How to check a plumber's license in Massachusetts

Who licenses plumbers in Massachusetts

Plumbers and gas fitters are licensed by the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters, part of the state's Division of Occupational Licensure. The board examines and licenses journeyman and master plumbers and gas fitters, registers apprentices, issues certificates to plumbing and gas companies, writes the uniform state plumbing and gas codes, and approves plumbing and gas products. Its nine volunteer members include licensed plumbers and gas fitters, representatives of the Departments of Public Health and Public Safety, a sanitary engineer and a member of the public.

The state plumbing code is 248 CMR 10.00, most recently changed in December 2023. Its rules are why Massachusetts plumbing tends to be done to a consistent standard, and why you will hear plumbers talk about the inspector: every permitted job is inspected by the city or town's plumbing inspector before it is covered up.

The board's consumer fact sheet puts the core rule plainly: only a master or journeyman plumber licensed by the board, with the proper permits from the local plumbing inspector, can perform plumbing work at your home or business.

License types: master, journeyman, apprentice and gas fitter

There are three levels each for plumbers and gas fitters, plus licenses for propane installers. The level tells you how much training and experience the person has, and whether they may work on their own.

Look up a license online, step by step

The state's online license search runs on a system called eLIPSE. You can search by license number, which is the most reliable, or by name, city or business. Massachusetts law requires plumbers and gas fitters to show their license type and number on every sign, listing and advertisement, so if a company's website or van has no number on it, that alone is worth a question.

1. Ask the plumber for their license number and the name on the license. A legitimate plumber gives it without hesitation.
2. Go to the state's check an occupational license page and follow the link to the license search, or open the eLIPSE search directly and choose "Search for Individual and Business licenses".
3. On "Find a License", pick the Individual tab (or Business, for a company).
4. Enter the license number, or the first and last name and the city.
5. Under Board, choose Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters, and optionally a license type such as Plumbing Master or Plumbing Journeyman. Click Search.
6. Check that the name matches, the license type is right for the job (plumbing, not just gas), and the status is active.

• The search page notes that license records may not yet show all past discipline, so the state links a separate list of prior disciplinary actions; it is worth a quick look for bigger jobs.
• Prefer the phone? The board can confirm licensure, years licensed and disciplinary history at 617-701-8798.

Permits: the other half of the check

A license tells you the plumber is qualified; the permit tells you the job will be inspected. Under the state rules, plumbing or gas fitting may not be installed, altered, removed, replaced or repaired until the local inspector has issued a permit. The only exceptions are small repairs: fixing a leak in a faucet, valve or other working part of a fixture, clearing a stoppage, and adjusting gas appliance controls without changing the piping. Replacing a faucet, a fixture or any piping is permit work, and so is replacing a water heater.

Permits are issued only to licensed individuals, never to apprentices and never to homeowners doing their own plumbing. Boston is explicit about it: homeowners must hire a licensed contractor to apply for a plumbing permit, and can't apply for a gas permit. To get a Boston permit, the plumber needs a valid license, a current certificate of liability insurance and a workers' compensation affidavit, and must be on site for the inspection. The board's advice to consumers is simple: ask to see the permit, because it is your guarantee the work will be inspected and that the professional is responsible for it.

There is one sensible exception for emergencies. A licensed plumber may install, repair or temporarily turn on a fixture or gas appliance before getting the permit, provided they have tested it, it is safe, and the inspector is notified and inspects no later than the next working day.

Insurance, and why HIC registration is different

On every permit application, the plumber signs under penalty of perjury that they carry liability insurance, or presents a waiver signed by the homeowner. The board advises consumers to make sure their plumber is insured. If a plumber asks you to sign an insurance waiver, think hard before you do: it shifts the risk of an accident or damage on your property to you.

You may also come across Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration, which is a different system run by the state's Office of Consumer Affairs and requires no exam. Plumbers working only within their license don't need it. That matters because the state's HIC Guaranty Fund, which can pay homeowners up to $25,000 when a registered contractor won't pay a court judgment, is tied to HIC registration. Our reading of the rules (not a statement from the state) is that a plumbing-only job by a plumber without HIC registration probably falls outside that fund, which makes the license check, the permit and the plumber's insurance all the more important.

Red flags that should make you hang up

The state's consumer office publishes the signs of contractor fraud, and the licensing division adds its own checklist. Almost all of them apply to plumbers.

• No license number, a number that doesn't check out, or a license for gas only when the job is plumbing.
• They ask you to pull the permit. Homeowners can't legally pull plumbing permits; a contractor who asks you to is avoiding responsibility for the work.
• "You don't need a permit for that" on a water heater, fixture replacement, gas line or new piping.
• Cash only, a check made out to an individual, or payment in full before work starts. The state advises paying no more than a third up front unless materials must be special-ordered.
• Pressure to decide now, door-to-door offers, "leftover materials" discounts or a claim they "noticed damage" from the street.
• Refusing to give references, a written estimate or proof of insurance.

If something goes wrong

Start with the company: most problems are fixed with a phone call and a clear description of what's wrong, with photos and the invoice. If that fails and the issue is about licensing, unlicensed work, fraud, negligence or failure to follow the code, you can file a complaint against a licensee, or against an unlicensed person or business, with the Division of Occupational Licensure. Complaints are filed online only, through the same eLIPSE system, and the division's main line is 617-701-8600. The board notes that being unhappy with the work isn't, by itself, proof of incompetence; complaints need a basis such as code violations or unlicensed practice.

For billing disputes and scams, the Attorney General's consumer hotline (617-727-8400) and the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (617-973-8787) are the places to call.