Contractors looking to do plumbing tasks in Delaware must obtain a plumbing license. There are various levels of plumbing licenses in the state.
Prospective plumbers must comply with the Delaware Department of Revenue to become a state-licensed general contractors.
Delaware also classifies its licenses into different types, non-resident and resident.
A non-resident contractor license is for individuals or businesses that perform contractual work outside Delaware. They must either work wholly outside the state or maintain most of their work outside Delaware.
They must also supply a surety bond. A resident contractor license is for individuals or businesses that perform contractual work or maintain a majority of it within the state.
Can licensed plumbers from other states work in Delaware?
Delaware has license reciprocity with some other states. It means licensed plumbers from those states can work in Delaware without obtaining a new license. These states include Connecticut, Iowa, and Maryland.
However, the Board decides whether plumbers from other states can work in Delaware even if they come from license reciprocity states.
How to get a plumbing license in Delaware?
There are three levels of plumbing licenses in Delaware. Prospective plumbers must go through each stage to reach the next one. Among these, plumbers can obtain an apprentice, a journeyman, and a master plumbing license.
Apprentice Plumbing License
The Delaware Department of Labor, in association with the Federal government, offers a four-year program for plumbers. It allows these plumbers to continue their plumbing education while also earning money.
There are various apprenticeship programs within it. Plumbers can look for the apprenticeship program of their choice from these. However, the programs can differ from each other depending on the location.
Generally, every apprenticeship program will have some shared requirements. These may include the following.
- Complete four years (or 8,000 hours) of relevant training directly supervised by a licensed plumber.
- Complete 144 hours of formal classroom training.
There is no cost for plumbers that want to enroll in these programs. In addition to that, they can also earn while training.
Journeyman Plumbing License
Apprentice plumbers that meet the requirements for their relevant apprentice program can obtain a journeyman plumbing license. There are some requirements that every apprentice must satisfy to get their journeyman license. These include the following.
- Complete an accredited apprenticeship program.
- Provide a journeyman certificate from their approved apprenticeship program.
- Complete two years of relevant training under a licensed journeyman to verify the work.
- Complete two years of formal classroom training.
- Pay a $141 processing fee for license applications through check only.
Once plumbers obtain a journeyman license, they must renew their license every two years. The cost of renewal depends on the time of the renewal.
Plumbers that fail to renew their plumbing licenses on time must also pay a 50% late fee of renewal fee.
Apprentices must also go through the journeyman exam to obtain their journeyman license. The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions related to relevant plumbing topics.
Similarly, it is an open-book exam with a time limit of four hours. Apprentices must achieve a 70% or higher grade to pass the exam and qualify for the license.
Master Plumbing License
Journeyman plumbers must go through their relevant work experience before obtaining a master plumbing license. They must satisfy the following requirements to get the master plumbing license.
- Complete the application for the master plumber license.
- Verify their current licenses to help with the Board.
- Submit their journeyman certificate. If they don’t have the certificate, they must submit proof of over seven years of direct work experience directly supervised by a master plumber.
The state of Delaware charges journeyman plumbers a processing fee of $141 for license applications. Applicants must pay the fee through a check to the Division of Professional Regulation in Delaware.
Journeyman plumbers can obtain the master plumbing license after satisfying some requirements.
Firstly, they must pass the master plumbing license, containing 100 multiple-choice questions with a 4-hour limit. Test-takers must achieve a 70% grade on their test to qualify for the master’s license. This exam is online and taken through Prometric, containing relevant plumbing topics.
Summary
Below is the summary of the requirements for plumbers to get their relevant plumbing licenses.
Apprentice
- Enroll in an apprenticeship program.
- Complete four years (or 8,000 hours) of relevant training directly supervised by a licensed plumber.
- Complete 144 hours of formal classroom training.
Journeyman
- Complete an accredited apprenticeship program.
- Provide a journeyman certificate from their approved apprenticeship program.
- Complete two years of relevant training under a licensed journeyman to verify the work.
- Complete two years of formal classroom training.
- Pay a $141 processing fee for license applications through check only.
Master
- Complete the application for the master plumber license.
- Verify their current licenses to help with the Board.
- Submit their journeyman certificate. If they don’t have the certificate, they must submit proof of over seven years of direct work experience, directly supervised by a master plumber.