Plumbers in Tennessee

How Tennessee licenses plumbers

Licensing is split between the state and local governments.

Who licenses: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Department of Commerce & Insurance)

License types: Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP), Contractor license with CMC-A or CMC classification (projects $25,000 or more).

Businesses: Plumbing projects of $25,000 or more require a state contractor's license with a CMC-A or CMC classification from the Board for Licensing Contractors.

Local rules: For jobs under $25,000, plumbers need a state Limited Licensed Plumber license only where the county or city has no plumbing licensing of its own, and 15 counties are exempt; elsewhere local plumbing licenses apply.

For jobs under $25,000 ask whether your city or county licenses plumbers or whether the plumber needs a state Limited Licensed Plumber license; for $25,000 and up, confirm a state contractor license with a CMC-A or CMC classification.

We could not confirm every detail from Tennessee’s own sources, so treat this as a starting point and check with the agency.

Sources: tn.gov, tn.gov. Checked October 2026 from official sources. This is not legal advice.

Before you hire

Ask for the license number and check it on the official lookup where one exists. Ask for proof of insurance and a written, itemized estimate, and ask who pulls the permit if the job needs one – water heaters, repiping and sewer lines often do.

Eight questions to ask every plumber