PLUMBER

Virtually all plumbers undergo some type of apprenticeship training. Many programs are administered by local union-management committees made up of members of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada, and local employers who are members of either the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, Inc., the National Association of Plumbing- Heating- Cooling Contractors, or the National Fire Sprinkler Association, Inc.

Non-union training and apprenticeship programs are administered by local chapters of the Associated Builders and Contractors, the National Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors, the American Fire Sprinkler Association, and the Home Builders Institute of the National Association of Home Builders.

Apprenticeships—both union and nonunion—consist of 4 to 5 years of on-the-job training, in addition to at least 144 hours annually of related classroom instruction. Classroom subjects include drafting and blueprint reading, mathematics, applied physics and chemistry, safety, and local plumbing codes and regulations. On the job, apprentices first learn basic skills such as identifying grades and types of pipe, the use of the tools of the trade, and the safe unloading of materials. As apprentices gain experience, they learn how to work with various types of pipe and install different piping systems and plumbing fixtures. Apprenticeship gives trainees a thorough knowledge of all aspects of the trade. Although most plumbers are trained through apprenticeship, some still learn their skills informally on the job.

Applicants for union or nonunion apprentice jobs must be 18 years old and in good physical condition. Apprenticeship committees may require applicants to have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Armed Forces training in plumbing and pipefitting is given some consideration. Persons with this background may be given credit for previous experience when entering a civilian apprenticeship program. Secondary or post secondary courses in shop, plumbing, general mathematics, drafting, blueprint reading, and physics also are good preparation.

Colorado law requires plumbers to be licensed, and apprentices to be registered with the plumbing board.

General Information

EXAMINING BOARD OF PLUMBERS

1580 LOGAN STREET, SUITE 550

DENVER, CO 80203-1941

(303) 894-2319

(303) 894-2310 (FAX)

(303) 894-7880 V/TDD

email: Ella Peltier

Office Hours . . Monday - Friday - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

Colorado plumbing statutes (12-58-107) state that: "The maximum experience the board may require for an applicant to qualify to receive a residential plumber's license is two years or three thousand four hundred hours of practical experience.

The maximum experience the board may require for an applicant to qualify to receive a journeyman plumber's license is four years or six thousand eight hundred hours of practical experience.

An applicant for a master plumber's license shall furnish evidence that they have five years of practical experience." Total hours do not count as a substitute for the master examination qualifications. You must submit verification of a minimum of 60 months of full time plumbing installation experience.

A licensed residential plumber has the necessary qualifications, training, experience, and technical knowledge, as specified by the board, to install plumbing and equipment in one-, two-, three-, and four-family dwellings, which shall not extend more than two stories aboveground.

A licensed journeyman plumber" is any person other than a master plumber, residential plumber, or plumber's apprentice who engages in or works at the installation, alteration, repair, and renovation of plumbing in accordance with the standards, rules, and regulations established by the board.

A licensed master plumber has the necessary qualifications, training, experience, and technical

knowledge to properly plan, lay out, and install and repair plumbing apparatus and equipment including the supervision of such in accordance with the standards, rules, and regulations established by the board.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

5.0 QUALIFICATIONS

5.1 Any applicant for the residential or journeyman plumber's license must furnish evidence as to his training and experience to qualify for the examination by:

a. A record of employment as an apprentice doing plumbing work, dates so employed, and, at time of application, submission of documented, written evidence, verified by the employer of actual work performed.

b. If training and experience were obtained outside the state of Colorado, the applicant must provide the Board with documented, written evidence verified by the employer of actual work performed.

c. If training includes school courses in plumbing work from an accredited trade school or community college, a transcript must be included with the application. Such education will replace actual field experience under a licensed master as follows: one hour for every six hours' training or experience up to a maximum of one year.

d. Military training or experience in plumbing work must be detailed and submitted for evaluation with the application. Such experience will replace actual field experience under a licensed master as follows: one month for every six months' training or experience up to a maximum of one year.

e. The minimum hours of practical experience required for examinations are:

(a) Residential 3400

(b) Journeyman 6800

f. The minimum years of experience required for the master examination is five years.

5.2 Work experience gained in the plumbing maintenance field that is not required to be performed under a permit, inspection or the direct supervision of a licensed plumber may replace actual field experience as follows: one month credit for each two months experience up to a maximum of one-half of the applicable experience requirement for a license issued under Article 58, and pursuant to 12-58-107.5.

Source: Colorado Revised Statutes, State of Colorado Plumbing Board Website, National Skills Standard Board Website

Veterans should attempt to document all related experience prior to submission to the board for consideration. Construction experience appears to carry more weight than classroom training or non-construction related experience.