Who licenses plumbers in North Carolina
Plumbing contractors in North Carolina are licensed by the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors. The board publishes license definitions, which it describes as a general outline rather than a complete list of activities, and it runs online services for checking licenses, ordering an official verification of a licensee's history, and filing complaints against licensed or unlicensed contractors.
North Carolina law ties permits to licensing too. G.S. 160D-1110's exception for like-for-like water heater replacements applies only when the work is performed by a person licensed under G.S. 87-21, the plumbing licensing statute. That is one reason the license matters even for small jobs; see water heater replacement.
The plumbing license classes
The board's definitions describe a P-I, or Plumbing Class I, contractor as licensed for potable water and drain, waste and vent piping systems in any building, whether residential, commercial or industrial. A P-II contractor is licensed for the same systems in single-family detached dwellings only. For a typical detached house in Wake Forest, either class covers the work; for a townhome, condominium or business, look for P-I.
Two limited licenses are narrower. A Restricted Limited Plumbing contractor may work on exterior building sewer piping, exterior water service piping of two inches or less, exterior backflow preventers on two-inch or smaller piping, and water filtration systems. A Limited Plumbing Water Heater Replacement contractor, LWH, may replace a water heater in a single-family detached dwelling in the same location.
Gas, heating and fire sprinklers
Gas lines are their own category. The board's Fuel Piping license covers fuel gas piping from an approved source to any system, equipment or appliance inside the premises. If your job involves a gas water heater, a new gas line or a leak test, ask who on the crew holds the license that covers gas piping.
The board also licenses heating contractors in several groups and fire sprinkler contractors, including a residential fire sprinkler license for one- and two-family systems that also requires a P-I or P-II license. Limited electrical work incidental to plumbing and heating is licensed separately by the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, according to the definitions.
Need a licensed plumber to look at it?
Free Quote RequestHow to check a license
Ask for the contractor's license number and the name of the license holder, then look it up with the board's online license search, linked from its online services page. Check that the license is active, that the class fits your building, and that the business you are dealing with is the one named. The board also offers an official verification of a licensee's history for a fee through its ordering service.
If something goes wrong, the board's online complaint form covers both licensed and unlicensed contractors. For backflow work on Raleigh Water service, the city adds its own list of who may install, repair and test assemblies; see backflow testing.
Licenses and permits work together
A license says who may do the work; a permit says the work will be inspected. North Carolina law requires permits for the installation, extension or general repair of any plumbing system, with narrow exceptions, and the Town of Wake Forest's Inspections Department issues permits and inspects plumbing inside its jurisdiction. See plumbing permits in Wake Forest.
Ask who will pull the permit before work starts, and keep the permit and final inspection with your house records. If you are in a hurry because of an active leak, follow our emergency steps first, then check the license before you sign anything.