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How to become a plumber in California

The license steps in California, from apprentice to master or contractor, taken from the official licensing pages – plus pay, apprenticeships and where to apply.

The short answer

California has no statewide journeyman plumber license; to contract you need a CSLB C-36 Plumbing Contractor license, which requires four full years of journey-level (or foreman, supervisor or contractor) experience in the last ten years plus passing the law and business and trade exams.

The steps in California

  1. 1

    Start as an apprentice

    The official pages we checked do not set out a separate apprentice registration in California. Most plumbers still start in an apprenticeship – see below. Ask the licensing office for the current rule.

  2. 2

    Earn your journeyman (first independent) license

    The official pages we checked do not describe a statewide journeyman license in California. Ask the licensing office for the current rule.

  3. 3

    Master or contractor license

    The C-36 Plumbing Contractor license requires a qualifying individual with at least four full years of journey-level, foreman, supervisor or contractor experience within the past ten years, and the applicant must pass a law and business exam and a trade exam.

  4. 4

    Keep your license current

    Active contractor licenses expire every two years (inactive every four); CSLB states no continuing education requirement on its renewal page.

Who licenses plumbers in California

Contractors State License Board (CSLB). License types we found: C-36 Plumbing Contractor.

Official application page

Already licensed? Anyone can check a license on cslb.ca.gov.

Licensed in another state?

California has reciprocity agreements with Arizona, Louisiana, Nevada and North Carolina; for plumbing, Arizona's plumbing classifications map to California's C-36. Reciprocity can waive the trade exam, but the law and business exam is still required.

Finding an apprenticeship

Most plumbers learn the trade through a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship, with about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training each year plus classroom instruction, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeships are paid jobs with progressive wage increases, classroom instruction and a portable, nationally recognized credential; programs are approved by the Department of Labor or a State Apprenticeship Agency. Search programs at apprenticeship.gov, or ask local plumbing contractors and union locals.

Pay and job outlook

$63,800

Median yearly pay for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, May 2025 (BLS).

7%

Projected job growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 42,000 openings a year (BLS).

4-5 years

Typical apprenticeship, with about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training a year (BLS).

National figures from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook; pay varies by state and city.

Already a plumber in California?

287 plumbing businesses are listed on Plumbers Pages so far. Add your business free, or see plumbers in California.

Sources

Requirements come from California’s official licensing pages and statutes, checked October 2026. Rules change – confirm with the licensing office before you apply.

  1. cslb.ca.gov/contractors/applicants/contractors_license/exam_application/
  2. web.cslb.ca.gov/Contractors/Maintain_License/Renew_License/General_Renew
  3. cslb.ca.gov/contractors/applicants/reciprocity/reciprocal_classification
  4. cslb.ca.gov/
  5. cslb.ca.gov/about_us/library/licensing_classifications/Licensing_Classif
  6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters
  7. U.S. Department of Labor – Apprenticeship.gov for career seekers

General information, not legal advice. All states · How we write our guides

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