Massachusetts Plumbing License Guide

Every state has a slightly different process when it comes to licensure for contractors, electricians, and plumbers, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is no different. If you have a general idea of how to become a plumber – become an apprentice, gain on-the-job experience and training, etc. — Massachusetts’ licensing process may not be that hard to wrap your head around.

However, the Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure does deviate from the traditional process slightly when it comes to applications to become an electrician or a plumber. Additionally, and much like becoming a general contractor in Massachusetts, one of your first decisions may come down to figuring out whether you want to work for a company or start your own business.

If you are looking to become a licensed plumber in Massachusetts, you’ll want to know how to become an apprentice, how many hours of experience and training is required, and the fees you’ll have to pay to work your way up to journeyman or master electrician through the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters.

Massachusetts Plumbing License Reciprocity

Regulation 248 CMR 11.00 of the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters does state that Massachusetts has reciprocity agreements with relevant jurisdictions, but it does not express what those states are. If you have a plumbing license in another state, call or write the board to check if Massachusetts has a plumbing reciprocity agreement with your state:

Board of State Examiners of Plumbing and Gas Fitting
1000 Washington Street, Suite 710
Boston, MA 02118
617-701-8798

Keep in mind that reciprocal applicants will still need to pass the exam associated with their license type.

Massachusetts Journeyman Plumber License Requirements

Once you have fulfilled your duties as a plumbing apprentice (detailed below), you are free to apply and take the exam for a journeyman’s license. The application to become a licensed journeyman plumber in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will be conducted online through the Massachusetts E-Licensing and E-Permitting Portal, or ePLACE. This application will require the following:

An education verification form;
A statement of experience form;
A criminal offender record information acknowledgment form;
A passport photo (2X2);
An exam application fee ($31);
A licensing fee ($52).

Once you have completed the application, you must wait for the Board’s approval to take the journeyman plumber’s exam.

Plumbing Journeyman Exam

You can register for the Massachusetts journeyman plumber’s exam online through PSI exams. Before you do though, you will need to have applied for the exam as part of the licensing application process above. If you have been approved by the board, you will schedule a time and location to take the test, and will need to receive a passing grade of 70%. You are allowed to retake the exam within a year of your application being approved. For more information, visit the Board of Examiners of Plumbers & Gas Fitters Licensure Candidate Exam Application Information page.

Plumbing Apprenticeship Requirements

To become a plumbing apprentice in Massachusetts, you will need to set up an account and apply through the ePLACE portal (same as a journeyman). Requirements and information needed to accompany the apprentice application include:

Affirmation of a High School Diploma or GED;
Completion of 550 hours of apprentice education training;
Completion of 8,500 hours of work experience;
Statement of Employing Master form;
Notarized Criminal Offender Record Information Acknowledgement form;
Enrollment status in Vocational High School;
Licensing and application fee ($14).

An apprentice plumber will need to have 550 hours of training in a tiered classroom education setting — 110 hours per tier, every 5 years that are required for an apprenticeship. Additionally, 8,500 hours of work experience under the supervision of a journeyman or master plumber is required. Only then can an apprentice apply for a journeyman’s license.

Massachusetts Plumbing Apprentice Jobs

Check the following job boards regularly for plumbing apprentice jobs in Massachusetts:

Plumbing Trade Schools in Massachusetts

There are many vocational and plumbing trade schools that are authorized by the Massachusetts Plumbing and Gas Fitting Board. Some popular schools include:

Assabet Valley Regional Technical School
215 Fitchburg St.
Marlboro, MA 01752
508-485-9430

Bay Path Regional Vocational High School
57 Old Muggett Hill Road
Charlton, MA 01507
508-248-5971

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology
41 Berkeley St.
Boston, MA 02116
1-877-400-2348

Motoring Technical Training Institute (MTTI)
1241 Fall River Ave
Seekonk, MA 02771
508-336-6611

Massachusetts Professional License Search

To look up and/or verify a Commonwealth professional license, refer to the Check-a-Commonwealth-Licensee database provided by the Division of Professional Licensure.

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For More License and Career Guides

To find out how to become a Plumbing Contractor in another state, start here.

For information on other trades in Massachusetts, click on a link below to learn more about the licensing requirements: