How to choose a plumber in Houston

Plumbing licenses in Texas are issued at the state level by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE), under Texas Occupations Code chapter 1301. The board's license types page lists four licenses: Tradesman Plumber-Limited, Journeyman Plumber, Master Plumber and Plumbing Inspector. It also lists the Responsible Master Plumber role, apprentice registration, and the Water Supply Protection Specialist endorsement, which can be added to a journeyman, master or inspector license.

The core rule is in Texas Occupations Code 1301.351:

• A person other than a responsible master plumber may not do plumbing unless they hold the proper license, registration or endorsement and their work is supervised and controlled by a license holder.
• A person that advertises or offers plumbing must secure the services of a responsible master plumber.
• License and registration holders must carry the license on them while doing plumbing.

So any company advertising plumbing in Houston should be able to name its responsible master plumber, and the person at your door should be able to show you a license or apprentice registration.

1. Open the Texas plumbing license search.
2. Choose Search by Name, Search by License Number, or a license-type search. You can also search by city or county.
3. Confirm the name matches the person doing or supervising the work, the license is active and the type fits the job.
4. Ask for the responsible master plumber's name and look that person up too.

Licenses belong to people, not companies. A company name alone tells you little.

For hired plumbing work, yes. The only owner exemption is Section 1301.051, which says a property owner does not need a license to do plumbing in their own homestead. It does not cover someone you hire. Cities can still require a permit for the work. In the City of Houston, the Permitting Center's Plumbing Inspection section handles plumbing licenses registration, homeowner's permits, plumbing permits and ground, rough, sewer and final inspections at 1002 Washington Avenue.

The BBB's tips for hiring a plumber recommend getting more than one estimate, comparing written quotes, reading reviews and complaint history on BBB.org, confirming before buying your own fixtures that the plumber will install them, and verifying licensing and insurance. The Texas Department of Insurance's guide to avoiding contracting scams adds:

• Get at least three bids; that helps you spot offers that are too high or too good to be true. Bids should show the company letterhead, phone number and address.
• Do not sign a contract with blank spaces.
• Be wary if a contractor asks for a large or full down payment. After a disaster, it is against Texas law for out-of-town contractors to ask for a down payment before they start.
• Hire local contractors and check references.

Put the scope, materials, price, start and completion dates and the license number of the responsible plumber in the written contract, and keep part of the payment until the work is finished and inspected where a permit is required.

TDI warns that scammers may try to get you to sign a contract by calling it an estimate, that a contract assigning your entire insurance payment to the contractor can cost you control of the claim, and that a contractor offering to waive your insurance deductible is breaking the law. Plumbing adds a few warning signs of its own:

• A sewer replacement recommended without camera footage you can watch.
• A slab leak "reroute the whole house" quote without a located leak.
• No permit for a water heater or sewer job inside a city that requires one.
• A license number that does not match the person's name in the state search.

The state license rule is the same everywhere, but permits are local. Cities such as Sugar Land, Humble and Pearland issue their own plumbing permits. Unincorporated areas such as Cypress, Spring and The Woodlands have no city permit office, and the water district sets inspection rules. Our cost guide helps you judge the price, and our reviews page explains how to research a company's track record.

We are an independent guide, not a contractor, and we do not perform plumbing work or answer phones. To reach a plumber, call one of the licensed contractors listed on this page or see all listed contractors. Questions about this guide: email us. We do not take service requests. Check the license of anyone you hire, including the contractors listed on this page.