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How to become a plumber in Virginia

To work as a plumber in Virginia, you need your own license from the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). If you work under the supervision of a licensed plumber, as an apprentice does, you don't need one of your own.

See your steps Find an apprenticeship

Your ladder

  1. ApprenticeStart here
  2. Journeyman Plumbing (PLB) tradesman licenseYour first state license
  3. Master Plumbing (PLB) tradesman licenseThe next license up
  4. Class A contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classificationRun your own business

First: start as an apprentice.

Find an apprenticeship

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. Virginia has 230 registered plumber apprenticeship programs. The median wage is $16.00 an hour at the start and $23.00 an hour at the end.

    The programs with the most active apprentices

    See all 230 programs

  2. Step 2,

    Get the experience you need

    DPOR sets the experience you need for the Journeyman Plumbing (PLB) tradesman license.

    Journeyman Plumbing (PLB) tradesman license

    You need 4 years of practical experience in the trade and 240 hours of formal vocational training (approved courses in the trade). More experience can replace training: you can also qualify with 5 years and 160 hours, 6 years and 80 hours, 7 years and 40 hours, or 8 years and no training. You can also qualify with a related associate degree or 2-year certificate and 2 years of experience, or a related bachelor's degree in engineering and 1 year of experience.

    The Journeyman Plumbing (PLB) tradesman license costs $150.

    You must pass the Virginia journeyman plumber examination. The exam costs $100.

    You renew the Journeyman Plumbing (PLB) tradesman license every 3 years. The renewal costs $160. You need 3 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

    The 240 hours are the training hours for an applicant with 4 years of experience.

    You pay $171.75 when you apply. That is the $150 license fee plus a technology fee of $7.25 a year for 3 years.

  3. Step 3,

    Apply for your Journeyman Plumbing (PLB) tradesman license

    Apply to DPOR for the Journeyman Plumbing (PLB) tradesman license. You must pass the Virginia journeyman plumber examination. PSI gives the exam.

  4. Step 4,

    Renew your license

    You renew the Journeyman Plumbing (PLB) tradesman license every 3 years.

Other plumber licenses

Residential Plumber Tradesman (PLB) license

You need 2 years of practical experience in the trade and 160 hours of formal vocational training (approved courses in the trade). More experience can replace training: you can also qualify with 3 years and 120 hours, 4 years and 80 hours, 5 years and 40 hours, or 6 years and no training.

The Residential Plumber Tradesman (PLB) license costs $150.

You must pass the Virginia residential plumber tradesman examination. The exam costs $100.

You renew the Residential Plumber Tradesman (PLB) license every 3 years. The renewal costs $160. You need 3 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

The 160 hours are the training hours for an applicant with 2 years of experience.

You pay $171.75 when you apply. That is the $150 license fee plus a technology fee of $7.25 a year for 3 years.

Master Plumbing (PLB) tradesman license

The Master Plumbing (PLB) tradesman license costs $150.

You must pass the Virginia master plumber examination. The exam costs $125.

You renew the Master Plumbing (PLB) tradesman license every 3 years. The renewal costs $160. You need 3 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

You pay $171.75 when you apply. That is the $150 license fee plus a technology fee of $7.25 a year for 3 years.

The official wording of the requirement
Master Plumbing (PLB) tradesman license“Having held a valid journeyman license in the trade for which licensure is desired for a minimum of one year”

To run a plumbing business

These are the licenses for running a plumbing business.

Class A contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification

The Class A contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification requires 8 classroom hours.

The Class A contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification costs $400.

You must pass the Virginia Board for Contractors Class examination. The exam costs up to $200.

You renew the Class A contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification every 2 years. The renewal costs $270.

The 8 hours are a basic business course and not trade training. All 3 contractor classes require the course.

You pay this fee with your application, and there is no separate application fee. You also pay a $25 recovery fund fee.

The $200 is the most that the testing company can charge for each part of the exam. If you take more than 1 part, you pay for each part.

The official wording of the requirement
Class A contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification“Master plumber tradesman license issued by the Board for Contractors”

Class B contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification

The Class B contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification requires 8 classroom hours.

The Class B contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification costs $380.

You must pass the Virginia Board for Contractors Class examination. The exam costs up to $200.

You renew the Class B contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification every 2 years. The renewal costs $260.

The 8 hours are a basic business course and not trade training. All 3 contractor classes require the course.

You pay this fee with your application, and there is no separate application fee. You also pay a $25 recovery fund fee.

The $200 is the most that the testing company can charge for each part of the exam. If you take more than 1 part, you pay for each part.

The official wording of the requirement
Class B contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification“Master plumber tradesman license issued by the Board for Contractors”

Class C contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification

The Class C contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification requires 8 classroom hours.

The Class C contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification costs $235.

You renew the Class C contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification every 2 years. The renewal costs $220.

The 8 hours are a basic business course and not trade training. All 3 contractor classes require the course.

You pay this fee with your application, and there is no separate application fee. You also pay a $25 recovery fund fee.

The official wording of the requirement
Class C contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classification“Master plumber tradesman license issued by the Board for Contractors”

Take the exam

LicenseExam
Residential Plumber Tradesman (PLB) licenseVirginia residential plumber tradesman examinationPSI gives the exam.
Journeyman Plumbing (PLB) tradesman licenseVirginia journeyman plumber examinationPSI gives the exam.
Master Plumbing (PLB) tradesman licenseVirginia master plumber examinationPSI gives the exam.
Class A contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classificationVirginia Board for Contractors Class examinationPSI gives the exam.
Class B contractor license, Plumbing (PLB) classificationVirginia Board for Contractors Class examinationPSI gives the exam.

You take the exam for the license you apply for.

What plumbers earn in Virginia

$29.07an hour

$60,470 a year, full time

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in Virginia earn more than $29.07 an hour, and half earn less. The federal wage survey puts the yearly figure at $60,470.

These figures cover everyone on a payroll as a plumber in Virginia, from apprentices to people with decades in the trade, so they aren't a starting wage. The survey counts 13,780 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

DPOR has one reciprocal agreement for plumbers, with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC). If you hold a license from another state, you can also apply through Universal License Recognition. To use Universal License Recognition, you must have held your license in your original state for at least 1 year.

Questions

Can you become a plumber with no experience?

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

Virginia plumber apprenticeships

How much do most plumbers earn in Virginia?

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in Virginia earn between $23.72 and $34.51 an hour. These figures don't include overtime pay.

Can a plumber earn $100,000 a year in Virginia?

The highest-paid 10% of plumbers on a payroll in Virginia earn more than $78,050 a year before overtime, so most plumbers earn less than $100,000 a year from regular hours.

Can you take the classroom hours online?

DPOR says this about the Residential Plumber Tradesman (PLB) license and the Journeyman Plumbing (PLB) tradesman license: "'Formal vocational training' means courses in the trade administered at an accredited educational facility; or formal training, approved by the board, conducted by trade associations, businesses, the military, correspondence schools, or other similar training organizations."

Contact the licensing office

Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractorsdpor.virginia.gov/Boards/Tradesmen

Words to know

Apprentice
Someone who learns the trade on the job, working under a licensed worker.
Journeyman
The license level after apprentice. Some states write journeyperson, journeyworker or journey level.
Master
A higher license level, for a worker with more years in the trade. It often lets you supervise others.
JATC
A Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, an apprenticeship program run together by a union and contractors.
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

19
  1. Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors, plumber licensing, who needs a license, the licensing office and license names
  2. Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors, plumber licenses, experience and exam
  3. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
  4. Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors, Residential Plumber Tradesman (PLB) license, exam
  5. Virginia Law, 18VAC50-30-39 A
  6. Virginia Law, plumber licenses, online classes
  7. PSI, Individual License and Certification Candidate Information Bulletin for the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
  8. Virginia Law, plumber licenses, fees
  9. Virginia Law, 18VAC50-30-120 A, "Renewal"
  10. Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors, plumber licensing, license names
  11. Virginia Law, 18VAC50-30-100, "Examination fees"
  12. Virginia Law, plumber licenses, fees (second page)
  13. Virginia Law, plumber licenses, online classes (second page)
  14. Virginia Law, plumber licenses, experience
  15. Virginia Law, 18VAC50-22-80, "Examination fees"
  16. Virginia Law, 18VAC50-22-110, "Renewal required"
  17. Virginia Law, § 54.1-1129 A of the Code of Virginia, "Necessity for licensure"
  18. Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, email reply about reciprocity for plumbers
  19. U.S. Department of Labor national apprenticeship data, extract of August 17, 2026

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