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How to become a plumber in North Carolina

The State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors issues licenses to plumbers in North Carolina, but its rules don't say you need one to work for an employer.

See your steps Find an apprenticeship

Your ladder

Dates if you start in Nov 2026 and work 40 hours a week.

  1. ApprenticeStart here
  2. PT-II (Plumbing Technician-Class II)2,500 hours on the job
  3. PT-I (Plumbing Technician-Class I)3,000 hours on the job
  4. P-I (Plumbing-Class I) ContractorRun your own business

First: start as an apprentice.

Find an apprenticeship

Dates are estimates, worked out from the hours on the job each license requires and the hours a week you pick.

Your steps

  1. Step 1, Start here

    Start as an apprentice

    An apprenticeship is a paid job with training. You work for an employer and you learn the trade on the job. North Carolina has 30 registered plumber apprenticeship programs. At Mechanical Trades Carolina, the largest program open to outside applicants, the median starting wage is $20.37 an hour.

    The programs with the most active apprentices

    See all 30 programs

  2. Step 2,

    Complete the hours for your license

    Each license requires its own hours on the job.

    • PT-I (Plumbing Technician-Class I) license: 3,000 hours on the job
    • PT-II (Plumbing Technician-Class II) license: 2,500 hours on the job

  3. Step 3,

    Apply for your license

    Apply to the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors for the license you qualify for.

  4. Step 4,

    Renew your license

    You renew your license every year.

Other plumber licenses

PT-I (Plumbing Technician-Class I)

Hours on the job
3,000
Exam
$150

You need 18 months (3,000 hours) of full-time experience on site installing, maintaining, servicing or repairing plumbing systems. The experience counts whether or not the work required a license. Academic or technical training in the field can count for up to half of the experience.

The PT-I (Plumbing Technician-Class I) license costs $75.

You must pass the exam named "Plumbing Technician, Class I". The exam costs $150.

You renew the PT-I (Plumbing Technician-Class I) license every year. The renewal costs $75. You don't need continuing education to renew.

PT-II (Plumbing Technician-Class II)

Hours on the job
2,500
Exam
$150

You need 15 months (2,500 hours) of full-time experience on site installing, maintaining, servicing or repairing plumbing systems. The experience counts whether or not the work required a license. Academic or technical training in the field can count for up to half of the experience.

The PT-II (Plumbing Technician-Class II) license costs $75.

You must pass the exam named "Plumbing Technician, Class II". The exam costs $150.

You renew the PT-II (Plumbing Technician-Class II) license every year. The renewal costs $75. You don't need continuing education to renew.

To run a plumbing business

These are the licenses for running a plumbing business.

P-I (Plumbing-Class I) Contractor

Hours on the job
4,000
Exam
$150

You need 2 years (4,000 hours) of full-time experience on site installing, maintaining, servicing or repairing plumbing systems. The experience counts whether or not the work required a license. Academic or technical training in the field can count for up to half of the experience (2,000 hours, 45 quarter hours or 30 semester hours).

The P-I (Plumbing-Class I) Contractor license costs $150.

You must pass the exam named "Plumbing Contracting, Class I". The exam costs $150.

You renew the P-I (Plumbing-Class I) Contractor license every year. The renewal costs $150. You don't need continuing education to renew.

P-II (Plumbing-Class II) Contractor

Hours on the job
4,000
Exam
$150

You need 2 years (4,000 hours) of full-time experience on site installing, maintaining, servicing or repairing plumbing systems. The experience counts whether or not the work required a license. Academic or technical training in the field can count for up to half of the experience (2,000 hours, 45 quarter hours or 30 semester hours).

The P-II (Plumbing-Class II) Contractor license costs $150.

You must pass the exam named "Plumbing Contracting, Class II". The exam costs $150.

You renew the P-II (Plumbing-Class II) Contractor license every year. The renewal costs $150. You don't need continuing education to renew.

RLP (Restricted Limited Plumbing) Contractor

Hours on the job
1,500
Exam
$150

You need 1,500 hours of full-time experience installing, maintaining, servicing or repairing plumbing systems. The experience counts whether or not the work required a license. Academic or technical training can count for up to half of the experience. If you hold a current active North Carolina Irrigation Contractor license, you can qualify for the exam another way. You need a Backflow Inspector certification from a North Carolina municipality or 500 hours of maintenance, service or repair experience.

The RLP (Restricted Limited Plumbing) Contractor license costs $150.

You must pass the exam named "Restricted Limited Plumbing Contractor". The exam costs $150.

You renew the RLP (Restricted Limited Plumbing) Contractor license every year. The renewal costs $150. You don't need continuing education to renew.

(LWH) Limited Plumbing Water Heater Replacement Contractor

You must have held a heating or fuel piping technician or contractor license for at least 2 years. You must be in good standing with the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors. You must also complete a 6-hour approved course on North Carolina State Residential Plumbing code requirements, sizing and installation techniques for replacing existing potable water heaters.

You must pass the exam named "Limited Plumbing Water Heater Replacement".

Ask the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors what the (LWH) Limited Plumbing Water Heater Replacement Contractor license costs.

You renew the (LWH) Limited Plumbing Water Heater Replacement Contractor license every year. You don't need continuing education to renew.

Take the exam

LicenseExam
P-I (Plumbing-Class I) ContractorPlumbing Contracting, Class IPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
P-II (Plumbing-Class II) ContractorPlumbing Contracting, Class IIPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
RLP (Restricted Limited Plumbing) ContractorRestricted Limited Plumbing ContractorPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
(LWH) Limited Plumbing Water Heater Replacement ContractorLimited Plumbing Water Heater ReplacementPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
PT-I (Plumbing Technician-Class I)Plumbing Technician, Class IPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
PT-II (Plumbing Technician-Class II)Plumbing Technician, Class IIPSI Services LLC gives the exam.

You take the exam for the license you apply for.

What plumbers earn in North Carolina

$27.44an hour

$57,080 a year, full time

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in North Carolina earn more than $27.44 an hour, and half earn less. The federal wage survey puts the yearly figure at $57,080.

These figures cover everyone on a payroll as a plumber in North Carolina, from apprentices to people with decades in the trade, so they aren't a starting wage. The survey counts 14,510 jobs. The figures don't include self-employed plumbers.

The yearly figure is for full-time work all year, which is 2,080 hours.

Use a license from another state

The State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors doesn't recognize licenses from other states.

If your plumbing contractor license is from South Carolina, you can skip one exam in North Carolina. It's the technical exam. But you must still pass the business law exam there. You may live in North Carolina for good. If so, you can use a license from Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia or West Virginia. You can use it to apply for the same kind of license in North Carolina.

Questions

Can you become a plumber with no experience?

Yes. You can start as an apprentice and learn the trade on the job.

North Carolina plumber apprenticeships

How much do most plumbers earn in North Carolina?

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in North Carolina earn between $22.38 and $30.43 an hour. These figures don't include overtime pay.

Can a plumber earn $100,000 a year in North Carolina?

The highest-paid 10% of plumbers on a payroll in North Carolina earn more than $75,850 a year before overtime, so most plumbers earn less than $100,000 a year from regular hours.

Contact the licensing office

State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractorsnclicensing.org
Check a licenseLook up a license

Words to know

Apprentice
Someone who learns the trade on the job, working under a licensed worker.
Continuing education
Classes you take to keep your license.
PSI
A company that runs licensing exams for state and city offices.
Median
The middle figure. Half of the workers earn more, and half earn less.

Sources

12
  1. State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, plumber licensing, the licensing office
  2. State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, plumber licensing, who needs a license and license names
  3. State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, plumber licensing, who needs a license and license names (second page)
  4. North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, plumber licensing, license search
  5. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
  6. State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, plumber licenses, experience
  7. State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, 21 NCAC 50 .0301(a)
  8. State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, plumber licenses, exam and fees
  9. State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, plumber licenses, fees
  10. State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, plumber licenses, renewal
  11. State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, 21 NCAC 50 .0306(b)
  12. U.S. Department of Labor national apprenticeship data, extract of August 17, 2026

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