In light of the devastating flooding impacting Texas Hill Country, the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) extends its deepest concern to all Texans affected by this disaster.
Floodwaters can cause serious damage to plumbing systems, including contamination of drinking water, gas line hazards, and compromised water heaters, piping, and septic systems. If your home or business has been affected:
Do not attempt plumbing repairs yourself if you’re unsure of the damage—licensed plumbers are trained to assess and safely address flood-related plumbing hazards.
Homeowners are allowed to do their own plumbing work, subject to specific municipal requirements—Texas law permits property owners to perform plumbing repairs in their own homestead without a license. However, regardless of who performs the work, permits and inspections may still be required to ensure safety.
Report substandard or suspected unlicensed work directly to the TSBPE using our online complaint form or by calling 512-936-5200.
For Licensed Plumbers:
Exercise extreme caution when working in flood-damaged structures.
Be vigilant about potential contamination in plumbing systems.
Document all repair work thoroughly for customers’ insurance claims.
Remember that even during emergencies, proper permits must be obtained when required by local authorities.
Resources:
Out-of-state plumbers who want to help with recovery efforts in Bandera, Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Coke, Comal, Concho, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Reeves, Travis, San Saba and Williamson counties can apply for a temporary license from the TSBPE. These licenses are reviewed on a case-by-case basis; for more information, call 512-936-5200.
Plumbers who are unable to complete their July continuing education (CE) due to recovery work may contact the TSBPE at 512-936-5200 to request a possible Disaster Relief CE waiver.
We remain committed to the health and safety of all Texans. Please stay safe, follow local emergency orders, and don’t hesitate to reach out to our office for assistance.
Victory Underscores the TSBPE’s Commitment to Educational Pathwaysto the Plumbing Trade in Texas
ATLANTA, GA – July 2025 – The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) and Texas State Technical College (TSTC) are proud to announce that TSTC Waco student Jonathan Gann has won the gold medal in plumbing at the 2025 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference held recently in Atlanta. This national championship follows TSTC’s impressive sweep of all three medals in the plumbing category at the state-level competition earlier this year.
“This is a strong indicator of the overall quality of our faculty and our plumbing program,” said Mike Reeser, Chancellor of Texas State Technical College. “These accomplishments by our students in head-to-head intercollegiate competition validate the confidence TSBPE placed in us when they decided to provide our graduates with expedited access to entry-level certification. We’re so very proud of Jonathan and all our medal winners.”
Frank S. Denton, Chairman of the TSBPE, was equally as thrilled with the big win: “Jonathan’s national victory is a testament to the caliber of plumbing education we strive to support across Texas. Jonathan’s win, along with our ongoing partnership with TSTC, show that supporting quality technical training produces world-class professionals who will uphold the integrity and safety of our industry when they enter the workforce.”
Lisa G. Hill, Executive Director of the TSBPE, added: “The success of TSTC students on both state and national stages reinforces our commitment to supporting educational pathways that prepare the next generation of licensed plumbers.”
The TSBPE and TSTC partnership, which includes a TSBPE Exam Center on TSTC’s Waco campus, creates streamlined opportunities for qualified graduates to enter the plumbing profession. Sixty high schools and seven trade schools in Texas currently offer similar plumbing programs developed by the TSBPE and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) with the first crop of graduates from these programs having just finished their studies in May/June of 2025. These new graduates, including TSTC’s competition winners, represent the next generation of licensed plumbing professionals ready to serve communities across Texas.
For more information about plumbing licensing in Texas, visit tsbpe.texas.gov
###
About the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) is responsible for licensing and regulating the plumbing industry in Texas. With a focus on protecting the public health and safety, TSBPE ensures that all plumbers meet the necessary requirements and adhere to the highest standards of professionalism and expertise. For more information, visit: tsbpe.texas.gov
About Texas State Technical College Texas State Technical College (TSTC) is a public two-year college dedicated to providing students with the necessary skills and education to excel in their chosen career fields. With a strong focus on hands-on training, TSTC offers a wide range of programs in various industries, including plumbing, to prepare students for the workforce and ensure they are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to succeed. See tstc.edu for more information.
About SkillsUSA SkillsUSA is America’s proud champion of the skilled trades. Representing nearly 380,000 career and technical education students and teachers, SkillsUSA chapters thrive in middle schools, high schools and college/postsecondary institutions nationwide. SkillsUSA’s mission empowers students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members. A vital solution to the skills gap, where more in-demand skilled trades positions are available than qualified professionals to fill them, SkillsUSA has served over 14 million difference-making members since 1965. For more, visit skillsusa.org
The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) is excited to announce the remarkable success of several Texas State Technical College (TSTC) students at the recent SkillsUSA Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference held in Houston, Texas. These talented TSTC students, who will graduate with immediate eligibility to take the Texas Tradesman-Plumber-Limited examination, dominated the plumbing category by securing the top three positions.
TSBPE Board Chairman Frank S. Denton expressed his delight at the victory, stating, “On behalf of the entire TSBPE, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations to these exceptional students. We are incredibly proud of our collaboration with TSTC, which has allowed us to create a clear path for students like these to obtain high-paying jobs upon graduation and embark on long, successful careers as licensed plumbers in the State of Texas.”
The SkillsUSA plumbing competition tested the students’ expertise as they tackled complex tasks such as roughing in hot and cold-water, sanitary drainage, waste and vent lines using various materials for a water closet, a lavatory, a washer box, and a floor drain. Competitors were judged by professional plumbers and pipefitters based on accuracy, workmanship, proper selection and use of tools and supplies, and adherence to TSBPE-regulated rules and safety procedures.
The first-place winner and new state champion, Chris Martinez, will advance to the national championships in Atlanta, Georgia, where he will represent the high standard of workmanship and skill that has become a hallmark of the plumbing industry in Texas. TSTC Plumbing and Pipefitting students Joseph Garcia and Miguel Reyes were hot on Martinez’s tail, winning silver and bronze respectively. TSTC’s Waco campus took home a total of 11 medals at the SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference, including four other state champion gold medals.
From left: Joseph Garcia, Chris Martinez and Miguel Reyes. Photo credit: Texas State Technical College
“We are immensely proud of the dedication and hard work our students have shown and are excited about the bright future they have in their respective industries,” said Mike Reeser, Chancellor of Texas State Technical College. “The fact that these champions will have a clear path to high-paying jobs as licensed plumbers when they complete their education is a testament to the strength of our partnership with the TSBPE as we work together to deliver a new generation of highly skilled professionals into the plumbing industry.”
The TSBPE and TSTC’s synergistic alliance, solidified in 2022 with the opening of the TSBPE’s second permanent Exam Center—created in partnership with TSTC and located on TSTC’s campus in Waco, Texas—has been instrumental in nurturing the next generation of plumbers soon-to-enter Texas’ thriving plumbing industry. Through programs like the TSBPE’s high school and college curriculum initiative, TSTC students are given the opportunity to learn and develop the essential skills and knowledge necessary to excel in the plumbing profession, and the tools to help them navigate the TSBPE-regulated steps toward plumbing licensure once they graduate. The two state agencies are firmly committed to the ongoing success and growth of the plumbing industry in Texas.
About the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) is responsible for licensing and regulating the plumbing industry in Texas. With a focus on protecting the public health and safety, TSBPE ensures that all plumbers meet the necessary requirements and adhere to the highest standards of professionalism and expertise. For more information, visit: tsbpe.texas.gov
About Texas State Technical College Texas State Technical College (TSTC) is a public community college dedicated to providing students with the necessary skills and education to excel in their chosen career fields. With a strong focus on hands-on training, TSTC offers a wide range of programs in various industries, including plumbing, to prepare students for the workforce and ensure they are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to succeed. See tstc.texas.gov for more information.
About SkillsUSA SkillsUSA is America’s proud champion of the skilled trades. Representing nearly 380,000 career and technical education students and teachers, SkillsUSA chapters thrive in middle schools, high schools and college/postsecondary institutions nationwide. SkillsUSA’s mission empowers students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members. A vital solution to the skills gap, where more in-demand skilled trades positions are available than qualified professionals to fill them, SkillsUSA has served over 14 million difference-making members since 1965. For more, visit skillsusa.org.
In what can be considered the third phase of the TSBPE’s effort to bring plumbing curriculum to the next generation of Texas plumbers, the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) has worked in partnership with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to make grant funding available to qualified Texas schools interested in teaching an approved plumbing course outline.
Over the past two years, the TSBPE, acting on the authority granted by the Texas State Legislature, has paved the way for students who successfully complete a high school/trade school program based on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) created, TSBPE-approved curriculum, to immediately test to become licensed Tradesman plumbers. Now, with the financial support of the TWC’s Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) program, the TSBPE has helped address the most prominent hurdle schools face when considering introducing a plumbing program: funding.
Current Master and Journeyman plumbers will soon receive a letter addressed to high school principals and superintendents and signed by TSBPE Chair Frank S. Denton and TWC Chair Bryan Daniel that details this new opportunity. It is both agencies’ hope that current licensees will help distribute the letter to the administrators of their local high schools and trade schools to encourage more young people to consider plumbing as a career. Per a provision in HB 636, the TSBPE may offer CE credit (based on number of hours of instruction provided) to licensed plumbers who participate in the instruction of students in a high school or trade school plumbing program.
The letter signed by TSBPE Chair Frank Denton and TWC Chair Bryan Daniel can be downloaded here.
