Know The Importance of Having a Montana Plumbing License

According to the Montana Board of Plumbers, having a Montana plumbing license ensures that the plumbing installations are safe, sanitary, and in accordance with the uniform plumbing code. 

As per the reports, North American plumbing fixtures are expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2021 to 2028. So, having a plumbing license in Montana helps you be a part of this lucrative industry quickly. This is because, a licensed plumber demonstrates his expertise, credibility, and compliance in the plumbing industry in comparison to one who is unlicensed. 

By walking through this detailed guide on Montana Plumbing License, you can surely unlock all the benefits and opportunities that come with being a licensed plumber in Montana.

Licensing Requirements for Montana Plumbers

The Montana board of plumbers favors the license from the very beginning. 

Although, the big sky state does not force registrations at the plumbing apprenticeship levels. Yet, they ensure that anyone working in this field gets supervised by a licensed journeyman plumber or the licensed master plumber.

However, when you will walk ahead and apply for the journeyman as well as master plumber license you will be in need of a Montana plumber license. Plumbing licenses are issued through the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, and Business Standards Division. However, the Montana Board of Plumbers licenses as well as regulates the plumbing industry.

General Requirements for Montana Plumbing License

• You must be at least 18 years of age with a high school diploma or GED in your hands.
• Enroll in the Montana registered apprenticeship to experience on-the-job training and gain experience before moving forward.
• At least five years of experience working under a licensed plumber to apply for a journeyman license.
• Additional four years of experience working as a licensed journeyman plumber and three years of experience working either in the supervisory capacity or with a Montana master plumber, or document nine years of experience verified by notarized statements or letters, to apply for a Montana master plumber license.
• Pass journeyman and master plumber exams with a minimum 70% passing score or higher.
• Get the plumbing license.

Let’s deep dive into the detailed licensing requirements at different levels.

Apprentice Plumber Licensing Requirements

There is no strict enforcement over registering for the Montana registered apprenticeship program. However, to learn something new or to meet the rigid experience requirements, while applying for the Montana journeyman plumber license, you need to enroll yourself under the Montana apprenticeship. 

There are either of the ways open for a plumbing contractor applying for journeyman licensure: 

• Learn on-the-job training under a licensed plumber for at least five years and 7,500 aggregate hours of experience, and complete a registered apprenticeship program, or 
• Educated yourself from the accredited plumbing trade school and get a degree to count two years of experience. Also, work for three more years with a licensed plumber to meet the five-year experience threshold.

Journeyman Plumber Licensing Requirements 

Here’s how to apply for a journeyman plumbing license in Montana:

• Applicants for the licensed journeyman plumber need to register at least 5 years of work experience which can be 7500 hours working in the field of plumbing. 
• From these 5 years, 2 years of experience can be accepted for accredited trade school experience as per the standards set by the Montana Apprenticeship and Training Bureau or United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship.
• After fulfilling this experience criterion, one must fill out the application form for the journeyman license to the state board of plumbers.
• The Journeyman License Application Form
• You need to pay the required application fees or required reciprocity/out of state fees to the Montana board along with the few below-mentioned documents:
  • Experience Verification Affidavit (Page 9 of the application form),
  • Verification Of Licensure (Page 10 of the application form) and/or
  • Copy of Apprenticeship Completion Certificate.
• When the board of plumbers approves the application form, then you are eligible to sit in the Montana journeyman plumber examination. Journeyman plumbers will receive notification of their application within the period of 30 days of receipt of the application.
• The passing criteria for the journeyman written and practical exam is 70% or higher, after which you can get a journeyman plumbing license in your hands.

Note: Do not forget to review this checklist before submitting the journeyman application form or journeyman exam.

Master Plumber Licensing Requirements 

Here’s how to apply for a journeyman plumbing license in Montana:

• A licensed journeyman should document four years of legally obtained experience as a licensed journeyman with three of the years in a supervisory capacity or with a licensed master plumber, or document nine years of experience verified by notarized statements or letters.
• After which the application form for the master license is to be fulfilled and submit to the board.
• The Master License Application Form
• Along with the application form, the Experience Verification Affidavit on page 9 and the Verification of Licensure on page 10 of the application form is to be submitted paying necessary application or reciprocity fees. 
• Once the application gets approved, you can apply to the board to take the master plumber exam, whose passing score is 70% or higher.
• Once you clear the Montana master plumber exam, you will be a licensed master plumber in Montana.

Note: Do not forget to review this checklist before submitting the application form for master plumber licenses or master exams.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Montana Plumbing License?

Type of Plumbing License	Application/License Fees	Exam Fees	Renewal Fees
Journeyman Plumbing License	$270	Practical exam costs: $75 Written exam costs: $175	$160
Master Plumbing License	$380	$175	$265

Montana Plumbing Trade School

The Missoula Montana Plumbing School and the College of Technical Sciences at Montana State University-Northern both provide accredited plumbing programs in the state. 

The subjects offered in these plumbing trade schools are

• Technical mathematics 
• Plumbing drawing
• Specific piping
• Hydronic heating and cooling systems 
• Plumbing codes
• Plumbing systems 
• Pipe fixtures, first aid, and CPR 

The cost of trade school tuition at authorized universities can reach $350 per credit hour.

Read a blog on how to get more plumbing leads, because after getting the plumbing license, you will open up various options of attracting more leads.

So, Are You Up for Getting a License Today?

So as you saw, the licensing process can be complex. However, with the right education and preparation, it is achievable. For running a successful plumbing business, licensing is one of the weapons but not the ultimate one. 

You need to work on various areas to get success. One such area is to have efficient and organized financial management. 
InvoiceOwl is one of the leading estimating and invoicing software for plumbers that is an easy-to-use platform for creating and sending invoices, tracking payments, and managing your finances. With its customizable invoices, online payment options, and other useful features, InvoiceOwl can help simplify your business operations and free up time for you to focus on delivering quality plumbing services.