Texas plumbing license requirements and insurance

To work for yourself as a plumber in Texas, you need the Master Plumber license. Texas 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 your choice. The state does not ask for a bond.

Checked by the Trades by State editor on 2026-09-16 Based on 13 official pages, listed at the bottom Something wrong? Tell us

License you need: Journeyman Plumber Renew Annual
Insurance you must carry: $300,000 liability, at least
Workers' comp: Your choice not required in this state
Credit score: None. Texas does not check your credit for this license or take a 14-hour course
To protect your pay, send notice by: The 15th of the third month after the month you did the work (work done in January means notice by April 15)

Turn this into a checklist

1 What stands out in Texas for a plumber What is this?

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

Texas does not license a plumbing business as such. The business runs under one person, the Responsible Master Plumber, and that person's license number goes on your invoices, your quotes, your adverts, and both sides of your work trucks.
Workers' comp is optional in Texas. If you go without it you must tell the state you have opted out, and you lose some legal protection if a worker is hurt.
Sales tax on your labor depends on the building, not the job. A repair in a home has no tax. The same repair in a business is taxed on the whole bill.
To keep the right to file a lien on a house, a subcontractor must send notice by the 15th of the second month after the work. Commercial jobs allow one extra month.
The $300,000 insurance minimum is the state floor for the Responsible Master Plumber. Many customers and builders will ask to see $1,000,000.

Checked by a person against the official page

·4 official pages

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

Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) issues plumbing licenses in Texas.

Name	Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE)
Website	https://tsbpe.texas.gov/
Look up a license	https://vo.licensing.hpc.texas.gov/

Checked by a person against the official page

3 Texas plumber license requirements and fees What is this?

Texas has 3 license types that matter to a plumber. The Master Plumber needs two years as a licensed journeyman, or one year plus an approved apprenticeship program.

Journeyman Plumber

Lets you work for a plumbing business. You cannot pull permits or run your own business with this alone

Experience required

8,000 hours of plumbing work (about four years full time) under a Responsible Master Plumber, while registered as an apprentice or licensed as a Tradesman Plumber-Limited

Training required

48 hours of classes (two 6-hour courses, OSHA 10, an 8-hour plumbing code class, and an 18-hour commercial code class), unless you are in an approved apprenticeship program

Exam

Yes, a board exam taken at a Pearson VUE test center

Fees

Exam application	40
Exam sitting (paid to Pearson VUE)	68.5
Fingerprinting (paid to IdentoGO)	39.05
First license	Not listed yet
Renewal	40

Renewal

Annual

Training hours each year

Taken from the linked page, not separately checked

·2 official pages

Master Plumber

The step before running your own business. Lets you supervise journeymen

Experience required

Two years as a licensed journeyman, or one year plus an approved apprenticeship program

Exam

Yes

Fees

Exam processing	25
Exam sitting (paid to Pearson VUE)	$128.5
First license	75
Renewal	75
Late renewal, under 90 days late	37.5
Late renewal, over 90 days late	75

Renewal

Annual

Training hours each year

Checked by a person against the official page·tsbpe.texas.gov

Responsible Master Plumber (RMP)

The license you need to run your own plumbing business, pull permits, and put your number on invoices

You must already hold

Current Texas Master Plumber license in good standing

Fees

First application	$225
Renewal	$300
Late renewal, under 90 days late	$150
Late renewal, over 90 days late	$300

Renewal

Annual

Checked by a person against the official page·tsbpe.texas.gov

4 How much insurance does a plumber need in Texas? What is this?

The least liability insurance Texas lets a plumber work with is $300,000. Most customers ask for more. Workers' comp is your choice.

Minimum liability insurance	$300,000
Type of policy	Commercial liability insurance
Who this applies to	The Responsible Master Plumber, meaning the business
Who must be named on the certificate	The plumbing board must be named on your insurance certificate
Workers' comp required?	No
Workers' comp: what to know	Texas does not make private employers carry workers' comp. If you skip it, you must tell the state Division of Workers' Compensation that you have opted out, and report any injury that costs more than one day of work.

Checked by a person against the official page

·2 official pages

5 Does Texas check your credit for a plumber license? What is this?

Texas does not check your credit for this license.

Credit score you need	None. Texas does not check your credit for this license
If your score is lower	Not needed
How we know	The plumbing rules run to four chapters, and the licensing one, 22 TAC chapter 365, has no section about a bond, a surety, financial responsibility, net worth, or credit

Checked by a person against the official page

·3 official pages

6 Does a plumber need a bond in Texas? What is this?

Texas 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

The state does not ask for one. Some cities do before they let you pull permits, so check with your city.

Checked by a person against the official page

·2 official pages

7 Where must a Texas plumber show the license number? What is this?

In Texas: the first page of every quote, invoice, and contract carries four things, in letters at least 12 point. The Responsible Master Plumber's first and last name. Their license number. The phrase "regulated by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners". And the board's mailing address, phone number, and website.

On quotes, contracts, and invoices	The first page of every quote, invoice, and contract carries four things, in letters at least 12 point. The Responsible Master Plumber's first and last name. Their license number. The phrase "regulated by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners". And the board's mailing address, phone number, and website
On ads	The Responsible Master Plumber's license number must appear in every ad that seeks plumbing work, whatever the medium. Six kinds are let off. National or interstate TV ads. Internet ads a franchisor runs for its franchisees. Ads with nothing to look at, such as radio spots and phone calls. Cheap promotional items like caps and T-shirts. Signs at your own business premises. And phone book or other third-party listings
On your vehicles	Both sides of every service vehicle show the company name and the Responsible Master Plumber's license number, with M, MPL, or RMP in front of the number. Letters and numbers at least two inches high, in a color that stands out from the vehicle. A phone number is not required, and neither is the license type

Checked by a person against the official page

·3 official pages

8 Does a plumber charge sales tax on labor in Texas? What is this?

In Texas, no sales tax. The rest of the rules are below.

See how this compares in every state: Sales tax on labor for plumbers and HVAC contractors by state

Labor on homes (repairs and remodels)	No sales tax
Repairs and remodels on businesses	You charge tax on the whole bill, labor and materials
Labor on new buildings	No sales tax
Materials, when you quote one total price	You pay tax when you buy the materials and do not charge the customer
Materials, when you list them separately	You buy materials tax-free with a resale certificate and charge the customer tax on them

Checked by a person against the official page·comptroller.texas.gov

9 Getting paid: lien and notice deadlines for a Texas plumber What is this?

If you are not paid in Texas, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: the 15th of the third month after the month you did the work (work done in January means notice by April 15).

Who has to send a notice	Subcontractors and suppliers who were hired by the contractor, not by the property owner
Business jobs: send your notice by	The 15th of the third month after the month you did the work (work done in January means notice by April 15)
Home jobs: send your notice by	The 15th of the second month after the month you did the work (work done in January means notice by March 15)
Business jobs: file your lien by	The 15th of the fourth month after your last day of work
Home jobs: file your lien by	The 15th of the third month after your last day of work

Checked by software against the official page

·2 official pages

10 How much does it cost to become a plumber in Texas? What is this?

The government fees on this page add up to about $400 in Texas. Add insurance, tools, and a vehicle to get the real number.

Government fees, added up	$400

Does not include insurance premiums, tools, a vehicle, or city permits

Our estimate

11Where these numbers come from

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