How to become a plumber in Tennessee

Tennessee licenses plumbers at the state level through the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors.¹ You start as an apprentice or trainee and work toward the exam.

7registered apprenticeship programs $28.17median an hour in Tennessee

How do you start as a plumber in Tennessee?

There are three ways in: a registered apprenticeship (7 programs in Tennessee), trade school (5 schools with plumber programs), or a helper or trainee job with a licensed plumbing contractor.

Apprenticeship

Earn while you learn

A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.

Pay: From day one
In TN: 7 registered programs

Find a program near you

Trade school

Classroom first

Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.

Pay: You pay tuition
In TN: 5 schools with programs

Compare 5 schools

Helper

Start on a crew

Get hired as a helper by a licensed plumbing contractor and log hours on the job.

Pay: Paid on the job
Start: No experience needed

How to get started

How do you get a plumber license in Tennessee?

Tennessee licenses plumbers through the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors; you start as an apprentice or trainee and work toward the exam.

Start as an apprentice or trainee
Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.
Issued by
Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors
Compare the ways in
Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP)
No experience requirement appears in the Board's LLP rules, which list only an application, fees and the exam
Run your own shop
Experience is required to support the monetary limit; the application instructions say the Board prefers 3 years. A reference letter from a past client, employer or code official is required.
Issued by
TN Board for Licensing Contractors (Commerce & Insurance)
Tennessee contractor license