Illinois plumbing license requirements and insurance

Who it applies to

1Who needs a plumbing license in Illinois? What is this?

Plumbing Contractor registration: every plumbing business in Illinois, every year. The plumber of record must own the business, be a partner, be a corporate officer, or be a manager or member of the LLC. One plumber can be plumber of record for only one company at a time

License	Who needs it	What it covers
Apprentice Plumber	Anyone learning the trade. You must be sponsored by an Illinois licensed plumber and work for a registered plumbing contractor. Every hour of your four years counts only while this license is current	Plumbing work under the supervision of your sponsoring licensed plumber
Plumber	Anyone doing plumbing work on their own, supervising apprentices, or standing behind a plumbing business as its plumber of record. Illinois has no journeyman or master step, just this one license	All plumbing work in Illinois. Chicago has its own plumber license, and the state accepts it without an exam
Plumbing Contractor registration	Every plumbing business in Illinois, every year. The plumber of record must own the business, be a partner, be a corporate officer, or be a manager or member of the LLC. One plumber can be plumber of record for only one company at a time	Lets the business contract for plumbing work and employ licensed plumbers and apprentices. Only licensed plumbers and licensed apprentices may install plumbing for you
Plumber license (Chicago)	Anyone doing plumbing work in Chicago who does not hold the state plumber license. Chicago accepts the state license as long as your employer holds a Chicago plumbing contractor license. The owner, a partner or an officer of a Chicago plumbing contractor must hold the Chicago license itself	—
Plumbing Contractor license (Chicago)	Any business that installs, alters, repairs or maintains plumbing in Chicago. A business registered with the state must also hold this license to work in the city. The owner or tenant of a single family home may work on the plumbing of that home	One kind only. It also covers the work a drain layer license covers

License

Who needs it

What it covers

Apprentice Plumber

Anyone learning the trade. You must be sponsored by an Illinois licensed plumber and work for a registered plumbing contractor. Every hour of your four years counts only while this license is current

Plumbing work under the supervision of your sponsoring licensed plumber

Plumber

Anyone doing plumbing work on their own, supervising apprentices, or standing behind a plumbing business as its plumber of record. Illinois has no journeyman or master step, just this one license

All plumbing work in Illinois. Chicago has its own plumber license, and the state accepts it without an exam

Plumbing Contractor registration

Every plumbing business in Illinois, every year. The plumber of record must own the business, be a partner, be a corporate officer, or be a manager or member of the LLC. One plumber can be plumber of record for only one company at a time

Lets the business contract for plumbing work and employ licensed plumbers and apprentices. Only licensed plumbers and licensed apprentices may install plumbing for you

Plumber license (Chicago)

Anyone doing plumbing work in Chicago who does not hold the state plumber license. Chicago accepts the state license as long as your employer holds a Chicago plumbing contractor license. The owner, a partner or an officer of a Chicago plumbing contractor must hold the Chicago license itself

—

Plumbing Contractor license (Chicago)

Any business that installs, alters, repairs or maintains plumbing in Chicago. A business registered with the state must also hold this license to work in the city. The owner or tenant of a single family home may work on the plumbing of that home

One kind only. It also covers the work a drain layer license covers

Who runs it

2Who issues plumber licenses in Illinois? What is this?

Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Plumbing Program issues plumbing licenses in Illinois.

See how this compares in every state: How to check a contractor's license, state by state

Name	Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Plumbing Program
Website	dph.illinois.gov
Look up a license	ildohplmprod.glsuite.us
The law	Illinois Plumbing License Law, 225 ILCS 320
The rulebook	Plumbers Licensing Code, 68 Ill. Adm. Code 750, and Plumbing Contractor Registration Code, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 894
City rules	Chicago licenses its own plumbers and plumbing contractors through the City of Chicago Board of Plumbing Examiners. A business registered with the state must also hold the Chicago contractor license to work in the city. A Chicago plumber can get the state license without an exam. Everywhere else in Illinois the state license is the one you need.

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Getting licensed

3How to become a plumber in Illinois What is this?

Illinois has 5 licenses that matter to a plumber: Apprentice Plumber, Plumber, Plumbing Contractor registration, Plumber license (Chicago), Plumbing Contractor license (Chicago). Each is below, with what you need before you apply.

License	Experience required	Training required	Exam
Apprentice Plumber	None to start. You must be at least 16 and sponsored by an Illinois licensed plumber. The two years of high school come later, when you apply to sit the plumber exam	None to start. You can stay an apprentice for at most six years. After that you must pass the plumber exam or you cannot renew	No
Plumber	At least four years as an Illinois licensed apprentice, at least 1,400 hours a year, 5,600 hours in all. Two years as an apprentice plus two years of approved plumbing classes can add up to the same 5,600 hours. A full approved course of 2,800 hours can stand in for the four years. Apprentice time licensed in another state counts hour for hour	At least two years of high school or the equivalent	Yes, a state exam in three parts. A written knowledge test on the Illinois Plumbing Code, a test on reading construction drawings, and a hands-on practical test with your own tools. You need an average of 75 and at least 61 on every part. Apply at least 30 days before the exam date
Plumbing Contractor registration	—	—	—
Plumber license (Chicago)	At least 21 years old, with four years as an apprentice plumber, or an approved plumbing course at a trade school, college or university	—	Yes, a written exam and then a practical exam. You must pass the written one first. If you fail, you wait one month before you apply again. A plumber licensed somewhere else may be licensed without an exam
Plumbing Contractor license (Chicago)	—	—	—

License

Experience required

Training required

Exam

Apprentice Plumber

None to start. You must be at least 16 and sponsored by an Illinois licensed plumber. The two years of high school come later, when you apply to sit the plumber exam

None to start. You can stay an apprentice for at most six years. After that you must pass the plumber exam or you cannot renew

No

Plumber

At least four years as an Illinois licensed apprentice, at least 1,400 hours a year, 5,600 hours in all. Two years as an apprentice plus two years of approved plumbing classes can add up to the same 5,600 hours. A full approved course of 2,800 hours can stand in for the four years. Apprentice time licensed in another state counts hour for hour

At least two years of high school or the equivalent

Yes, a state exam in three parts. A written knowledge test on the Illinois Plumbing Code, a test on reading construction drawings, and a hands-on practical test with your own tools. You need an average of 75 and at least 61 on every part. Apply at least 30 days before the exam date

Plumbing Contractor registration

—

Plumber license (Chicago)

At least 21 years old, with four years as an apprentice plumber, or an approved plumbing course at a trade school, college or university

—

Yes, a written exam and then a practical exam. You must pass the written one first. If you fail, you wait one month before you apply again. A plumber licensed somewhere else may be licensed without an exam

Plumbing Contractor license (Chicago)

—

What it costs

4How much does a plumbing license cost in Illinois? What is this?

The government fees on this page add up to about $575 in Illinois. Add insurance, tools, and a vehicle to get the real number.

License	Exam	Retaking the exam	First license	First registration	Renewal	Getting a lapsed license back	Replacement license	Exam application	Late fee	Bounced check fee
Apprentice Plumber	—	—	$100	—	$100	—	—	—	$100	$100
Plumber	—	$175	$150	—	$150	—	$50	$175	$100	$100
Plumbing Contractor registration	—	—	—	$150	$150	$100	—	—	—	$200
Plumber license (Chicago)	$175	—	$150	—	$150	—	—	—	—	—
Plumbing Contractor license (Chicago)	—	—	$150	—	$150	—	—	—	—	—

Added up

Government fees, added up	$575

Government fees only, for one year at each step. Does not include the three extra years of apprentice renewals at $100 each, the bond premium, insurance, tools, a vehicle, city permits or a Chicago license

Our estimate

Insurance

5How much plumbing insurance do you need in Illinois? What is this?

The least liability insurance Illinois lets a plumber work with is $100,000 for injury and $50,000 for property damage. Most customers ask for more. Workers' comp is required from the first employee.

Minimum liability insurance	$100,000
Type of policy	General liability, per occurrence
Minimum liability insurance (injury)	$300,000
Minimum liability insurance (property damage)	$50,000
Who this applies to	Every registered plumbing contractor, meaning the business. The certificate must be in force at all times, be good for at least 60 days after registration, and the name on it must match the business name exactly. If it lapses the registration is suspended, and your apprentices stop earning credit toward their license until it is fixed
Who must be named on the certificate	Illinois Department of Public Health, Plumbing Program, 535 W. Jefferson St., Springfield, IL 62761. The Department does not accept binders or continuous certificates. Your insurer must tell the Department in writing at least 30 days before any cancellation, change or expiry
Workers' comp required?	Yes
Workers' comp: what to know	The registration asks for $500,000 of workers' compensation cover on the same certificate. A contractor with no employees at all can sign an Affidavit of No Employees and opt out. The state workers' compensation law also covers construction work automatically, so the day you hire anyone you must carry it.
Who can opt out	A sole owner, a partner or an LLC member can choose not to cover themselves. Employees can never be left out.
Workers' comp: if you skip it	Knowingly going without cover costs up to $500 a day, with a minimum of $10,000. A repeat costs up to $1,000 a day with a $20,000 minimum. The state can also order all work to stop, and the owner or officer can be charged with a Class 4 felony.
About home jobs	The state home repair law may also apply, and it asks for $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence for injury and $50,000 for property damage. The registration figures above already meet it. That law covers homes of six units or fewer, leaves out building a new home, and leaves out maintenance and repairs under $500, though an improvement is covered whatever it costs.

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Money checks

6Does Illinois check your credit for a plumber license? What is this?

Illinois does not check your credit for this license.

Credit score you need	None. Illinois does not check your credit for a plumber license or a contractor registration
If your score is lower	Not needed
How we know	The contractor registration rule lists everything an application must contain. It asks for a license, insurance, a bond or letter of credit, and company papers. There is no credit check, net worth test or financial statement on the list

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Bonds

7Does a plumber need a bond in Illinois? What is this?

Illinois requires a bond of $20,000. A bond is a promise, backed by an insurance company, that customers can be paid if you do not finish the job.

Does the state require a bond?	Yes
Amount	$20,000

A surety bond (a promise, backed by an insurance company, that customers can be paid if you do not finish the job) of $20,000, or a bank letter of credit for the same amount, naming the Department of Public Health. It must be on the Department's own form, run out on September 30 of the current year, and cannot be a continuous bond. Cities may ask for their own bond before they let you pull permits.

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Showing your number

8Where must an Illinois plumber show the license number? What is this?

In Illinois: if you advertise plumbing services, display the plumber license of at least one owner, partner or officer at your place of business. Keep a register of the names and license numbers of every plumber and apprentice plumber you employ. The state may look at your payroll records to check the register, and nothing else in your books.

The rule	If you advertise plumbing services, display the plumber license of at least one owner, partner or officer at your place of business. Keep a register of the names and license numbers of every plumber and apprentice plumber you employ. The state may look at your payroll records to check the register, and nothing else in your books
On ads	Every ad for plumbing services must carry that license number. The publisher does not have to check it. If a printed ad breaks the rule, the state can order the phone company to cut off the phone number in the ad. You get notice first, and 20 days to ask for a hearing
On your vehicles	The same license number goes with the plumbing identification on your vehicles
On quotes, contracts, and invoices	Section 5 of the law names the place of business, ads and vehicles. It does not mention invoices or quotes
What your contract must say	On any home job over $1,000 the state home repair law makes you give the customer a written contract to sign before work starts. It must show the total price with parts and materials itemized, any charge for the estimate, and your business name and address
If you forget	Leaving the number off, giving a publisher a wrong or false number, or letting someone else use your number is a Class A misdemeanor with a $1,000 fine. Each day counts as a separate offense. A licensed plumber can also have the license suspended or taken away. Separately, working as a plumbing contractor without registering costs $1,000 for a first offense, $3,000 if code violations are found, and up to $5,000 after that. The same scale applies to a person plumbing without a license

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Tax

9Does a plumber charge sales tax on labor in Illinois? What is this?

In Illinois, no sales tax on your labor when it is part of a construction contract. The rest of the rules are below.

See how this compares in every state: Can you charge sales tax on labor? The rule in 25 states

What this tax is	Illinois treats a plumbing contractor as the final user of pipe, fittings, water heaters and fixtures that become part of a building. The tax is paid once, when you buy, and never appears on your invoice
Who pays tax on materials	You. You owe use tax on the cost of every material that becomes part of the building. Your supplier normally collects it at the counter. You do not charge the customer tax on materials or on labor
Labor	No sales tax on your labor when it is part of a construction contract
Homes versus businesses	No difference. The same rule applies to a house and to an office
New buildings versus repairs	No difference. Materials are taxed when you buy them either way
Things that are not part of the building	If you sell something that stays a separate item after installation, such as an appliance, you are a retailer for that sale and must charge the customer sales tax on it
Resale certificate	Only if you do not know at the time of purchase whether an item will go into a building or be sold as is. If you then use it in a building you must report and pay the tax yourself
Use tax	Materials bought from another state are still taxed. If the seller did not collect Illinois tax, you pay use tax to the Department of Revenue yourself
Tax rate	6.25 percent state, plus local rates that vary by town and county. Look up the rate for a job address with the Tax Rate Finder in MyTax Illinois

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Getting paid

10Getting paid: lien and notice deadlines for an Illinois plumber What is this?

If you are not paid in Illinois, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: on every job, a subcontractor must send the owner a written notice of the amount due within 90 days after finishing (last day of work June 1 means notice by August 30). Send it to the owner, and to the lender if you know one, by certified mail, a tracked courier or in person.

The order things have to happen in, counted in days

Day 0
Your first day on the job
The clock starts here.
Day 90
Send your notice
On every job, a subcontractor must send the owner a written notice of the amount due within 90 days after finishing (last day of work June 1 means notice by August 30). Send it to the owner, and to the lender if you know one, by certified mail, a tracked courier or in person

Each day count is counted from the day the rule beside it names, which is not always the same day. Read the sentence under each one.

Who has to send a notice	Subcontractors and suppliers, meaning anyone the owner did not hire directly. A contractor hired by the owner sends no notice but must give the owner a sworn list of everyone working under them before any payment
Homes the owner lives in	On a house the owner lives in, a subcontractor must hand or send the occupant a written notice within 60 days of the first day of work or delivery (first day on site March 1 means notice by April 30). Send it by certified mail with a return receipt or deliver it in person. Late notice keeps the lien only for money the owner has not already paid out
Send your notice by	On every job, a subcontractor must send the owner a written notice of the amount due within 90 days after finishing (last day of work June 1 means notice by August 30). Send it to the owner, and to the lender if you know one, by certified mail, a tracked courier or in person
File your lien by	Record your claim for lien with the county recorder within four months after your last day of work (last day of work June 1 means you record by October 1). Against the owner alone you have two years, but four months is what protects you against a sale or a new mortgage
File a lawsuit by	You must start your lawsuit within two years of finishing the work (last day of work June 1 means you sue by June 1 two years later)
Written notice you must give the customer	A contractor hired by the owner of a house they live in must give them a written notice in bold type of at least 10 point. It says the law requires a sworn statement of everyone furnishing labor and materials before any payment is due

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Keeping it

11How do you renew a plumbing license in Illinois? What is this?

The Plumbing Contractor registration renews every year.

License	Renewal	Training hours each year
Apprentice Plumber	Every year. The license runs out on April 30 after the day it was issued	—
Plumber	Every year, by April 30	—
Plumbing Contractor registration	Every year	—
Plumber license (Chicago)	Every year	—
Plumbing Contractor license (Chicago)	Every year	—

License

Renewal

Training hours each year

Apprentice Plumber

Every year. The license runs out on April 30 after the day it was issued

—

Plumber

Every year, by April 30

—

Plumbing Contractor registration

Every year

—

Plumber license (Chicago)

Every year

—

Plumbing Contractor license (Chicago)

Every year

—

Renewal fees are in what the license costs. The official page for each license is linked under how you get it.

Watch out

12What catches people out in Illinois What is this?

The things people get wrong or do not expect about Illinois, in a few sentences.

Illinois licenses the plumber first and the business second. A plumbing contractor cannot register unless its owner, a partner, an officer or an LLC manager holds a plumber license, and one plumber can stand behind only one company.
There is no journeyman step. You spend at least four years and 5,600 hours as a licensed apprentice, sit one three-part exam, and come out a licensed plumber.
Chicago runs its own plumber license through its Board of Plumbing Examiners. The state takes a Chicago license without an exam, for $150 and proof of four hours of training in the last year.
Contractor registration needs a $20,000 bond and an insurance certificate naming the Department of Public Health. Let the insurance lapse and the registration is suspended, and your apprentices stop earning credit toward their license.
On a house the owner lives in, a subcontractor has 60 days from the first day of work to give the occupant a written notice, or the lien covers only what the owner has not already paid.
An ad for plumbing work without your license number is a crime in Illinois, a Class A misdemeanor with a $1,000 fine for every day the ad runs. The state can also have the phone number in the ad cut off.

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13Where these numbers come from

The labels under each table are explained on how to read a page.