Trades by State
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Oregon plumbing license requirements and insurance

To work for yourself as a plumber in Oregon, you need the CCB contractor license (the business license every contractor needs) license. Oregon has 3 plumbing license types, and which one you need depends on the work you take on. The state's minimum liability insurance is $300,000, and workers' comp is required as soon as you pay one worker who is not an independent contractor. A $20,000 bond is required.

Who it applies to

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

CCB contractor license (the business license every contractor needs): any business that does, bids on or advertises construction work in Oregon, including a plumbing business. A plumbing business needs this on top of its plumbing business license from the Building Codes Division

LicenseWho needs itWhat it covers
CCB contractor license (the business license every contractor needs)Any business that does, bids on or advertises construction work in Oregon, including a plumbing business. A plumbing business needs this on top of its plumbing business license from the Building Codes DivisionSet by the endorsement you pick. Most plumbing businesses fit Residential Specialty Contractor, which allows up to two unrelated trades on homes and small commercial buildings. Add Commercial Specialty Contractor Level 2 for larger commercial work
Plumbing business license (called plumbing contractor license in the law)Any business that furnishes plumbing labor, or labor and materials, for pay. It does not let you do the plumbing yourself. For that you need a journeyman plumber licenseRunning a plumbing business. Plumbing means water supply pipes, fixtures, soil and waste pipes, drains, storm drainage and medical gas systems in or next to buildings
Journeyman PlumberAnyone who does plumbing work. In Oregon only a journeyman, or a registered apprentice working under one, may touch the pipesAll plumbing work
Apprentice PlumberAnyone learning the trade. You must be in a registered Oregon apprenticeship and be employed by a licensed plumbing contractorPlumbing work under a journeyman plumber
Who runs it

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

Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD), part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, for the plumbing licenses. The Construction Contractors Board (CCB) for the business license, bond and insurance issues plumbing licenses in Oregon.

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

NameOregon Building Codes Division (BCD), part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, for the plumbing licenses. The Construction Contractors Board (CCB) for the business license, bond and insurance
Websiteoregon.gov
Contractor registrationoregon.gov
Look up a licensewww4.cbs.state.or.us
The lawORS chapter 693 (plumbers), ORS 447.040 (plumbing contractor license) and ORS chapter 701 (Construction Contractors Board)
The rulebookOAR chapter 918, divisions 30, 695 and 780 (Building Codes Division) and OAR chapter 812 (Construction Contractors Board)

The CCB has its own license search at https://search.ccb.state.or.us/search/. You need both licenses, so check both.

Checked by a person against the official page
·4 official pages
Getting licensed

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

Oregon has 4 licenses that matter to a plumber: CCB contractor license (the business license every contractor needs), Plumbing business license (called plumbing contractor license in the law), Journeyman Plumber, Apprentice Plumber. Each is below, with what you need before you apply.

LicenseExperience requiredTraining requiredExam
CCB contractor license (the business license every contractor needs)None for a residential endorsement. Commercial Specialty Level 2 needs key employees with four years of experience between them. Level 1 needs eight years16 hours of pre-license classes from an approved provider, taken by your responsible managing individual (the owner or officer who stands behind the license)Yes. An open-book exam run by PSI. 80 multiple choice questions, three hours, and you need 56 right (70 percent)
Plumbing business license (called plumbing contractor license in the law)None for the business itselfNoneNo
Journeyman PlumberA four-year Oregon plumbing apprenticeship. Or four years of classes and work as an apprentice or lawful journeyman that add up to the same thing. The hours must include at least 3,850 on homes and 3,850 on commercial buildings144 hours of classes each year for four years if you take the second routeYes. A written exam on drawings, math, tools and materials, the plumbing code, safety and disabled access. Passing score is 75 percent
Apprentice Plumber——No
What it costs

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

The government fees on this page add up to about $710 in Oregon. Add insurance, tools, and a vehicle to get the real number.

LicenseApplicationRenewalExam sitting (paid to PSI)
CCB contractor license (the business license every contractor needs)$400$400$60
Plumbing business license (called plumbing contractor license in the law)$150$450—
Journeyman Plumber$100$180—

Added up

Government fees, added up$710

Does not include the journeyman exam fee, the 16-hour CCB class, the bond premium, insurance, workers' comp, tools, a vehicle or permits

Our estimate
Insurance

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

The least liability insurance Oregon lets a plumber work with is $300,000. Most customers ask for more. Workers' comp is required as soon as you pay one worker who is not an independent contractor.

Minimum liability insurance$300,000
Type of policyPublic liability, personal injury and property damage insurance, per occurrence. The amount depends on your CCB endorsement
Liability insurance by license sizeResidential Specialty Contractor $300,000 per occurrence. Residential General Contractor $500,000 per occurrence. Commercial Specialty Contractor Level 2 $500,000 per occurrence. Commercial Specialty Level 1 $1,000,000 aggregate
Who this applies toThe business that holds the CCB license
Who must be named on the certificateYou must show the CCB proof of insurance when you apply and at every renewal. Insurance agents can send it through the CCB's online proof system
Workers' comp required?Yes, as soon as you pay one worker who is not an independent contractor
Who can opt out
  • A sole owner with no employees does not need it and can hold the CCB license in the exempt class.
  • A partner, an LLC member or a corporate officer with a substantial share of a CCB licensed business is not counted as a covered worker.
  • That holds even when they do the construction work themselves.
  • No election is needed.
  • The number treated this way is capped at two, or one for every ten employees if that is more.
  • Without the CCB license the opposite applies and they would be covered
Workers' comp: if you skip it
  • Twice the premium you should have paid, with a minimum of $1,000.
  • Then up to $250 a day until you comply.
  • If a worker is hurt while you are uninsured you pay the claim yourself
Workers' comp: what to knowYou buy the policy from any of more than 300 private insurers licensed in Oregon. If none will take you, the Oregon Assigned Risk Plan will
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·11 official pages
Money checks

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

Oregon does not check your credit for this license.

Credit score you needNone. Neither the CCB nor the Building Codes Division asks for a credit score, a net worth figure or a financial statement
What the application asks about money
  • The application does ask one money question.
  • For every owner, partner, member and officer, you must attach any court judgment that is still unpaid on the day you apply.
  • It counts if it was entered in the last five years and relates to construction work.
  • An unpaid bankruptcy or a debt to a public body counts too
If your score is lowerNone is asked for
How we know
  • The CCB licensing rules run to more than forty sections.
  • They cover bonds, insurance, fees and the exempt class, and none asks for a credit check or a financial statement.
  • The bond and insurance are the money test
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·2 official pages
Bonds

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

Oregon 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

The CCB bond (a promise, backed by an insurance company, that customers can be paid if you do not finish or do bad work) depends on your endorsement. Residential Specialty Contractor $20,000. Residential General Contractor $25,000. Commercial Specialty Contractor Level 2 $25,000, Level 1 $55,000. Commercial General Level 1 $80,000. Amounts went up by $5,000 on 1 January 2024. A public works job over $100,000 needs a separate $30,000 public works bond. The Building Codes Division asks for no bond of its own.

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·4 official pages
Showing your number

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

In Oregon: any home job over $2,000 needs a written contract, and the contract must carry your name, address, phone number and CCB license number, legible and in dark ink. It must also say the customer can complain to the CCB. Hand over the Consumer Protection Notice, the Notice of Procedure and the Information Notice to Owner on or before the day you sign, and keep proof for two years.

On quotes, contracts, and invoices
  • Any home job over $2,000 needs a written contract, and the contract must carry your name, address, phone number and CCB license number, legible and in dark ink.
  • It must also say the customer can complain to the CCB.
  • Hand over the Consumer Protection Notice, the Notice of Procedure and the Information Notice to Owner on or before the day you sign, and keep proof for two years
On ads
  • Your CCB number goes in every ad.
  • That means newspaper ads, phone directories, business cards, letterhead, site signs and your website.
  • A radio ad must say the number out loud.
  • A TV ad must show it on screen.
  • Promotional gifts like pens and caps, and a fixed sign at your own premises, are the only exceptions
On your vehicles
  • Yes.
  • The advertising rule ends with a catch-all covering all other written or visual advertising, so the lettering on your van must carry your CCB number.
  • Only two things are let off, a permanently fixed sign at your own premises that mainly shows your business name, and promotional gifts such as pens, cups and clothing
Where the license itself must beCarry your plumbing license on the job and show it when you are asked
If you forgetUp to $5,000 per offense from the CCB. For some listed offenses the first fine is $500 to $1,000 and the second $1,000 to $2,000
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·6 official pages
Tax

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

In Oregon, no sales tax. 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 isOregon has no sales tax. The Department of Revenue says the state has no general sales or use tax
LaborNo sales tax
MaterialsNo sales tax when you buy them and none when you bill them
Tax rate0 percent
Do you register to collect tax?You do not register to collect sales tax. Oregon taxes business income instead, so ask an accountant about income tax and any local business taxes where you work
Checked by a person against the official page·oregon.gov
Getting paid

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

If you are not paid in Oregon, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: send it in your first week. The notice only protects work done from eight working days before you mail it (weekends and holidays do not count). If you first deliver on Monday March 2 and mail the notice on Friday March 13, work before Tuesday March 3 is not covered.

The order things have to happen in, counted in days
  1. Day 0
    Your first day on the job

    The clock starts here.

  2. Day 75
    File your lien

    File the claim of lien with the county recorder within 75 days of your last day of work or delivery, or 75 days after the whole job is finished, whichever comes first (last day of work on June 1 means the lien is filed by August 15)

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
  • Anyone who supplies labor, materials or equipment to a home job and was not hired by the owner sends a Notice of Right to a Lien.
  • If the owner hired you, you do not send it.
  • On a commercial job people who supply labor, or labor and materials, or rent equipment, do not send it either
Send your notice by
  • Send it in your first week.
  • The notice only protects work done from eight working days before you mail it (weekends and holidays do not count).
  • If you first deliver on Monday March 2 and mail the notice on Friday March 13, work before Tuesday March 3 is not covered
File your lien byFile the claim of lien with the county recorder within 75 days of your last day of work or delivery, or 75 days after the whole job is finished, whichever comes first (last day of work on June 1 means the lien is filed by August 15)
Copy to the ownerWithin 20 days of filing the lien, mail a copy to the owner and to any lender. If you skip this you lose your costs and attorney fees when you go to court
Written notice you must give the customer
  • On any home job over $2,000 the contractor who deals with the owner must give the Information Notice to Owner about construction liens.
  • Miss it and you cannot file a lien on that job, and the CCB can fine you up to $5,000.
  • You also cannot file a lien at all unless your CCB license was valid when you bid and the whole time you worked
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·5 official pages
Keeping it

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

The CCB contractor license (the business license every contractor needs) renews every two years.

LicenseRenewalTraining hours each renewal
CCB contractor license (the business license every contractor needs)Every two years—
Plumbing business license (called plumbing contractor license in the law)Every three years—
Journeyman PlumberEvery three years—
Apprentice PlumberRuns with your apprenticeship—

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 Oregon What is this?

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

  • A plumbing business in Oregon holds two licenses from two agencies. The Building Codes Division issues the plumbing business license for $150. The Construction Contractors Board issues the contractor license for $400. You need both before you take a job.
  • Oregon has no sales tax at all. You never add tax to a bill and never pay it on pipe, fittings or fixtures.
  • Your bond and insurance are set by the CCB endorsement you choose, not by the trade. Residential Specialty means a $20,000 bond and $300,000 of liability insurance.
  • A supplier or subcontractor has about eight working days to send the Notice of Right to a Lien. Anything delivered before that window is not covered by a lien.
  • A journeyman card costs $180 every three years, and $30 of that pays for tracking your 24 hours of classes.
Checked by a person against the official page
·5 official pages

13Where these numbers come from

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

  1. oregon.gov/bcd/licensing/Pages/index.aspx
  2. oregon.gov/bcd/licensing/Pages/search.aspx
  3. oregon.gov/ccb/Pages/index.aspx
  4. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_918-030-0015
  5. oregon.gov/ccb/Pages/CCB%20License.aspx
  6. oregon.gov/ccb/Pages/Proposed-Fee-Increase.aspx
  7. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_812-003-0131
  8. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_812-003-0290
  9. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_701.084
  10. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_812-003-0142
  11. apps.oregon.gov/SOS/LicenseDirectory/LicenseDetail/659
  12. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_918-780-0030
  13. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_693.135
  14. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_447.040
  15. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_447.010
  16. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_918-030-0210
  17. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_918-695-0030
  18. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_918-695-0040
  19. oregon.gov/bcd/licensing/Pages/exam.aspx
  20. apps.oregon.gov/SOS/LicenseDirectory/LicenseDetail/675
  21. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_918-030-0120
  22. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_693.030
  23. apps.oregon.gov/SOS/LicenseDirectory/LicenseDetail/335
  24. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_693.010
  25. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_656.027
  26. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_812-003-0221
  27. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_701.081
  28. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_701.073
  29. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_812-003-0250
  30. wcd.oregon.gov/employer/Pages/compensation-insurance-overview.aspx
  31. wcd.oregon.gov/employer/Pages/penalties.aspx
  32. wcd.oregon.gov/employer/Pages/how-to-buy-it.aspx
  33. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_chapter_812_division_3
  34. oregon.gov/ccb/Pages/Licensing.aspx
  35. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_chapter_918_division_695
  36. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_812-003-0120
  37. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_812-012-0110
  38. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_701.305
  39. oregon.public.law/rules/oar_812-012-0130
  40. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_701.992
  41. oregon.gov/dor/programs/businesses/Pages/sales-tax.aspx
  42. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_87.021
  43. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_87.035
  44. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_87.039
  45. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_87.093
  46. oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_701.131