# How do I check a Texas plumbing license before a repipe?

> How to check a Texas plumbing license with the TSBPE, what Responsible Master Plumber, Master and Journeyman mean, and who can pull an Austin permit.

URL: https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/check-texas-plumbing-license/

Look the plumber up on the website of the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, [tsbpe.texas.gov](https://tsbpe.texas.gov/), by name or license number, and confirm the license is active and is the right type. For an Austin repipe, the license that matters most is the Responsible Master Plumber who pulls the permit. [Grackle Repiping Austin](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/) manages repipes done by licensed and insured plumbing contractors, with every Austin permit pulled by a City-registered Responsible Master Plumber whose license you can check the same way.

Key takeaways

- The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) licenses plumbers in Texas
- An Austin plumbing permit must be pulled by a Responsible Master Plumber licensed by the state and registered with the City
- Check the license type, that it is active, and that the name matches the one on your permit
- Journeymen, Tradesman Plumber-Limited licensees and registered apprentices install plumbing but do not pull Austin permits
- A license says nothing about price, schedule or patch scope; the written estimate does

## The Texas plumbing license types

The TSBPE issues several license levels. They are not interchangeable, and the one that matters depends on the question you are asking.

| License | What it means for a repipe |
| --- | --- |
| Responsible Master Plumber | A master plumber who answers for a plumbing business’s work. In Austin, this is the license that can pull a plumbing permit, once the plumber is registered with the City |
| Master Plumber | The top skill level; a master who is not acting as a Responsible Master Plumber does not pull Austin permits on that basis |
| Journeyman Plumber | A licensed plumber who installs and repairs plumbing |
| Tradesman Plumber-Limited | A licensed plumber with a narrower scope than a journeyman |
| Plumbing Inspector | The license held by people who inspect plumbing for a city |
| Apprentice (registration) | A registered learner who works under licensed plumbers |

On a typical repipe, several of these people may be on site. What you check is the license behind the permit and, if you like, the licenses of the people doing the work.

## How to look up a license

1. **Get the name and license number in writing.** Ask whoever you are hiring for the Responsible Master Plumber who will pull your permit. A legitimate estimate can name that person.
2. **Search the board’s site.** Go to [tsbpe.texas.gov](https://tsbpe.texas.gov/) and use its license search by name or number.
3. **Read the result.** Confirm the license type, that it is active rather than expired, and that the name matches what you were told.
4. **Match it to the permit.** In Austin, the permit names the plumber who pulled it, and the City publishes issued permits as open data. The name on the permit should be the license you checked.

If the name on the estimate and the name on the permit differ, ask why before work starts. The [Austin repipe permit guide](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/repipe-permit-austin/) explains when the permit is issued and inspected.

## Why Austin adds a City registration

Austin’s plumbing code, the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code with local amendments effective July 10, 2025, adds a local layer on top of the state license. Amendment 104.1.1 lets a Responsible Master Plumber licensed by Texas and registered with the City obtain a plumbing permit, and amendment 104.1.3 requires licensed plumbers to register with the City. A state license alone is not enough to pull an Austin permit; the City registration has to be in place too. The City publishes its codes on its [building technical codes page](https://www.austintexas.gov/development-services/building-technical-codes).

The suburbs run their own offices. Round Rock, for example, requires contractors to register and uses a one-permit system that lists every contractor on the job. The [Round Rock page](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/service-areas/round-rock/) covers the details.

## What a license does and does not tell you

A license shows that a person passed the board’s requirements and is allowed to do plumbing at that level in Texas. It does not tell you what the job will cost, how long it will take, or what is included. For a repipe, those live in the estimate, and the lines worth checking are:

- the pipe material and layout, such as [PEX](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/pex-repiping/) in a manifold or trunk-and-branch layout, or [copper](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/copper-repiping/)
- which fixtures and connections are included, and whether old pipe is removed or capped
- the permit, the pressure test and the City inspection
- a pressure regulator and expansion tank, where static pressure tops 65 psi
- every wall and ceiling opening, and whether patching includes texture and paint

The [Austin repipe cost guide](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/repipe-cost-austin/) shows how those lines add up, and the [repipe timeline guide](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/how-long-does-a-repipe-take/) shows when each happens.

## The state code where no city code applies

The board also adopts plumbing codes for Texas. Where a city has adopted its own code with amendments, as Austin has, the city code governs. In an unincorporated area, or anywhere no code has been adopted, plumbing must follow a code adopted by the board. If your house sits outside city limits, which code and which permit office apply is confirmed per address before the work is scheduled.

## A short checklist before you sign

- The Responsible Master Plumber’s name and license number, checked on the TSBPE site
- For Austin, confirmation that the permit will be pulled before work starts
- A written scope that says [whole-house](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/whole-house-repiping/) or [partial](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/partial-repiping/), so retained pipe is not a surprise
- The inspection happening before any wall is closed

## Questions about this guide

### Who licenses plumbers in Texas?

The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Plumbing licenses are not issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which handles many other trades, so look a plumber up on the board's own site at tsbpe.texas.gov.

### What is a Responsible Master Plumber in Texas?

A master plumber who takes responsibility for the plumbing work a business does. In Austin, the City's amended plumbing code lets a Responsible Master Plumber who is also registered with the City pull plumbing permits, including the permit for a repipe.

### Can a journeyman plumber pull the permit for my repipe in Austin?

No. A journeyman can do the work, but Austin's code gives permit authority to a Texas Responsible Master Plumber registered with the City. The permit shows that plumber's name, which is the license to check.

## Related service

### Whole-house repiping

Every hot and cold supply line from the main shutoff to the fixtures replaced, permitted under Austin's plumbing code, pressure tested and patched.

Details →

## More guides

- Learn [Do I need a plumbing permit to repipe a house in Austin?](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/repipe-permit-austin/)A repipe in Austin is permitted work. This guide covers who can pull an Austin plumbing permit for a repipe, what the inspector checks and when, what a failed inspection costs, and how the rules change in Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Kyle and the other suburbs.
- Cost Guide [How much does a repipe cost in Austin?](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/repipe-cost-austin/)What a whole-house repipe typically costs in the Austin area, what sits inside that price, and the handful of things that move one house from the low end to the high end.
- Learn [How long does it take to repipe a house?](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/how-long-does-a-repipe-take/)There is no honest single number for how long a repipe takes. The schedule is a chain of phases, from the first visit to the last patch, and each one stretches or shrinks with the house. This guide walks through them.
- Decision Guide [Is repiping worth it, or should I keep fixing leaks?](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/is-repiping-worth-it/)Repiping is worth it when the pipe itself is the problem: leaks keep coming in different places, the material is known for failing, or the house is being bought or sold with it. When one line has failed in otherwise sound pipe, a repair or reroute is the better buy.
- Learn [What is repiping, and does an Austin house need it?](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/)Repiping means replacing a house's water supply pipe. This guide covers the pipe Austin homes were built with, why it fails, what Austin's code requires, and how to decide between a repair, a reroute and a whole-house repipe.