how to become a plumber in Texas

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HOW TO BECOME A PLUMBER IN TEXAS
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A GUIDE ON PLUMBING IN TEXAS

• A study conducted by the US Bureau of Labor
  Statistics has revealed that there are
  approximately 35,300 licensed plumbers in Texas.
  Texas is located in the south- central region of
  the United States of America and is highly
  populated. It is a hub of opportunities for many
  professions. It is in this context that this
  article wishes to focus on plumbing in Texas, its
  scope and how to become a professional plumber in
  Texas.

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JOB OUTLOOK

• 3.48 out of every 1000 persons are involved in
  the plumbing, pipefitting and steam-fitting
  industry in Texas. Demands for plumbing services
  have been expected to grow in the coming five
  years. The industry is also growing a steady
  rate. The average annual salary of a plumber in
  Texas is 56,622. The range typically falls
  between 49,427 and 64,781. Also, the starting
  salary of a licensed plumber in Texas is about
  26,000. The cities paying highest wages to
  plumbers in the state of Texas are Dallas, Fort
  Worth and San Antonio. There are a number of job
  openings in the plumbing sector. A career in
  plumbing has a good earning potential and is
  likely to offer stable employment.

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WHAT INSURANCE IS REQUIRED FOR PLUMBERS

• In Texas, a master plumber is required to carry a
  General Liability Insurance with a minimum of
  300,000 for a period of one year. This insurance
  will offer coverage for bodily injuries and
  damage to property.
• To start a plumbing business it may be useful to
  consider carrying Workers Compensation Insurance
  which covers the medical expenditure of employees
  who get hurt during the job. Usually, most union
  contract jobs offer higher wages and guaranteed
  health benefits. 

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HOW TO BECOME A PLUMBER IN TEXAS

• Provided here is a step by step guide on how to
  become a plumber in Texas
• High School or GED Certificate - The first step
  is to acquire a high school diploma or a General
  Education Development (GED) certificate.
  Generally, to go for an apprenticeship or it may
  be beneficial to do well in classes like Math and
  Science.
• College Degree or Vocational Courses (Optional) -
  A college degree is not a mandatory requirement
  for becoming a licensed plumber in Texas. But, it
  may contribute to the process of getting enrolled
  in a high-quality apprenticeship program.
  Technical schools offer vocational courses that
  take about six months to one year to complete.
  These involve theoretical as well as practical
  training. The tuition fee for these courses range
  from varies from college to college.
• Apprenticeship
• Pass the Licensing Tests

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HOW TO BECOME AN APPRENTICE PLUMBER IN TEXAS

• Most vocational schools provide a list of
  plumbers looking for apprentices. Plumber
  apprentices must find an employer to sponsor
  their training. This is followed by
  participation in repair and installation programs
  that are directly supervised by a master plumber.
  Apprenticeship programs are offered by the United
  Association of Journeyman and Apprentices of the
  Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry. These
  programs can take up to 4 years to complete and
  typically include classroom training as well as
  paid on-the-job experience.

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HOW TO GET A PLUMBING LICENSE IN TEXAS

• The completion of the apprenticeship program is
  followed by acquiring a license. One cannot
  engage in plumbing work without a Texas plumbing
  license.
• There are four kinds of plumbing licenses in
  Texas
• Plumbers Apprentice an apprentice does not
  require a license but must be registered with the
  state. They work alongside master plumbers.
• Tradesman Plumber in order to apply for a
  tradesman license, an applicant must have a
  minimum of 2 years of experience in the plumbing
  field as an apprentice. Tradesman plumbers are
  generally focused on residential buildings.
• Journeyman Plumber this category of plumbing
  license requires 4 years or 8,000 hours of
  plumbing experience, a current and valid
  Tradesman Limited License and another exam based
  on 48 hours of classroom training. A journeyman
  plumber caters to residential and commercial
  properties.
• Master Plumber this is the highest license
  level. one must be an existing journeyman plumber
  with 8,000 hours of certified job experience in
  order to acquire a Master Plumbers License. This
  is followed by passing another exam that is
  offered by the Texas State Board of Plumbing
  Examiners.

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• The classroom training offered at each level
  expand the knowledge base and prepares
  prospective plumbers to work at various plumbing
  systems.
• Having obtained these licenses, plumbers are
  certified to offer services to the public. They
  can be hired by plumbing companies or choose to
  become freelancers and start their own plumbing
  outfits.
• A plumbing license in Texas needs to be renewed
  every three years. And the cost for this renewal
  is 111.

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CHANGES IN TEXAS PLUMBING

• A drastic legal strife impacted the plumbing
  profession in Texas in 2019. As a result of this,
  The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners may
  cease to exist by the end of 2020. The abolition
  of the Board by the Texas Legislature also means
  the flushing out of the state plumbing code. Many
  cities have their local codes that build off the
  state codes. With the absence of a state code,
  licensing regulations will go back to the
  jurisdiction of cities and municipalities.
• This legislation has faced heavy criticism for
  having struck a massive blow to public health and
  safety in Texas. Not only will this mean the
  absence of stricter regulations, but it will also
  increase the number of unlicensed plumbers taking
  up jobs. This in turn might endanger safety and
  sanitation and pose a threat to the employers who
  now have to worry about lawsuits in case of an
  injury to these unprotected plumbers (in the
  absence of insurances). While on one hand this
  legislation has raised a question on the quality
  of plumbing services to be offered, on the other
  hand, it has allowed plumbers to operate freely
  and under comparatively lenient regulations. We
  must however be patient while anticipating the
  consequences.

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PLUMBING SCHOOLS IN TEXAS

• Vocational training also plays a role in the
  process of becoming a licensed plumber. These
  courses educate the students on a variety of
  aspects related to plumbing. This adds on to
  their resumes and makes it easier for them to
  find apprenticeship programs. This section of the
  article will focus on the top plumbing schools in
  three of the biggest cities of Texas Houston,
  San Antonio and Dallas.

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BEST PLUMBING SCHOOLS IN HOUSTON

• Houston is the most populous city of Texas. As of
  2019, the city was home to a population of
  approximately 2,320,268 people. Since the 20th
  century, the city of Houston has been growing
  rapidly. Houstons economy is heavily centred on
  the energy industry.
• The most well-known school for plumbing training
  in Houston is the Houston Area Plumbing Joint
  Apprenticeship. The cost to attend schooling here
  is 45,000 for all 4 years. They have a skilled
  faculty and offer good career preparation that
  ends with students acquiring a license.
• Another plumbing school in Houston is the
  Plumbers Local 68 which offers courses in
  plumbing, right from the level of plumber
  apprentices to that of licensed journey-man
  plumbers. The course duration varies from 1 month
  to 4 years and the fee ranges between 15,000 to
  30,000 depending on the course.

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BEST PLUMBING SCHOOL IN SAN ANTONIO

• San Antonio is the second most populous city in
  Texas with a head count of 1,547,253 residents in
  2019. This city has an extremely diversified
  economy and is the fastest growing of the top 10
  largest cities of the USA.
• St. Philips College offers a fully accredited
  college plumbing programme. Students are trained
  in plumbing trade, plumbing maintenance and
  repair, plumbing equipment and safety, reading
  blueprints of pipefitting, residential and
  commercial construction plumbing, fixture setting
  etc. Students learn the basic skills to enter the
  plumbing industry. Apprenticeship programs
  conducted by the Plumbing, Heating, Cooling
  Contractors Association are also held in St.
  Philips College.

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BEST PLUMBING SCHOOL IN DALLAS

• With an estimated population of 1,343,573
  people, Dallas is the third largest city of
  Texas. As early as the 1900s, Dallas became a hub
  for economic activities.
• The Dallas Plumbers Union offers federally
  registered apprenticeship programs under the US
  Department of Labor. It is a fully structured
  5-year earn while you learn program. A contractor
  supervises this program. The students are
  provided with on-the-job training as well as
  classroom training that enhances their industry
  knowledge.

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• Over the years, the sky-rocketing population
  growth in Texas has driven the demand for
  plumbing services to a whole new level. This is
  one of the industries that does not allow
  outsourcing and hence the plumbing industry is
  only expected to grow in the days to come.

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