Not on a journeyman license alone. The permit rules point to the master plumber or the licensed plumbing contractor, and six states show how that works, from Colorado's qualified applicant rule to Texas and its responsible master plumber.
Not on a journeyman license alone. In the six states we read, a journeyman plumber is licensed to install and repair plumbing, but the permit rules point to the master plumber, the licensed plumbing contractor or another party the state names.
Colorado is the most direct: its statute lists who may apply for a plumbing permit, and a journeyman is not on the list. Texas says the responsible master plumber is authorized to obtain permits, Florida, Washington and North Carolina tie permits to the contractor license, and Minnesota's permit page names the licensed contractor or an authorized license holder. Your local building department also has rules of its own, so the permit counter in your city has the last word. Our contractor license guide explains how each state structures licensing overall.
At a glance
- Colorado: only a "qualified applicant" may apply for a plumbing permit, meaning a licensed master plumber who is a registered plumbing contractor or is directly employed by one, or a homeowner working on the homeowner's own home (C.R.S. 12-155-120, amended by HB22-1346).
- Texas: a responsible master plumber is the licensed master who is "authorized to obtain permits for plumbing work" (Occupations Code 1301.002).
- Florida: a local building department may not issue a building permit to a contractor who lacks a valid active state certificate or registration in the right category (Fla. Stat. 489.13).
- Washington: a city, town or county must verify that a plumbing contractor is currently licensed before it issues the permit (RCW 18.106.440).
- Minnesota and North Carolina: Minnesota's Department of Labor and Industry says permits are applied for by the licensed contractor or authorized license holder doing the work, and North Carolina requires the contractor license number on requests for municipal permits (G.S. 87-21).
Why the permit follows the master or the contractor
A plumbing permit tells the building department that the work will meet code and that someone accountable stands behind it. In the six states we read, that accountability sits with the master plumber, the plumbing contractor license, or both. The journeyman license proves skill, but none of the statutes we read names the journeyman license alone as permit authority.
Texas says "responsible master plumber," Washington says "plumbing contractor," and Colorado says "qualified applicant," but the question is the same: who is the licensed party on the hook for this permit?
What a journeyman plumber may and may not do on their own
A journeyman may do the hands-on work of plumbing. Texas defines a journeyman plumber as a licensed person who installs, changes, repairs, services or renovates plumbing, or supervises those activities, under the supervision of a responsible master plumber (Occupations Code 1301.002).
What a journeyman may not do, in the states we read, is run a plumbing business on a journeyman license alone. Washington makes it unlawful to advertise, bid or perform plumbing work without a plumbing contractor license (RCW 18.106.400). Minnesota bars anyone from performing or offering plumbing work without a contractor's license unless an exception applies (Minn. Stat. 326B.46, subd. 1). North Carolina's statute licenses contractors and does not create a journeyman class at all (G.S. 87-21).
In the states we read, a journeyman employed by a licensed company works under that company's license, offering plumbing to the public takes a contractor license or a master in charge, and the permit goes to the party the state or city recognizes as responsible.
Who may pull a plumbing permit, state by state
The table shows the pattern in six states. The notes below it give the citations and the exceptions.
| State | Permit rule in brief | Journeyman applies alone? | Homeowner exception |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | Qualified applicant only | No, not a qualified applicant | Yes, own home |
| Texas | Responsible master plumber is authorized | Not named; the master is | Homestead is exempt from licensing |
| Florida | Licensed contractor, state level | Not as a contractor | Owner-builder rules |
| Washington | Licensed plumbing contractor | Permit follows contractor license | Own residence, with a sale condition |
| Minnesota | Contractor or authorized license holder | Confirm with DLI | Own residence work allowed |
| North Carolina | Licensed contractor number on request | Permit carries contractor's number | Confirm locally |
Colorado. House Bill 22-1346, as signed in 2022, amended C.R.S. 12-155-120 to require that the person making a plumbing or gas piping installation be a qualified applicant, and to allow only a qualified applicant to apply for a permit. In the act's definition, a qualified applicant is a licensed master plumber who is also a registered plumbing contractor, a licensed master plumber directly employed by a registered plumbing contractor, or a homeowner performing work on the homeowner's home. The act also bars a master plumber who is not a registered contractor, and who operates as an independent contractor for another business, from applying for a permit. The permit issuer must verify the applicant.
A journeyman is not on the list. This summary paraphrases the signed act on the Colorado General Assembly bill page; confirm the current text of 12-155-120 with the State Plumbing Board. See also our Colorado plumbing license guide.
Texas. The Plumbing License Law defines a "responsible master plumber" as a licensed master plumber who allows the license to be used by one plumbing company, is authorized to obtain permits for plumbing work, assumes responsibility for the work under the license, and has filed a certificate of insurance (Occupations Code 1301.002). A person who advertises or offers plumbing must secure the services of a responsible master plumber (1301.351).
A city that requires a responsible master plumber or the master's agent to get a permit must confirm the master's insurance certificate (1301.552). A property owner needs no license for plumbing in the owner's homestead (1301.051).
A journeyman works under the responsible master plumber, whom the statute describes as authorized to obtain permits. The statute also refers to plumbing contractors and other persons required to obtain a permit (1301.551(g)). See our Texas plumbing license guide.
Florida. Under Fla. Stat. 489.13(5), a local building department shall not issue a building permit to a contractor, or to anyone representing himself or herself as one, who lacks a valid active certificate or registration in the appropriate category.
An employee of a certificateholder or registrant is exempt when acting within the scope of the employer's license and with the licenseholder's knowledge and permission (489.103(2)). A licensed contractor may not pull a permit for a job unless the contractor has a contract for that work, with limited exceptions (489.127(4)(c)). Owner-builders have a separate exemption with conditions, including direct onsite supervision by the owner (489.103(7)). See our Florida plumbing license guide.
Washington. An individual may not engage in plumbing without a journey level, specialty or other certificate (RCW 18.106.020). Since July 1, 2021 it has been unlawful to advertise, bid or perform plumbing work without a plumbing contractor license, and the applicant must employ a full-time individual who holds a valid journey level or specialty plumber's certificate (RCW 18.106.400). A person may do plumbing at his or her own residence, farm or place of business, or other property the person owns, without a license (RCW 18.106.150(1)). The contractor license section excepts a person contracting for plumbing work on his or her own residence, unless the building is offered for sale or to tenants (RCW 18.106.400(7)).
On permits, RCW 18.106.440 forbids a city, town or county from issuing a plumbing permit for work to be done by a contractor required to be licensed without verifying the license, and it requires the license number on the permit. These sections (RCW 18.106.020, .150, .400 and .440) do not say a certified journey level plumber may open a permit for a company; they tie the permit to the contractor license. See our Washington plumbing license guide.
Minnesota. Minn. Stat. 326B.46, subd. 1 requires a licensed master plumber in charge of any plumbing business, and separately requires a contractor's license to perform or offer plumbing work. A licensed plumber employed by a contractor needs no separate contractor license for work within the plumbing license (subd. 1a). Anyone not licensed may do plumbing on the part of premises they own and occupy as a residence, unless a local ordinance forbids it (subd. 1).
The Department of Labor and Industry states that all inspection permits must be applied for by a licensed plumbing contractor, a licensed water conditioning contractor or an authorized license holder performing the work. The page does not define "authorized license holder," so a journeyworker should ask DLI whether a given situation qualifies. See our Minnesota plumbing license guide.
North Carolina. The State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors licenses contractors, not journeymen: Article 2 of Chapter 87 sets up Class I and Class II contractor licenses plus restricted licenses (G.S. 87-21(b)). The license number must appear on all proposals, contracts and requests for permits issued by municipalities (G.S. 87-21(e)). A bona fide employee of a licensee is not treated as engaged in the contracting business (G.S. 87-25).
G.S. 160D-1110 requires permits for the installation, extension or general repair of a plumbing system, with a narrow water heater exception. A journeyman employed by a licensed contractor works under the contractor's license, and the permit request carries the contractor's number. See our North Carolina plumbing license guide.
Notes on the table:
- Colorado and Texas speak most directly about permit authority. Washington, Florida and North Carolina speak mainly through the contractor license, and Minnesota through its Department of Labor and Industry permit page.
- We found no state in this group that gives a journeyman independent permit authority through the plumbing statute itself.
What this means for a contractor or business owner
If you run a plumbing company, in the states we read permit authority comes from a licensed master plumber or a licensed plumbing contractor, not from the number of journeymen on payroll. Before you bid, confirm who the permitting office will recognize as the responsible party.
If you are a journeyman, in the states we read, your path to pulling permits runs through a master license, a contractor license, or employment with a company that holds one. Our journeyman vs master plumber guide compares the two licenses state by state, and the plumbing contractor license guide shows what the contractor level takes.
A few habits keep a company out of trouble:
- Look up the permit rule in the city or county where the job sits, not just the state rule.
- Make sure the license on the permit is active and belongs to the person the state recognizes. You can verify a contractor license with the official lookup.
- Do not have a journeyman apply under someone else's number unless the board or building department confirms it is allowed.
- Document the supervision chain, since Texas, Minnesota and North Carolina each tie the work to licensed supervision.
For owner-builder and repair questions, see pulling a permit without a contractor license and water heater licensing.
Frequently asked questions
Can a journeyman plumber pull a permit on their own? In the six states we read, not as an independent. In Colorado a journeyman is not a qualified applicant. In Texas the responsible master plumber is the person the statute describes as authorized to obtain permits, and in Washington, Florida and North Carolina the permit follows the contractor license. Texas also recognizes that a city may require a master plumber's agent to obtain the permit, so ask your permit office what it accepts.
Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit? It depends on the state and the city. Colorado names a homeowner performing work on the homeowner's home as a qualified applicant. Texas, Washington and Minnesota exempt owners from licensing for work on their own homes, though Washington's contractor license exception for an owner's own residence does not cover a building offered for sale or to tenants. Florida's owner-builder exemption has its own supervision and sale conditions, and the local permit office decides how an owner applies.
Does a journeyman need a contractor license to work for a plumbing company? No. In Minnesota a licensed plumber employed by a contractor needs no separate contractor license for work within the plumbing license. In North Carolina a bona fide employee of a licensee is not treated as engaged in the contracting business, and Florida exempts employees acting within the scope of the employer's license.
What happens if a permit is pulled by the wrong person? It depends on the state. In Colorado, an independent master plumber who is not a registered contractor is barred from applying, and the plumbing board can discipline that violation. In Washington a permit obtained by falsifying information to claim an exemption is forfeited. Florida makes unlicensed contracting a crime, so treat a wrongly pulled permit as a stop-work risk.
How a company gets permit authority
A company gets permit authority by having a licensed master plumber or a licensed plumbing contractor qualifier attached to its license. A qualifying agent qualifies the company, working as an owner or as a full-time W-2 employee who supervises the work. Washington requires an employed full-time certified plumber, North Carolina requires licensed officers or full-time employees, and Texas has a responsible master plumber who accepts responsibility for the company's work. If your company has journeymen but no master or contractor qualifier, you may be able to do the work yet unable to pull permits or bid it.
Learn how this works in our guide to contractor qualifier services, read what a qualifying agent is, and see how to hire a qualifying agent when your company needs one. Our plumbing contractor qualifying agent guide covers the plumbing side in more detail.
Get your permit authority in order
Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski are licensed general contractors and master plumbers, and that background shapes how we guide plumbing companies through these structures. If you have journeymen ready to work and need the master or contractor license behind them, call 615-219-2110 or start at Hire a Qualifying Agent. We will help you work out which license your state and city expect to see on the permit.
Sources
Retrieved October 12, 2026. Permit practice changes by city, so confirm with your building department and licensing board.
- Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1301 (Plumbing License Law), official statutes site. The sections cited were read as text in the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners' Plumbing License Law, September 2025 edition, which the board labels an unofficial version; confirm against the statute page.
- Florida Statutes, Chapter 489, Part I (Construction Contracting), sections 489.103, 489.127 and 489.13.
- Chapter 18.106 RCW, Plumbers (Washington Legislature), sections 18.106.020, 18.106.150, 18.106.400 and 18.106.440.
- House Bill 22-1346, as signed (Colorado General Assembly) and its bill page, amending C.R.S. 12-155-120.
- Minnesota Statutes 326B.46, Plumbers licensing.
- Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Apply for a plumbing inspection permit.
- North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 87, Article 2 (Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors) and G.S. 160D-1110, Building permits.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, licensing guidance, or an offer of services. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction. For specific compliance questions, contact The Licensing Company for a confidential consultation.