Ohio seeks to maintain competence in commercial construction projects by requiring several types of licenses through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board. Plumbing contractors working on commercial real estate projects need to get one of these statewide licenses. All Ohio plumbers may also have other requirements at the local level. Aspiring plumbers need to check with their local Ohio building department for their own county or city plumbing license and registration requirements. Being a plumber is not an easy task. Hence, there are certain steps that you need to do in order to become one. So to help you out, these are the steps that you must take to become an Ohio plumber.
Step 1:
If you intend to be a commercial plumbing contractor, then you need to meet the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board’s licensing requirements for plumbers. Here are the basic requirements:
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- You must present a $25 fee to take an exam and a $25 licensing fee after passing the exam.
- You must be able to work in the United States legally, either as a citizen or lawful alien with a work visa or other work authorization.
- Meet one of the following experience requirements:
- Work as a plumber for the full five years immediately before your application
- Be registered as an engineer in Ohio plus have three years of business experience in plumbing contracting
- Some other kind of experience if the board deems it sufficient for licensing purposes.
- You cannot have any felony on your record. You also cannot have any misdemeanor involving moral turpitude on your record.
- You must pass the Ohio plumber license exam.
- Before getting the license, you will also have to secure at least half a million dollars in liability insurance.
When applying for the exam, access the application form here. Make your $25 check or money order to “Treasurer, State of Ohio.” Use the following mailing address to send in your plumber license exam application:
- Ohio Department of Commerce
- Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board
- 6606 Tussing Road
- P.O. Box 4009
- Reynoldsburg, OH 43068-9009
Step 2:
Once you have accumulated enough experience, then you should start preparing for the Ohio plumbing exam. On the application form, you can find contact details for the exam study references from the Builders Book Depot and Thomson. You will also receive a “Candidate Information Bulletin” from the board with the necessary information for registering for the exam.
Step 3:
When you have finished taking your test and submitting the results to the board, you can then receive an Ohio plumbers license. However, you still need to check with your city or county building departments for local requirements. Because only Ohio commercial plumbing contractors are required to get a state license, all other plumbers will almost certainly need to have experience and education and possibly pass an exam to get a local license for work as an Ohio plumber.
