Maryland plumbing license requirements and insurance

Who it applies to

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

Master Plumber/Gas Fitter: anyone who contracts with customers for plumbing work or runs a plumbing business. This is the license that pulls permits

License	Who needs it	What it covers
Apprentice Plumber/Gas Fitter	Anyone who helps with plumbing work while learning the trade. You must hold it for four years before you can sit the journey exam	Helping a master plumber with plumbing work, under supervision
Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter	A plumber who works for a plumbing business. You cannot contract with customers on this license	Plumbing work under the direction and control of a master plumber
Master Plumber/Gas Fitter	Anyone who contracts with customers for plumbing work or runs a plumbing business. This is the license that pulls permits	All plumbing work and natural gas work, and directing journey plumbers and apprentices

License

Who needs it

What it covers

Apprentice Plumber/Gas Fitter

Anyone who helps with plumbing work while learning the trade. You must hold it for four years before you can sit the journey exam

Helping a master plumber with plumbing work, under supervision

Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter

A plumber who works for a plumbing business. You cannot contract with customers on this license

Plumbing work under the direction and control of a master plumber

Master Plumber/Gas Fitter

Anyone who contracts with customers for plumbing work or runs a plumbing business. This is the license that pulls permits

All plumbing work and natural gas work, and directing journey plumbers and apprentices

Who runs it

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

Maryland State Board of Plumbing, part of the Maryland Department of Labor issues plumbing licenses in Maryland.

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

Name	Maryland State Board of Plumbing, part of the Maryland Department of Labor
Website	labor.maryland.gov
Look up a license	dllr.state.md.us
The law	Business Occupations and Professions Article, Title 12
The rulebook	COMAR 09.20 (the Code of Maryland Regulations, Board of Plumbing)
Who runs the exam	PSI

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·3 official pages

Getting licensed

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

Maryland has 3 licenses that matter to a plumber: Apprentice Plumber/Gas Fitter, Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter, Master Plumber/Gas Fitter. Each is below, with what you need before you apply.

License	Experience required	Training required	Exam
Apprentice Plumber/Gas Fitter	None. You must be at least 16 years old	—	No exam
Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter	Four years holding an apprentice license, with 7,500 hours of training under a licensed master plumber	32 hours of training in testing backflow prevention devices (the valves that stop dirty water flowing back into clean water)	Yes, a written exam run by PSI. The state does not publish the PSI fee
Master Plumber/Gas Fitter	Two years holding a journey license, with 3,750 hours of training under a licensed master plumber	—	Yes, a written exam run by PSI. The state does not publish the PSI fee

License

Experience required

Training required

Exam

Apprentice Plumber/Gas Fitter

None. You must be at least 16 years old

—

No exam

Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter

Four years holding an apprentice license, with 7,500 hours of training under a licensed master plumber

32 hours of training in testing backflow prevention devices (the valves that stop dirty water flowing back into clean water)

Yes, a written exam run by PSI. The state does not publish the PSI fee

Master Plumber/Gas Fitter

Two years holding a journey license, with 3,750 hours of training under a licensed master plumber

—

Yes, a written exam run by PSI. The state does not publish the PSI fee

What it costs

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

The government fees on this page add up to about $149.5 in Maryland. Add insurance, tools, and a vehicle to get the real number.

License	First license	Renewal
Apprentice Plumber/Gas Fitter	$18.5	$18.5
Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter	$43.5	$43.5
Master Plumber/Gas Fitter	$87.5	$87.5

Added up

Government fees, added up	$149.5

Does not include the two PSI exam fees, the 32-hour backflow class, insurance premiums, tools, a vehicle, or county permits

Our estimate

Insurance

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

The least liability insurance Maryland lets a plumber work with is $300,000 for injury and $100,000 for property damage. Most customers ask for more. Workers' comp is required from the first employee.

Minimum liability insurance	$300,000
Minimum liability insurance (property damage)	$100,000
Type of policy	Liability insurance that covers injury to people and damage to property, including finished work
Who this applies to	A master plumber who contracts with customers. Your employer can buy the policy instead, but then it only covers work you do for that employer
Who must be named on the certificate	The law does not name one. You send proof of insurance to the board with your application and at each renewal
Workers' comp required?	Yes
Workers' comp: what to know	Every Maryland employer must carry workers' comp for its employees. A sole owner is not covered unless they choose to be, by writing to the Workers' Compensation Commission and the insurer. Before a state or local office gives an employer a license or permit, it asks for a workers' comp policy number or a certificate of compliance from the Commission.
Workers' comp: if you skip it	A fine of up to $10,000 for an employer that does not carry it
Who can opt out	An officer of a company, or a member of an LLC, counts as a covered employee if the company pays them for work they do. Some may opt out. An officer of a close corporation may. So may an officer of a professional corporation who owns at least 20 percent of the shares and does professional work. So may a member of an LLC who owns at least 20 percent of the profits. No more than five officers of an ordinary corporation may opt out. The company must send the Commission and its insurer a written notice naming each person who has opted out
Other requirements	You must tell the board at least 10 days before your policy is canceled. Journey plumbers and apprentices do not need their own policy.

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Money checks

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

Maryland does not check your credit for this license.

Credit score you need	None. The board does not check your credit, net worth or bank balance for a plumbing license
If your score is lower	Not needed
How we know	The plumbing law asks for experience, an exam and insurance. The board's rules have no section on credit, net worth or a financial statement.
About home improvement licenses	The Maryland Home Improvement Commission does check finances for its own license. The home improvement law leaves out a licensed plumber who stays within plumbing work. If you also sell other home improvement work, such as a bathroom remodel, that license and its money check apply to you.

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Bonds

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

Maryland does not require a state bond for this license. Some cities ask for one before they issue permits.

Does the state require a bond?	No
Amount	Not listed yet

The state does not ask a plumber for a bond (a promise, backed by an insurance company, that customers can be paid if you do not finish the job). The law also says proof of your state insurance counts in place of any bond a county or city asks a plumber for.

Checked by a person against the official page·mgaleg.maryland.gov

Showing your number

8Where must a Maryland plumber show the license number? What is this?

In Maryland: your estimate forms, contracts and final bills must show the words MD Licensed Plumber and the license number of the master plumber in charge of the work.

On quotes, contracts, and invoices	Your estimate forms, contracts and final bills must show the words MD Licensed Plumber and the license number of the master plumber in charge of the work
On ads	Every ad must show the same words and license number. That covers print, audio, video and online ads
On your vehicles	A vehicle that advertises plumbing services must show the words MD Licensed Plumber and the current master plumber's license number on both sides. A plain van with no advertising on it is not covered
If you forget	The board can fine you up to $5,000 for each violation of the plumbing law or its rules

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Tax

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

In Maryland, no sales tax. Maryland taxes only a short list of services, and plumbing work on a building is not on it. 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

Who pays tax on materials	You. Maryland makes anyone who builds, alters or repairs a building pay sales tax on the materials that become part of it. Your supplier charges you when you buy pipe, fittings, fixtures and water heaters.
Materials you bill to the customer	You do not add sales tax to the customer's bill. Build the tax you paid into your price. Writing "tax included" or "tax exempt" in the contract changes nothing.
Labor	No sales tax. Maryland taxes only a short list of services, and plumbing work on a building is not on it.
Homes versus businesses	Same rule for a home and a business
New buildings	Same rule as repairs. You pay tax on the materials when you buy them
Working for a tax exempt customer	Work for the government is still taxed on your materials. For some charities, schools and churches you can buy materials tax-free with the customer's exemption certificate and your signed statement to the supplier.
Equipment and materials	Tools and equipment you use on the job but do not leave in the building are always taxed when you buy them
Tax rate	6 percent statewide. Maryland has no local sales tax

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Getting paid

10Getting paid: lien and notice deadlines for a Maryland plumber What is this?

If you are not paid in Maryland, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: you have 120 days after doing the work or delivering the materials to give the owner written notice of an intention to claim a lien. Giving it counts when you send it by registered or certified mail with a return receipt, or hand it to the owner. If the owner cannot be found, you may post it on the front of the building in front of a witness, still inside the 120 days.

The order things have to happen in, counted in days

Day 0
Your first day on the job
The clock starts here.
Day 120
Send your notice
You have 120 days after doing the work or delivering the materials to give the owner written notice of an intention to claim a lien. Giving it counts when you send it by registered or certified mail with a return receipt, or hand it to the owner. If the owner cannot be found, you may post it on the front of the building in front of a witness, still inside the 120 days
Day 180
File your lien
You have 180 days after the work was finished or the materials delivered (last work on March 1 means you file by August 28). You file a petition in the circuit court of the county where the property is.

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	A subcontractor, meaning anyone hired by the contractor and not by the owner. If the owner hired you directly, you do not send this notice.
Send your notice by	You have 120 days after doing the work or delivering the materials to give the owner written notice of an intention to claim a lien. Giving it counts when you send it by registered or certified mail with a return receipt, or hand it to the owner. If the owner cannot be found, you may post it on the front of the building in front of a witness, still inside the 120 days
File your lien by	You have 180 days after the work was finished or the materials delivered (last work on March 1 means you file by August 28). You file a petition in the circuit court of the county where the property is.
The small-job exception	A repair or remodel only gives you lien rights if the work on the building adds up to at least 15 percent of the building's value. New buildings have no such floor.
Homes the owner lives in	On a single-family home being built for the owner to live in, a subcontractor's lien cannot be more than what the owner still owes the contractor on the day your notice arrives. Send it early.

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Keeping it

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

The Master Plumber/Gas Fitter renews every two years. You must show proof of insurance each time if you contract with customers.

License	Renewal	Training hours each renewal
Apprentice Plumber/Gas Fitter	Every two years. The board says you can renew an apprentice license for only two cycles in a row before you must take the exam	—
Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter	Every two years	None found. The law section on renewal and the board's renewal rule list no class hours
Master Plumber/Gas Fitter	Every two years. You must show proof of insurance each time if you contract with customers	None found. The law section on renewal and the board's renewal rule list no class hours

License

Renewal

Training hours each renewal

Apprentice Plumber/Gas Fitter

Every two years. The board says you can renew an apprentice license for only two cycles in a row before you must take the exam

—

Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter

Every two years

None found. The law section on renewal and the board's renewal rule list no class hours

Master Plumber/Gas Fitter

Every two years. You must show proof of insurance each time if you contract with customers

None found. The law section on renewal and the board's renewal rule list no class hours

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 Maryland What is this?

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

Maryland licenses the plumber, not the plumbing company. A business can only contract for plumbing work through a master plumber, and that person's number goes on every ad, contract and truck.
A Maryland master plumber license covers natural gas work too. You do not need a second license to run a gas line to a water heater.
You need $300,000 of injury cover and $100,000 of property damage cover before the board will issue or renew a master license. That same proof replaces any bond a county asks a plumber for.
A licensed plumber doing plumbing work does not need the Maryland home improvement license. Step outside plumbing on a home job and you do.
A repair job only carries lien rights when the work reaches 15 percent of the building's value. A small service call gives you none.

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13Where these numbers come from

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