Author name: TSBPE

RE: $4,000 Fine for Employing Unregistered Individuals to Perform Plumbing

The TSBPE vigilantly pursues enforcement action, penalties, and sanctions for individuals that employ or subcontract to unregistered individuals. The penalty for employing or subcontracting to an unregistered or unlicensed individual is $4,000 per violation.

On December 3, 2025, the Board met and determined that the Enforcement Division would no longer settle cases for a reduced penalty that involve the employment of an individual engaging in plumbing requiring a license or registration.

It is the mission of the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) to protect the health and safety of Texans by ensuring our drinking water, air, and medical gases are free from contaminants. That mission is accomplished by ensuring that individuals performing plumbing have earned licensure through testing competence and registered individuals are properly supervised to learn the trade.

Beginning January 1, 2026, all violations of this nature will be assessed the full $4,000.00 per violation penalty with no option of a reduced penalty in settlement.

Click or touch here for a PDF version of this notice.

Move Brings More Exam Capacity and Significant Savings

Austin, Texas — July 17, 2025 — The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) is pleased to announce plans to relocate its Austin headquarters this summer to a new, state-owned facility located just 4 miles away on Cameron Road in Austin.

The agency has operated out of its current location at 929 East 41st Street since 1981. The move marks a significant milestone for the TSBPE, which has outgrown the 15,273 square-foot leased space. The new facility offers approximately 23,533 square feet—providing much-needed room for staff, expanded visitor and examinee parking, and the continued development of the agency’s on-site practical examination center.

Relocating to a state-owned facility also comes with a very significant financial incentive. “The building on Cameron Road not only gives us the space we need to better serve the plumbing industry and the public,” said Lisa Hill, Executive Director of the TSBPE, “it also saves the agency a significant amount of money by eliminating our annual lease cost of over $353,000.”

The transition is being coordinated in partnership with the Texas Facilities Commission (TFC), which identified the Cameron Road site as a cost-effective solution. While the new building requires some updates and build-out, the long-term financial and operational benefits are clear.

Frank S. Denton, Chair of the TSBPE Board, emphasized the importance of the move: “This relocation reflects our continued commitment to operating efficiently while meeting the growing demands placed on the agency. The expanded space will allow us to enhance our examination facilities and better support the next generation of Texas plumbers, while reducing agency operating cost.”

Administrative services will continue at the 929 E. 41st Street location until August 31, ensuring uninterrupted support for licensees and the public during the transition. While practical exams have not yet ceased in Austin, the ability to schedule an exam in Austin has been suspended until the new exam center is up and running. The TSBPE’s Waco testing facility remains fully operational and accepting examinees. Additionally, computer-based exams are available as always through Pearson VUE at over 60 testing centers across Texas.

The TSBPE expects to complete the move by September 2025 and will offer communication updates on tsbpe.texas.gov and Facebook as the transition progresses. 

The TSBPE is pleased to announce that starting September 1, 2025, the experience requirement for a licensed Journeyman Plumber to become a Master Plumber will be reduced from four years to two years. This change was recently passed by the Texas Legislature and signed by the Governor.

What This Means for You:

• All Master Plumber applications will be updated on September 1, 2025.
• Until then, applications must meet the current four-year requirement or one year with a DOL program certificate.
• Applications received before September 1 that don’t meet current requirements will be withdrawn and denied.
• Rejected applicants must submit a new application on or after September 1, 2025.
  

In other words:

• DO NOT APPLY FOR THE MASTER EXAM IF YOU DON’T MEET THE CURRENT REQUIREMENTS.
• IF YOU MEET THE NEW REQUIREMENTS, WAIT UNTIL AFTER SEPTEMBER 1 TO SUBMIT A MASTER EXAM APPLICATION.

Adherence to the rules above will save time and prevent unnecessary application processing. Again, if a plumber doesn’t meet the criteria in place on the day they submit their application, they will be denied and forced to start the process over again.

Thank you for your patience during this transition!

Strategic Partnerships and New Facilities Support Plumbing Industry Across Texas

Austin, TX – April 15, 2025 – The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) is proud to announce major growth in plumbing licensing exams over the past three calendar years, reflecting ongoing efforts to strengthen the plumbing workforce across Texas.

Since 2022, the number of licensing exams administered by the TSBPE has risen by 111%, jumping from 4,953 exams in 2022 to 10,447 in 2024. In just one year, between 2022 and 2023, exams increased by 94%, reaching 9,616 — a strong sign of expanded access to, and interest in, the plumbing profession in Texas.

“This growth shows how much work we’ve put into making it easier and more convenient for people to become licensed plumbers in Texas,” said Lisa G. Hill, Executive Director of the TSBPE. “By opening new testing locations and offering more flexible options, we’re making sure the plumbing industry continues to thrive and meet the needs of our growing communities.”

In addition to the hard work of TSBPE’s dedicated staff, much of this success is thanks to partnerships with Texas State Technical College (TSTC) and Pearson VUE. In Waco, the TSBPE and TSTC teamed up to open a full-time testing center, giving more candidates the opportunity to take their practical exams. Meanwhile, Pearson VUE’s computer-based testing services have made written exams more accessible than ever across the state.

Even more growth is just around the corner. Beginning in May of this year, students who have enrolled in plumbing programs developed by the TSBPE and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) — currently in place at 60 high schools and seven trade schools — will begin graduating and entering the workforce. These new graduates represent the next generation of licensed plumbing professionals ready to serve communities across Texas.

To keep up with the increasing demand, the TSBPE will be further leveraging its strategic partnership with TSTC to open a third testing facility on the TSTC campus in Harlingen. The Board is also developing a mobile testing unit that will allow practical exams to be offered anywhere in Texas — bringing even more flexibility to future plumbers.

“We are focused on the future,” said Frank S. Denton, Chairman of the TSBPE. “By expanding access and meeting candidates where they are, we’re making it easier for Texans to join a critical and rewarding profession. The work we’re doing today will pay off for years to come.”

TSBPE continues to focus on improving services for the plumbing industry and the public, supporting the state’s economy and maintaining high standards of public health and safety.

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About Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners

The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) is the regulatory body responsible for licensing qualified individuals in the plumbing sector and ensuring they abide by the established laws and best practices, all in the interest of safeguarding the health and safety of Texas residents. TSBPE media contact: Kevin.Dick@tsbpe.texas.gov