TEXAS · plumber
Journeyman Plumber
Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners →Scope of Work
A Texas Journeyman Plumber may perform plumbing work under the general supervision of a licensed Master Plumber or, when working for a Responsible Master Plumber, may perform the full range of plumbing work that falls within the RMP's scope. The credential does not authorize contracting for plumbing work in the journeyman's own name; that requires a Responsible Master Plumber license and a registered plumbing company. Source: TSBPE License Types (https://tsbpe.texas.gov/license-types/).
Experience and Training
8,000 hours of experience in the plumbing trade, documented on the TSBPE Employer Certification form(s) by each licensed Responsible Master Plumber the applicant worked under. Plus a 48-hour TSBPE-approved training course, OR enrollment in or completion of a U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship registered plumbing apprenticeship. Applicants who hold a current Journeyman Plumber or Master Plumber license in another state are not required to complete the 48-hour training. Applicants must hold a current Plumber's Apprentice registration or Tradesman Plumber-Limited license in Texas, or a current Journeyman or Master Plumber license in another state. Source: TSBPE Journeyman Plumber (https://tsbpe.texas.gov/license-types/journeyman/).
Military Crosswalk
TSBPE credits verified military plumbing experience under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 55. Relevant MOS examples include Army Plumber (12K), Navy Utilitiesman (UT), Marine Hygiene Equipment Operator (1171), and Air Force Water and Fuel Systems Maintenance (3E4X1). Applicants submit DD-214 and training transcripts with the TSBPE military endorsement packet.
Exam
Administered by TSBPE. Core topics include the Texas Plumbing License Law and TSBPE Administrative Rules, the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) edition currently adopted in Texas, drainage and vent sizing, water supply and distribution, fixtures and appliances, backflow prevention, gas piping, and medical-gas basics. The exam has a written component and a practical component; passing thresholds are published in the TSBPE Examinations guide (https://tsbpe.texas.gov/training-and-education/examinations/). The exam application fee is $40; the initial license fee is $40.
Reciprocity
Texas does not maintain formal journeyman-to-journeyman reciprocity agreements. An applicant licensed as a Journeyman or Master Plumber in another state may apply directly for the Texas Journeyman Plumber exam without completing the Texas apprentice stage or the 48-hour training. The Endorsement Pathway (TSBPE Endorsement) remains an option for qualified out-of-state applicants.
Renewal and CE
Licenses renew annually. First renewal occurs 6 to 18 months after initial licensure, assigned randomly; all subsequent renewals are 12 months. Renewal fee is $40. 6 hours of TSBPE-approved continuing education are required to renew. Licenses expired for more than 2 years require full reinstatement rather than renewal.
Scope Limitations
A journeyman cannot pull plumbing permits in the journeyman's own name; permits are pulled by a Responsible Master Plumber or a registered plumbing company. Medical-gas installation, multipurpose residential fire sprinkler systems, and water-supply protection specialist work require separate TSBPE endorsements.