How to Become a Licensed Plumber in Maryland, Part 1: Apprentice

Hi, my name is Bill Sompayrac. I'm a retired master plumber. I started in the trade quite a long time ago, 1972 to be honest with you. So that's a long time I've been involved in this trade, and along the way I've picked up a lot of collective knowledge that I'd like to pass along to you if you're interested. What I'd like to talk to you about is what does it take, what do you have to do to get a plumbing license here in the state of Maryland? Or anywhere else actually. I'm from Maryland and that's where my license is, so that's what I'm talking about here.

Step 1: Become a Registered Apprentice

Okay, so here's where it starts. You have to become a registered apprentice with the state. That's not hard to do. You can go online to the DLLR website and just follow the prompts to register yourself as an apprentice. That's what you need to do to get started.

Step 2: Apply for a Job as an Apprentice

Apply for a job with a company and tell them that you're an apprentice, that you want to be an apprentice. And they understand that means you're coming in there without very much experience and maybe no experience at all. And a lot of companies are gonna be willing to hire you if they think you're willing to learn. That's how it works.

Step 3: Work in the Trade for Four Years

If your goal is to one day become a licensed plumber, you have to work in the trade for four years. And in that four years time, you have to accumulate 7,500 hours of work experience in the trade. So if you go to work 40 hours a week, which is probably what you would be scheduled for, and you don't miss much time, you won't have any problem accumulating that 7,500 hours of work experience in four years time.

Matter of fact, you'll probably have more than the 7,500 hours. Even if the company gives you a reasonable amount of vacation time. For some companies that might be one week, some companies that might be two weeks, who knows? Maybe more. It depends on where you go to work.

The Mindset of a Professional Plumber

But if you go to work pretty steady and don't miss much time, you'll easily get those hours in. Remember, you gotta have that time because they can't just let a person take an examination for a license that just stumbled across the road with a toolbox in his hand. You've got to have some experience.

You've got to prove yourself. You can't just be a maintenance worker, and I have no fault with maintenance workers. Some of them are very highly skilled. But just because you can unclog a drain and maybe repair a leak, that doesn't make you a plumber. It just doesn't work that way. It takes a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication.

Get Help Becoming a Licensed Journeyman or a Licensed Master Plumber

So if you're willing to do that for starters, continue to follow along with me and I'm gonna have a series to tell you how to work your way through that long, winding road to become a licensed journeyman or a licensed master plumber in Maryland, Virginia, DC, or elsewhere. I can help you get there. I've already helped many people achieve that goal through Journeyman and Master Plumber Exam Prep. Even people who English is not their first language and they have trouble understanding what they're reading. I've got the patience to work with you to help you navigate through that.

So if you think you're interested in following up on this, if you'd like more information, call me at 410-299-5216. You can send me an email if you like. And look for my next post where I'll help guide you down this path.