How to become a licensed plumber in West Virginia

Licensing office West Virginia Division of Labor, Licensing · (304) 558-7890 [5][6]

The license pathway in West Virginia

1. 1

   Plumber in training

   • $25 a year
   • Yearly, $25

   The entry license for anyone who hasn't passed the journeyman exam. No exam; you apply with a notarized application and the fee, and you work only under the direct supervision of a licensed master or journeyman plumber. [1][3][6]

2. 2

   Journeyman plumber

   • Yes: 80 questions, 3 hours, open book (2018 International Plumbing Code and International Fuel Gas Code), 70% to pass, ProV
   • $75 a year
   • Yearly, $75

   Can do plumbing work and supervise up to three plumbers in training. State law defines a journeyman as someone who passed the journeyman exam with at least 70%. [1][3][7]

3. 3

   Master plumber

   • Yes: 100 questions, 3 hours, open book, 70% to pass, ProV
   • $75 a year
   • Yearly, $75

   Can design plumbing systems and supervise journeymen and trainees. You may take the master exam only after 12 months have passed since you passed the journeyman exam. [1][3][7]

4. 4

   Plumbing contractor (business license)

   • Master plumber or plumbing exam plus the Contractor Licensing Act exam
   • $90 a year
   • Yearly

   A Contractor Licensing Board license with the plumbing classification is needed for residential projects of $5,000 or more or commercial projects of $25,000 or more (the whole project's cost, not just the plumbing). [4][9][10]

Who needs a license in West Virginia

Since January 1, 2009, anyone performing or offering to perform plumbing work in West Virginia must have a license from the Commissioner of Labor, and must carry a copy on any job where they do plumbing work. The Division of Labor's FAQ says this applies regardless of the dollar amount of the job: if three plumbers work on a job, each needs a license, and their employer also needs a contractor license that covers plumbing.

State law defines plumbing to include piping, fixtures, drainage and venting systems, medical gas, fuel oil and gas piping, backflow preventers and water supply systems inside buildings. The Division's FAQ says plumbing work means installing water lines, vents and drains inside a building, and doesn't include replacing faucets or washers, unclogging sinks or installing dishwashers.

The law doesn't apply to work on a single-family home you or your immediate family own or lease, employees at manufacturing, industrial and natural gas facilities, active coal mines, utility employees, appliance-store installers, people installing water and sewer lines outside the building's foundation, or plumbing done as part of HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system work. [1][2][4]

The license ladder

• Plumber in training: anyone who hasn't passed the journeyman exam. No exam; $25 a year. You work under the direct supervision of a licensed master or journeyman, who may supervise no more than three trainees.
• Journeyman plumber: qualified by passing the journeyman written exam with at least 70%. Can supervise plumbers in training. $75 a year.
• Master plumber: passed the master written exam with at least 70%, which you can't take until a year after passing the journeyman exam. Can design plumbing systems and supervise journeymen and trainees. $75 a year.

No set hours for journeyman: the statute and the Division's rule (42 CSR 32, effective May 1, 2023) set no experience requirement for the journeyman or master exam, and the current application asks only for the exam date and score. The Division's plumber page still says "All Master and Journeyman applicants are required to certify experience and take a written exam." Confirm with the Division before you apply. [1][3][5][6]

The exam

The Division of Labor contracts with ProV, Inc. for its exams. Each exam costs $59.95, including retakes, and you can retake a failed exam as often as needed with no waiting period. Exams are open book: you may bring the listed references (highlighting and permanent tabs only), and you get your score at the testing center.

• Journeyman plumber: 80 questions, 3 hours. References include the 2018 International Plumbing Code, the 2018 International Fuel Gas Code and Plumbing Basics for Contractors.
• Master plumber: 100 questions, 3 hours.

ProV has West Virginia test centers in Charleston, Martinsburg, Morgantown and Wheeling and also offers remote testing at home. You need 70% to pass. [3][7]

Fees and renewal

• Journeyman or master license: $75 a year (first license and renewal).
• Plumber in training: $25 a year.
• Late fee: $25 if your renewal arrives more than 15 days after expiration. A license expired 90 days or more can't be renewed.
• Duplicate license: $10.

Licenses are valid for up to one year. The Division sends a renewal notice at least 45 days before your license expires. [3][4][8]

Plumbing contractor license

Owning a plumbing business takes a separate license from the Contractor Licensing Board. You need it for plumbing work on a residential project of $5,000 or more or a commercial project of $25,000 or more, counting the total contract, not just the plumbing. The Division's FAQ says this requires the master plumber or plumbing exam and the West Virginia business and law exam. See our West Virginia general contractor page. [4][9][10]

Union apprenticeships

UA (United Association) locals run registered plumbing and pipefitting apprenticeships that combine paid on-the-job training with classroom learning; UA apprenticeships typically last five years. For example, the Parkersburg Plumbers JAC of UA Local 565 starts with a general aptitude and math test, followed by an interview. Find the local for your area with the UA local union finder or the West Virginia Building and Construction Trades county directory.

The Building Trades' STAND (Skilled Trades Apprenticeship Nontraditional Degree) program lets West Virginia residents in a registered apprenticeship earn a tuition-free associate degree at public community and technical colleges. See also union vs. non-union. [11][12][13][14]

If you're licensed in another state

The Division's rule lets the Commissioner, at his or her discretion, grant a West Virginia license of the same classification without the exam to plumbers licensed in states with equivalent requirements. You must meet the RECAP Act: be a West Virginia resident, have held the license for at least 1 year, have met that state's education and exam requirements, and be in good standing. If you worked in a state that doesn't license plumbers, at least 2 years of work there may qualify.

The Division's forms page lists RECAP forms for people moving to West Virginia; contact licensing@wv.gov or (304) 356-3928. See our license reciprocity guide. [3][15][16][17]

Recent change: criminal records

House Bill 4819, in effect June 10, 2026, updated how the Commissioner of Labor treats criminal records for plumber and other Division of Labor licenses. A conviction can disqualify you only if it directly and specifically relates to the work, and generally not once 5 years have passed since conviction or release with no new conviction (violent or sexual offenses can mean a longer wait). If you have a record, you can petition the Commissioner at any time for a decision on whether it will disqualify you; the law gives the Commissioner 60 days to answer. [18]

Steps to get licensed in West Virginia

1. Get a plumber-in-training license

   Once you have a plumbing job or apprenticeship, send the Division of Labor's plumber license application for plumber in training, notarized, with a $25 check or money order. No exam is required. [3][6]

2. Work under a journeyman or master

   As a trainee you work under the direct supervision of a licensed master or journeyman plumber, who can supervise up to three trainees. Renew your license every year. [3]

3. Pass the journeyman exam

   Schedule with ProV (select West Virginia Division of Labor). The open-book exam has 80 questions in 3 hours and costs $59.95; you need 70%. You can test at ProV centers in Charleston, Martinsburg, Morgantown and Wheeling, or remotely. [3][7]

4. Apply for the journeyman license

   Send the plumber license application with your exam date and score report and the $75 fee. Call the Division at (304) 558-7890 to confirm what experience documentation it wants. [5][6][7]

5. Move up to master

   Twelve months after passing the journeyman exam, you can take the 100-question master exam. Master plumbers can design systems and qualify a business for a plumbing contractor license. [1][3][4][7]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train plumbers in or for West Virginia, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

• Union

  UA plumbers and pipefitters apprenticeships (example: Parkersburg Plumbers JAC, UA Local 565)

  Registered apprenticeships that combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction; UA apprenticeships typically last five years. Use the UA's local union finder or the West Virginia Building Trades directory to find the local for your county. [11][21]

• Union

  West Virginia Building and Construction Trades apprenticeship directory

  Lists union apprenticeship programs, including pipefitters, by county, with general entry requirements. [13]

• School

  High school and career center Plumbing programs

  The WV Department of Education's Plumbing program covers tools, plumbing math, drawings, materials, drain-waste-vent and water distribution systems. [22][23]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask