter 49. The Maine State Plumbing Code incorporates the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code with Maine amendments. Source: 32 M.R.S.A. §3501 (https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/32/title32sec3501.html) and Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (https://www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/plumbers-examining-board).
Experience and Training
Two principal pathways to the Journeyman exam: (a) 4,000 hours (approximately 2 years) as a licensed Trainee Plumber under the supervision of a licensed Master, or (b) 2,000 hours as a licensed Journeyman-In-Training under the supervision of a licensed Master, provided the hours are completed within 4 years of the date the Journeyman-In-Training license was issued. Trainee or Journeyman-In-Training registration is a prerequisite to counting hours. Source: Maine Plumbers' Examining Board — Individual Licenses (https://www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/plumbers-examining-board/licensing/individual-licenses).
Exam
Administered by PROV, Inc. under contract with the Board. A passing score of 70% is required. Content covers the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code as adopted in Maine, 32 M.R.S.A. Chapter 49, and Board rules. Confirm the current Candidate Information Bulletin from PROV for exam fee and reference list. Source: Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (https://www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/plumbers-examining-board).
Fees and Renewal
2-year renewal cycle; verify current initial-license and renewal fees on the Board's licensing page before applying. Failure to renew on time triggers late-fee and reactivation procedures. Source: Maine Plumbers' Examining Board — Individual Licenses (https://www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/plumbers-examining-board/licensing/individual-licenses).
Reciprocity
Maine reviews reciprocal licensing on a case-by-case basis. Applicants licensed in another state should submit a license-verification letter from the originating board and confirm whether the Maine exam is waived. Source: Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (https://www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/plumbers-examining-board).
Union and Non-Union Pathway
Apprentice and Journeyman-In-Training hours may be earned through UA-affiliated programs (for example, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 716 apprenticeship) or through non-union Maine-registered programs. Community-college programs at Kennebec Valley Community College and Eastern Maine Community College provide related instruction. Presented neutrally; verify current program intake directly with each.
Scope Limitations
A Journeyman Plumber may not pull plumbing permits in the Journeyman's own name, contract for plumbing work, or supervise Trainees outside a Master's employ. Master Plumber licensure is required to contract, permit, and supervise independently. Source: 32 M.R.S.A. §3501 (https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/32/title32sec3501.html).