Asked to be the master of record or plumbing qualifier: what it pays and what it can cost you

Published November 3, 2026 · State and city rules read November 3, 2026

• Free to read. Nothing to download.
• Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors. One short section near the end says what it does and doesn't do here.
• The pay figures are what plumbers posted on Reddit in 2025 and 2026, plus two older forum figures, counted by us. They're self-reported and few. Ads from people buying or selling qualifiers are left out.
• Not legal advice. I read each state's statute, rules or board page, and Denver's, Omaha's and Lincoln's codes, myself and quote them, but rules change (Louisiana's change on January 1, 2027). Have a lawyer in your state read any agreement before you sign it.

A plumbing company that wants your master license behind it pays, going by what plumbers posted in 2025 and 2026, about $25,000 to $50,000 a year on top of your wages, or a cut such as 5% of the gross on its commercial jobs.^{1, 2} What it can cost you is the license itself: the permits go out under your name, and the board disciplines and fines you, along with the company, when the work or the arrangement breaks the rules. In New Jersey a raise won't do it at all. The master who stands behind a plumbing company there has to own at least 10% of it.¹³

Every state and city I checked for this article ties the master to the company by a job, a management role or an ownership share. Five of them let you stand behind only one company: New Jersey, Minnesota, Colorado, Louisiana (through 2026) and Omaha. Iowa allows one per trade unless its board approves more.

In plumbing the ask usually comes from inside the shop. An estimator at a commercial mechanical contractor wrote in May that the "old owner/ license holder retired and does not want to carry his license anymore so I was approached to take his place." His question was the one most masters have: "They talked about negotiating a pay raise for me but I have no clue how much to ask for."¹ In February another plumber was offered a partnership in a friend's small plumbing company, because the friend's partner, the license holder, was retiring.² Threads like these are few, but they're the most argued-over plumbing subject we found: in the last 12 months they drew 4.7 comments for every upvote.¹²

New Jersey: the bona fide representative rule for plumbing

Most of our New Jersey readers just got a master plumber license, so this part comes first.

The 10% rule. New Jersey licenses the master, not the company. A business becomes a plumbing contractor through a master who acts as its bona fide representative, and the law defines that person as a licensed master plumber "who is the holder of not less than 10%" of the company's stock, capital or ownership.¹³ The board's rule spells out what 10% means. You're entitled to 10% of the net profits, you own 10% of the equity, and you get 10% of the net proceeds if the business is sold. If the company is a corporation with more than one class of stock, yours has to be the highest class with full voting rights.¹⁴

So a raise isn't the deal. In June 2025 the board was asked whether a master who isn't running a company, and only keeps up his license, has to register as a company's bona fide rep. Its answer: "If the licensee is using his license to earn money in exchange for services provided, it requires the licensee to register as a Bona Fide Representative."¹⁸ You can still work for a plumbing company as a master on its payroll; the board's FAQ says plumbing may be done by "employees whose remuneration is reported on a Form W-2."¹⁹ My reading of the two together: what you can't do is get paid to be the company's license holder without owning 10% of it. If your employer is offering a raise to "carry the license," the conversation you need is about a share.

What registering commits you to.

• Register with the board within 30 days of taking the role, with documentary proof of your ownership: for an LLC the members agreement, for a corporation the certificate of incorporation and a stock certificate. The board can ask for the company's tax filings at any time to check your share.^{15, 19}
• The company signs, on the board's form, that it accepts liability for any monetary penalty, refunds owed to consumers and costs assessed against you while you act for it.¹⁵
• You serve "only one plumbing contractor" and keep a place of business in New Jersey.¹⁶
• Your seal goes on every permit application, and "the permit shall be signed by a licensed master plumber." You can sign and seal a letter, good for up to 60 days, that lets an employee apply.^{16, 17}
• You supervise all plumbing work by the company's employees, at levels the rule sets: a start and finish report from a master on staff, recorded daily contact with a supervisory journeyman, daily contact with a journeyman plus an inspection of permitted work when it's done, and constant on-site supervision of apprentices by a master or supervisory journeyman.¹⁶
• You're responsible for "any and all violations" the company's employees commit in work you were required to supervise, and a customer can sue on the bond against you.¹⁶
• Your name and license number go on both sides of every truck, on invoices and letters and in every ad, and you're presumed to have approved any ad that names you.¹⁷

Leaving. If you withdraw, the company can operate for 60 days without a bona fide rep as long as another licensee supervises the work, and you and the company tell the board within 10 days. (Six months if the rep dies or can't work.)¹⁵ Your open permits stay with you. Asked about a rep who moves to another company, the board answered: "Notification to the Board is required in writing and it is the licensee's responsibility to close all permits."¹⁸

Lending. A master who transfers a license to someone else faces a civil penalty of up to $15,000 for the first violation and $25,000 after that, on top of the general penalty of $10,000, then $20,000.²⁰ Letting an unlicensed person use your seal brings board penalties, and the rule calls using a seal for an unlicensed person "dishonesty, fraud, deception, misrepresentation or false pretense."¹⁷ A 2016 forum post told a New Jersey master that renting his license "is legal you would just be on the hook if anything goes wrong" and offered $750 a month.⁵ Under the board's rules it isn't, unless you own 10%.

What a plumbing company pays its master of record

Nobody publishes this. What exists is plumbers telling each other what they pay, were offered or would charge. These are all the dated figures I could find. A few come from Florida and New York City, which aren't in the table further down, and none is verified.

The recent middle is $25,000 to $50,000 a year, about $2,100 to $4,200 a month. For scale, the median plumber earned $63,800 in the US in May 2025 and $78,240 in New Jersey (those figures include pipefitters).¹¹ So $25,000 on top of a wage is about two-fifths of a typical plumber's pay nationally, and about a third in New Jersey.

Two things move the number. First, commercial work pays more because it carries more. The $50,000 and the 5% both came from commercial shops, and the same poster put it plainly: "Being the master of record for a commercial company is a tremendous amount of responsibility and liability; you need to make sure you're compensated fairly."¹ Second, the deals that fit the rules below are jobs. The $25,000 master is "one of the plumbers on staff." The 5% override was on commercial jobs he bid and managed himself. The Florida friend who's never seen a job site is the version no state in the table allows.

So price it in two parts: a wage for the work you'll really do, and a yearly amount for carrying the license. In New Jersey add a third part, the 10% share, and negotiate that like a partner. Don't sell the license short either. The $25,000 employer told the plumber offered a partnership: "there is no 'only bringing my license to the table.' That's literally what the business needs to operate, so don't discount the value of it." And: "Then there's the massive liability that comes with it, which you need to make sure you are fairly compensated for. Insurance and lawsuits aren't cheap."²

Renting out a plumbing license: what you're on the hook for

"You'll be signing for his work," another plumber told the man weighing the partnership. "I can count the people I know who I'd be comfortable doing that for, on like one or two fingers."² The rules say the same thing at more length.

The permits and the work. Colorado: "The master plumber is responsible for all plumbing work performed by the plumbing contractor."²⁷ Minnesota's responsible master is "responsible for the performance of all plumbing work."²⁴ Omaha's master "assumes responsibility for all workmanship compliance," Lincoln's must "at all times be in actual charge of and responsible for" every installation, and Iowa's is "responsible for the proper designing, installing, and repairing" of the plumbing.^{36, 37, 38} In New Jersey you also answer for violations by the company's employees in work you had to supervise.¹⁶ A Colorado plumber explained why she's careful even on her own jobs: "I also don't like to pull permits on jobs I didn't do all the work on, as I don't want to become responsible for someone else's work."¹⁰

Your license. Every board and city in the table can suspend or revoke the license you earn your own living with. Denver can suspend or revoke for up to three years, and after a revocation you can't reapply for up to five.³⁰ In Omaha a revocation lasts a year and then you retake the exam; in Lincoln you can't register again for a year.^{36, 37} A plumbing company owner who was offered "well over a million plus 30 percent of revenue" to qualify a startup turned it down, partly for this reason: "your mistakes could cause complaints and actions against my license which could be my entire career."⁷

Fines. Per violation: up to $2,500 in Virginia, up to $5,000 in Iowa (each day counted separately), $500 to $5,000 under Louisiana's plumbing law (through 2026), up to $10,000 in Minnesota, and up to $10,000 and then $20,000 in New Jersey, plus the $15,000 and $25,000 for transferring a license.^{23, 38, 31, 25, 20} Louisiana's contractors board can fine up to 10% of the contract.³³ Colorado's citations run up to $1,000 for a first offense, $2,000 for a second and up to $2,000 a day after that.²⁸

Criminal charges. Through 2026, violating Louisiana's plumbing law carries up to 90 days in jail, a fine, or both.³¹ Minnesota makes violations a misdemeanor, and so does Omaha's code.^{25, 36} On the company side, presenting or trying to use someone else's license is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia.²³ One master who holds licenses in two states summed it up: "Allowing someone else to use your license would draw a huge fine, or worse."⁸

Open permits and the jobs left behind. In New Jersey it's "the licensee's responsibility to close all permits" when you leave.¹⁸ Everywhere else, assume the inspector and the customer come to the name on the permit when the company stops answering. And the rules are enforced by people who notice. A Colorado plumber wrote in June: "Most hire a master plumber in name only to pull permits. I turn them in to the state all the time."⁹

Insurance. The required policies mostly sit with the company, but some land on you. Until the end of 2026, Louisiana won't issue or renew your master license until the board has proof that your employing entity carries workers' comp, auto liability and $500,000 of general liability.³¹ Omaha has the license holder who operates a business file a $10,000 bond covering the license holder's "carelessness or negligence," including work by people under your supervision.³⁶ Minnesota's contractor carries a $25,000 bond and liability insurance; Iowa's carries $500,000 of liability insurance and a $5,000 bond; Lincoln says a master covered by the firm's insurance doesn't have to duplicate it.^{24, 40, 37} The master with licenses in two states gave the practical version: "if I was in your friends situation I would make sure that they carried a bond and insurance."⁸ Get the company's certificate of insurance, then ask your own agent whether it covers you personally when a claim names you.

Plumbing qualifier rules in seven states

These are the states our plumbing readers are licensed in, with Denver, Omaha and Lincoln where the license is local. Nebraska has no state plumbing license: cities and villages with a plumbing board license plumbers.³⁵ I read each statute, rule, board page or city code on November 3, 2026. "Not stated" means the source I read is silent on it, which isn't the same as anything goes. Your city can add its own rules.

A few naming notes. Virginia licenses the firm, and its plumbing "qualified individual" must hold a master plumber tradesman license; the "designated employee" on Class A and B firms is a separate role: the person who passed the board's examination on the firm's behalf. Minnesota's statute says "responsible licensed individual." Louisiana has two layers through 2026: the plumbing board licenses you as a master, and the contractors board licenses companies for commercial plumbing jobs of $10,000 or more through a "qualifying party."^{21, 24, 33}

Read across the rows and the pattern is plain. No row has a version of "your name on the license, someone else doing the work." Where a state or city sets a number, it's one company (in Omaha, unless you own half of each). And the company's time to replace you runs from none in Lincoln to 20 days in Colorado, 60 days in New Jersey, Minnesota and under Louisiana's contractors board, and 6 months in Iowa. That last figure matters to you as well as the company. A short window is what makes a company lean hard on its master not to leave. The contractor-registration side of Nebraska and Iowa, and Louisiana's contractors board licenses, have their own pages.

Louisiana masters: what changes on January 1, 2027

Act 908 of 2026 abolishes the State Plumbing Board and repeals the plumbing chapter of the law (R.S. 37:1361 to 1380) on January 1, 2027. "Any person licensed in this state as an apprentice plumber, journeyman plumber, or master plumber by the State Plumbing Board on or before December 31, 2026, shall hold the equivalent license of the State Licensing Board for Contractors" on that date.³⁴ A widely watched plumbing video in May called it a vote to make your license worthless. The Act's text carries every existing license over.

For a master of record, three things change. The one-employing-entity rule and the plumbing board's insurance rule go with the repealed chapter. The contractors board's qualifying-party rules take over: principal or full-time employee, 30 days to report a departure and 60 to replace you.³³ And the Act splits plumbing contractors in two. "Master plumbing contractor qualifying party status may be obtained only by a licensed master plumber," while a residential plumbing contractor, limited to homes of up to three floors, can be qualified by a journeyman or a master.³⁴ I didn't find what insurance the contractors board will require of plumbing contractors under the new rules.

Questions to ask before you say yes

1. Is this a job, an officer's role or an ownership share? In New Jersey it has to include 10% ownership. Everywhere else in the table it has to be at least a real job or management role. "We just need your number" is the arrangement the rules rule out.
2. Who does the plumbing? Get names, license numbers and how many apprentices work under each licensed plumber. Lincoln caps a master at three apprentices on a job site, and New Jersey sets how you supervise each level.^{37, 16}
3. What kind of work? Service calls, new houses, commercial, gas piping. The bigger and riskier the work, the more the license is worth and the more it can cost you.
4. Will I see every permit application before it's filed, and can I refuse one? In New Jersey nothing goes in without your seal or your letter.
5. Can I stop a job or order work redone, and who pays for it?
6. What insurance and bond does the company carry? Ask for the certificate. In Louisiana your own renewal depends on it through 2026.
7. Is anything open right now? Look the company up with the board and the city for open permits, failed inspections and complaints before your number goes on its file.
8. How do I get out, and who closes the open permits when I do?
9. Am I being asked to cover a second company or another state? Treat each as a separate deal and a separate license at risk. Five of the states and cities above allow one company only.
10. Does my current job allow it? Minnesota's managing employee can't work as a plumber for any other contractor, and Omaha's master has to be the company's full-time employee.^{24, 36}

Terms to get in writing

Put these in a signed agreement, and pay a lawyer in your state to read it before you sign.

• Your role. Owner, officer or employee, matching what your state requires in the table. In New Jersey, the 10% documented the way the board asks for it: members agreement or stock certificate, with your share of profits and sale proceeds written in.
• Hours and place. At least the state minimum where there is one (Virginia 30 hours a week, Louisiana's contractors board 32, full-time in Colorado and Omaha), through payroll where the state requires you to be an employee.
• Pay. The wage for those hours plus the yearly or monthly amount for carrying the license. If it's a percentage, say of what (gross of which jobs, or the permit price), who calculates it, when it's paid and your right to see the numbers.
• Authority. Final say on how plumbing is installed, the right to stop a job, approval of every permit application and of who does plumbing work.
• Records. Copies of every permit, inspection result and correction notice, and access to the job list. In New Jersey, the supervision records the rule makes you keep.
• Insurance and bond. The company keeps them in force, sends you a certificate at every renewal and tells you at once if a policy lapses.
• Fines, corrections and legal costs. The company pays those that come from its work or its people, unless you caused the problem. New Jersey's registration form already makes the company accept liability for penalties assessed against you while you act for it.¹⁵ A promise like this is only worth what the company is worth, so it doesn't replace the authority above.
• Limits. Your license is used for this company only, in this state only, and only for plumbing you supervise.
• Exit. Either side can end it with written notice. On the last day the company stops using your name and number on permits, trucks, invoices, ads and its website (New Jersey and Colorado require them there while you're its master). The agreement says who finishes or transfers each open permit, and you file the notice your board requires: New Jersey within 10 days, Colorado within 15, Iowa within 30.^{15, 27, 39}

If you're the company looking for a master

The same rules apply from your side. You need someone who works for you, helps run the company or, in New Jersey, owns at least 10% of it, and in five of these places that person can't stand behind anyone else. A master who isn't really there is your problem too. Colorado won't let a master working as an independent contractor for your business apply for its permits, Virginia makes "presenting or attempting to use the license or certificate of another" a Class 1 misdemeanor, and Louisiana's contractors board can revoke your license for "failure to maintain a qualifying party."^{28, 23, 33} Know your window if the master leaves: none in Lincoln, 20 days in Colorado, 60 in New Jersey and Minnesota. Budget for a real hire. Going by the posts above, the license premium alone runs $25,000 to $50,000 a year.

More for new plumbing contractors

• How much to charge per hour: service call minimum, first hour and flat prices, with a free rate sheet.
• Water heater replacement checklist: the code items, the permit and what to charge, with a free printable.
• You got your master plumber license. Now what? Stay for a raise or start your own plumbing business, with the numbers for each.
• Your plumbing license and first 30 days, by state: Colorado and Denver, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Virginia.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel doesn't handle qualifier agreements and has no permit tracking. Where it can help is the "see the work" part. If you take the deal, the company can add you as a user in its Deepsel account, and on Pro, with unlimited users, that costs it nothing extra. A technician-level login can read every job, visit and quote in the account: the notes and photos from each visit, the files on each job, and the checklists filled in on each quote, with every answer stamped with who gave it and when. It isn't built as the supervision log New Jersey's rule describes, but it lets you see the work going out under your license without waiting for someone to tell you. If you'd rather start your own shop, the Free plan covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month; Pro is $29 a month for unlimited estimates and invoices. Details are on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

What is a master of record in plumbing?

The licensed master plumber whose license lets a company do plumbing contracting, and who answers to the board for that company's plumbing work. States name the role differently: bona fide representative in New Jersey, responsible licensed individual in Minnesota, qualified individual in Virginia, the master plumber a registered contractor employs in Colorado (a registrant in Denver), the master an employing entity designates in Louisiana (the board's page says designated Responsible Active Master Plumber) and qualifying party on Louisiana's contractors board, master plumber contractor in Lincoln. Iowa's licensing page uses “master of record” itself.

How much does a master of record get paid?

Plumbers who posted figures in 2025 and 2026 mostly named $25,000 to $50,000 a year on top of wages, or a percentage: 5% of the gross on commercial jobs the master bid and managed, or a share of each permit's price. Older forum figures run from $750 to $3,500 a month. Nobody publishes a measured rate. Price it as a wage for the hours you really work plus a yearly amount for carrying the license, and in New Jersey as a 10% ownership share.

Is it legal to rent out a plumbing license?

Not as a name-only deal in any of the states and cities I checked. Every one ties the master to the company by a job, a management role or an ownership share. Omaha's code calls letting someone else use your license to get a permit “cause for revocation,” Lincoln suspends or revokes for letting your name be used to obtain a permit, Denver suspends or revokes for “allowing one's license or certificate to be used by another person,” and Minnesota and Virginia discipline a master who lets someone else use the license. In New Jersey, transferring a license to another person carries a civil penalty of up to $15,000, then $25,000.

What is a bona fide representative in New Jersey plumbing?

The licensed master plumber through whom a company becomes a New Jersey plumbing contractor. The law requires the bona fide representative to hold at least 10% of the business, and the board's rule defines that as 10% of the net profits, 10% of the equity and 10% of the sale proceeds. The rep registers with the board within 30 days with proof of ownership, serves only one plumbing contractor, seals the permit applications and supervises all of the company's plumbing work.

Can a master plumber be the qualifier for two companies?

Not in New Jersey, Minnesota, Colorado or Louisiana (through December 31, 2026), and in Omaha only if you own 50% or more of each company. Iowa allows one company per discipline unless the board approves more in advance. Virginia, Lincoln and Louisiana's contractors board don't state a number in the sources I read, though Louisiana lets a qualifying party also qualify a subsidiary, and full-time rules (30 hours a week in Virginia, 32 for a Louisiana employee) make a second company hard in practice.

What happens to my open permits if I stop being the master of record?

Plan on them staying yours until they're closed. New Jersey's plumbing board said in June 2025 that “it is the licensee's responsibility to close all permits” when a bona fide representative leaves a company. Tell the board in writing on time (New Jersey: within 10 days; Colorado: 15 days; Iowa: 30 days), and put in your agreement who finishes or transfers each open job.

What changes for Louisiana master plumbers on January 1, 2027?

Act 908 of 2026 abolishes the State Plumbing Board and repeals its chapter of the law on that date. Anyone licensed as a master, journeyman or apprentice by December 31, 2026 holds the equivalent license of the State Licensing Board for Contractors on January 1, 2027. Plumbing contractors then fall under that board's rules: a master plumbing contractor's qualifying party must be a licensed master plumber, and a qualifying party must be a principal or a full-time employee. The old rule limiting a master to one employing entity goes with the repealed chapter.

Can I use someone else's plumbing license to start a company?

Only if that master really works for your company, helps run it, or in New Jersey owns at least 10% of it. Colorado bars a master working as an independent contractor for another business from applying for its permits, Virginia makes presenting someone else's license a Class 1 misdemeanor, and Louisiana's contractors board can revoke a company license for permitting a license to be used by someone else. Budget for a real hire: the posts above put the license premium alone at $25,000 to $50,000 a year.

Sources

Reddit quotes are as posted, from posts checked against the live site or our archive in November 2026; ads from people buying or selling qualifiers, and accounts we've identified as promotional, are left out. PlumbingZone figures come from search snippets, because the forum blocks reading the pages. Statutes, rules and codes were read on the state's or city's own site where it serves the text, otherwise on Justia's, Cornell LII's or Municode's copy, as marked.

1. r/Plumbing, "How much should I charge my company for using my masters license?" (May 4, 2026; post removed by moderators, read in our archive): "Recently our old owner/ license holder retired and does not want to carry his license anymore so I was approached to take his place" and "They talked about negotiating a pay raise for me but I have no clue how much to ask for." [both partial] (reddit.com); replies: "Depends on where you are, but 50k wouldn't be unreasonable. Being the master of record for a commercial company is a tremendous amount of responsibility and liability; you need to make sure you're compensated fairly." (reddit.com); "I got 5% override of the gross on all the commercial jobs that I bib and managed. And a company truck and a company card for lunches with clients." [partial] (reddit.com); "Many do a percentage of the price of the building permit" [partial] (reddit.com); "500 a week minimum" (reddit.com). The replies were read in our archive, November 3, 2026.
2. r/Plumbing, "What would be fair compensation if you partnered up with someone who already runs a plumbing company but needs you for a license?" (February 23, 2026; the post was removed by moderators and read in our archive, the replies are live): "You can either bill him by the permit, or charge him an annual fee. $25k a year is what we pay our master of record. He also happens to be one of the plumbers on staff, so that's on top of his normal wages." and "Also, there is no 'only bringing my license to the table.' That's literally what the business needs to operate..." [partial] (reddit.com); "You'll be signing for his work." (reddit.com, February 24, 2026). Read through Reddit's API November 2, 2026.
3. r/Contractor, "Going Rate For Fl Plumbing Qualifier" (January 7, 2025): "My friend get 2k a month cash to qualify a very small company. I don't think he's ever been to their place or one of their jobs." and "I'd probably ask for like 2-3% of gross for a big company" [partial] (reddit.com); the original poster: "they want me to qualify 2 locations for less than 2k total monthly" and "2 k per location which is my counter offer" [partial] (reddit.com), "Salary 80k /yr as manager" (reddit.com). Read through Reddit's API November 3, 2026.
4. r/Plumbing thread 1nfwfig (September 13, 2025; read in our archive), about New York City: "In nyc you have to form a corporation with a licensed plumber ( a licensed plumber is allowed 2 corporations)… they usually require a minimum payment/ week with cut of profits… figure minimum of $100000/ yr" [partial]. reddit.com.
5. PlumbingZone, "License Rental" (thread started December 1, 2016), search snippet: "Hey Howe, I'm also from Nj and yes it is legal you would just be on the hook if anything goes wrong I would rent your license from you if you are interested 5 year contract 750$ per month". plumbingzone.com, snippet read November 2, 2026.
6. PlumbingZone, "How much to charge my employer to use my master plumbing/gas 4 permits/backflow" (undated; the thread number suggests about September 2013), search snippet: "there is no way in hell I would accept even 2k to rent my license, Minimum I would say is $3,500.00 per month and an extra $500.00 if you have to go out and stand for an inspection." plumbingzone.com, snippet read November 2, 2026.
7. r/Plumbing, "Seeking Qualifying Agent/ Tips" (June 28, 2026), a plumbing company owner's reply: "I have been offered well over a million plus 30 percent of revenue and i still wouldn't consider it." and "Not to mention your mistakes could cause complaints and actions against my license which could be my entire career." reddit.com, read through Reddit's API November 3, 2026.
8. r/Plumbing, "Has anyone qualified a business using their Plumbing license?" (December 23, 2025): "I hold a masters license in two different states, and both require a performance bond and proof of completed operations liability insurance. Allowing someone else to use your license would draw a huge fine, or worse." and "if I was in your friends situation I would make sure that they carried a bond and insurance." reddit.com, read through Reddit's API November 3, 2026.
9. r/Plumbing thread 1u73qin (June 16, 2026; read in our archive), a Colorado plumbing business: "Most hire a master plumber in name only to pull permits. I turn them in to the state all the time, but Blue Colorado doesn't care." [partial]. reddit.com.
10. r/Plumbing, "Feedback on water heater replacement options please!" (June 28, 2026), the same Colorado poster: "I also don't like to pull permits on jobs I didn't do all the work on, as I don't want to become responsible for someone else's work." reddit.com, read through Reddit's API November 3, 2026.
11. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152), median wage: United States $30.67 an hour ($63,800 a year); New Jersey $37.61 an hour ($78,240 a year). Read from the BLS public data API (series OEUN000000000000047215208 and 047215213, OEUS340000000000047215208 and 047215213); tables at bls.gov, read November 3, 2026.
12. Deepsel research, r/Plumbing, r/askaplumber and related subreddits, live data for the 12 months to November 2, 2026: 6 threads on master licenses, qualifiers and license rental drew 21 upvotes and 98 comments, 4.7 comments per upvote, the highest ratio of any plumbing subject we tracked. Three of the 6 were Florida ads looking for a qualifier. Counted November 2, 2026.
13. N.J.S.A. 45:14C-2(d) "'Bona fide representative' means a licensed master plumber who is the holder of not less than 10% of the issued and outstanding shares of stock in a corporation, or not less than 10% of the capital of a partnership, or not less than 10% of the ownership of any other firm or legal entity engaging in the business of plumbing contracting"; (h) "Plumbing contractor". Justia copy, law.justia.com, read November 3, 2026.
14. N.J.A.C. 13:32-1.3, definitions: "Bona fide representative"; "'10 percent ownership' means that the bona fide representative is entitled to 10 percent of any net profits from a business, owns a 10 percent equity interest in a plumbing contractor, and is entitled to 10 percent of the net proceeds from the sale of a business", with the highest-level voting stock in a corporation. Cornell LII copy, law.cornell.edu, read November 3, 2026.
15. N.J.A.C. 13:32-3.2: register "within 30 days of assuming the role"; (a)2 documentary proof of ownership; (a)4 "acceptance of liability by the plumbing contractor for any monetary penalty, monies to be paid for restoration to consumers ... and costs assessed against the bona fide representative"; (b) tax documentation; (c) operate "for 60 days without a bona fide representative" with a licensee supervising, notice "within 10 days"; (d) six months on death, illness or disability. Cornell LII copy, law.cornell.edu, read November 3, 2026.
16. N.J.A.C. 13:32-3.3(a)2 permits and the letter of authorization "not to exceed 60 days", "In all circumstances, the permit shall be signed by a licensed master plumber"; (a)3 i to iv supervision of masters, supervisory journeymen, journeymen and apprentices; (a)4 "Be responsible for any and all violations"; (a)5 "Serve as a bona fide representative for only one plumbing contractor"; (a)6 place of business in New Jersey; (b) board action and bond claims against the bona fide representative. Cornell LII copy, law.cornell.edu, read November 3, 2026.
17. N.J.A.C. 13:32-3.1 vehicle lettering, invoices and advertising, (d) presumed to have "caused, permitted, or approved the advertising" (law.cornell.edu); 13:32-4.1(b) seal "upon all applications for plumbing permits", (c) use of a seal by another or "securing of a plumbing permit for an unlicensed person shall be deemed to be the use or employment of dishonesty, fraud, deception, misrepresentation or false pretense", (d) penalties for a master who "willfully or negligently allows an unlicensed or unauthorized person to use his or her seal" (law.cornell.edu); 13:32-4.2(c) identification card, "occupational misconduct" (law.cornell.edu). Cornell LII copies, read November 3, 2026.
18. New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers, public minutes, June 26, 2025, correspondence item 4: "If the licensee is using his license to earn money in exchange for services provided, it requires the licensee to register as a Bona Fide Representative." and "Notification to the Board is required in writing and it is the licensee's responsibility to close all permits." njconsumeraffairs.gov, read November 3, 2026.
19. New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers, Registration of Bona Fide Representative (documents by business type: trade name certificate, LLC members agreement or certificate of formation, certificate of incorporation and stock certificate), njconsumeraffairs.gov; Frequently Asked Questions: "plumbing shall only be performed by a master plumber, an authorized plumbing contractor, or by employees whose remuneration is reported on a Form W-2 to the Internal Revenue Service", njconsumeraffairs.gov. Read November 3, 2026.
20. N.J.S.A. 45:1-25(a) civil penalty "not more than $10,000 for the first violation and not more than $20,000 for the second and each subsequent violation"; (e) a licensee of the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers "who transfers a license provided to the individual by the requisite board to another individual shall be liable to a civil penalty of not more than $15,000 for the first violation and not more than $25,000 for the second and each subsequent violation" (law.justia.com); 45:1-21(n) discipline for having "permitted an unlicensed person or entity to perform an act for which a license ... is required" (law.justia.com). Justia copies, read November 3, 2026.
21. Virginia Board for Contractors Regulations, 18VAC50-22: 10 "'Full-time employee' means an employee who spends a minimum of 30 hours a week carrying out the work of the licensed contracting business and who receives an IRS Form W-2 annually"; 40 B 3 (and the same in 50 C and 60 C) qualified individual "Is a full-time employee of the firm or is a member of the responsible management of the firm"; 50 B and 60 B designated employee for Class B and A firms, who "Has passed a board-approved examination"; 61 plumbing contractors (PLB): "Master plumber tradesman license issued by the Board for Contractors"; 220 C "Any change of qualified individual must be reported on a form provided by the board within 60 days of the change"; 260 B 19 "Allowing a firm's license to be used by another", 20 "ostensible licensee for undisclosed persons". law.lis.virginia.gov, read November 3, 2026.
22. 18VAC50-30-190(8), Virginia tradesman regulations: prohibited acts include "allowing one's license or certification to be used by an unlicensed or uncertified individual". law.lis.virginia.gov, read November 3, 2026.
23. Code of Virginia 54.1-202(A), monetary penalty "shall not exceed $2,500 for each violation" (law.lis.virginia.gov); 54.1-1115(A)(3), "Presenting or attempting to use the license or certificate of another" is a Class 1 misdemeanor (law.lis.virginia.gov). Read November 3, 2026.
24. Minnesota Statutes 326B.46: subd. 1(b) a licensed master plumber "in charge of the plumbing work"; subd. 1b(a) "responsible for the performance of all plumbing work"; (b) responsible licensed individual by business type, a managing employee "must be actively engaged in performing plumbing work on behalf of the contractor, and cannot be employed in any capacity as a plumber for any other contractor. An individual may be the responsible licensed individual for only one contractor."; (d) notice "within 15 business days", "60 days from the departure", otherwise "voluntary termination of the license"; subd. 2 bond of "at least $25,000" and liability insurance of "$50,000 per person and $100,000 per occurrence" and property damage of "$10,000". revisor.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
25. Minnesota Statutes 326B.082 subd. 11(b)(4) licensing order where the person "allowed the alteration or use of the person's own permit, license, registration, or certificate by another person"; subd. 12(b) "up to $10,000 for each violation"; subd. 16 "guilty of a misdemeanor". revisor.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
26. Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, "Plumbing contractor licensing basics": the responsible licensed individual must "Be an owner, officer, or member of the business applying for the license, or a W-2 employee who is actively engaged in the company's plumbing work and cannot be employed as a plumber by any other contractor" and "Not be the responsible licensed individual for any other plumbing contractor". dli.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
27. Colorado Revised Statutes 12-155-108(3): "the person must either be, or employ full-time, a master plumber, who shall be in charge of the supervision of all plumbing work performed by the contractor. A master plumber shall not be responsible for more than one plumbing contractor at a time. A master plumber shall notify the board within fifteen days after the master plumber's termination ... The master plumber is responsible for all plumbing work performed by the plumbing contractor." (law.justia.com); 12-155-125, since July 1, 2025 the contractor's and its master plumber's numbers on "vehicle or vehicles, billing materials, bid sheets, and website" (law.justia.com). Justia copies of the 2025 statutes, read November 3, 2026.
28. Colorado Revised Statutes 12-155-113(1)(p) "Selling or fraudulently obtaining or furnishing a license or registration ... or aiding or abetting in the activity", (r) applying for a permit when not a qualified applicant (law.justia.com); 12-155-120(1)(c)(II)(A) "A licensed master plumber who is not a registered plumbing contractor and who is operating as an independent contractor for another business shall not apply for a permit", (11) qualified applicant (law.justia.com); 12-155-123(2)(b) fines up to $1,000, $2,000, and $2,000 a day (law.justia.com). Read November 3, 2026.
29. Colorado State Plumbing Board Rules, 3 CCR 720-1 (version effective August 14, 2026): Rule 1.4(I) "A plumbing contractor that, for any reason, loses the services of the responsible master plumber will be allowed twenty days in which to hire another master plumber", then "Need Master Hire-Cannot Practice" status; Rule 1.7(D) fine schedule, "Applying for a plumbing permit if not qualified applicant" $375, $900, up to $2,000. sos.state.co.us, read November 3, 2026.
30. 2025 Denver Building Code, administration: 121.1(1) "A contractor must have a certified supervisor or registrant as an employee or principal", (3) "Registrant means a master plumber or master electrician licensed in the State of Colorado and registered with the Agency"; 121.3 the registrant's name on the application; 126.2 registered plumbing contractors comply with the Colorado State Plumbing Board; 127.1(6) "Allowing one's license or certificate to be used by another person"; 127.4 suspension or revocation "for up to three (3) years", no reapplication "for a period of up to five (5) years". denvergov.org, read November 3, 2026.
31. Louisiana Revised Statutes, plumbing (repealed January 1, 2027): 37:1367(B) designate an employing entity, "A master plumber shall designate no more than one employing entity at any time", (C) "employment on a regular paid basis for actual services performed supervising journeyman plumbers" (legis.la.gov); 37:1374(A) fine "not less than five hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars, or imprisoned for not more than ninety days, or both" (legis.la.gov); 37:1378(A)(5) "The habitual practice of a master plumber to knowingly allow any employing entity to hold itself out as engaging in the business of plumbing at a time when the employing entity does not employ the master plumber as designated to the board" (legis.la.gov); 37:1380 no master license "issued, renewed, or revived" without proof of the employing entity's insurance, including general liability of "five hundred thousand dollars" (legis.la.gov). Read November 3, 2026.
32. State Plumbing Board of Louisiana, "Louisiana Plumbing Licenses": "There shall be one (1) designated Responsible Active Master Plumber for each company, however a company may have more than one (1) Active Master. Designated Responsible Master Plumbers are tasked with keeping up to date insurances with the Board". spbla.com, read November 3, 2026.
33. Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Contractors Licensing Law and Rules (compilation dated August 1, 2026): R.S. 37:2150.1(21) "Plumbing contractor" (project value of $10,000 or more), (23) "Qualifying party"; 37:2156.1(E)(1) notice "within thirty days of the disassociation, and another qualifying party shall qualify within sixty days", (2) "Any principal or full-time employee", (3) subsidiaries; 37:2158(A)(8)(a) "Permitting a license to be used for any purpose by any person other than the person to whom the license is issued", (9) "Failure to maintain a qualifying party"; 37:2164(A) fine "of up to ten percent of the total contract", or up to $10,000 where no value applies; LAC 46:XXIX.109, full-time employee "working at least 32 hours per week". lslbc.gov, read November 3, 2026.
34. Louisiana Act 908 of 2026 (HB 953, enrolled): R.S. 37:2156.1(I)(2) "Master plumbing contractor qualifying party status may be obtained only by a licensed master plumber", (3) residential plumbing contractor; 37:2156.1.1(B)(3) "A journeyman plumber may be supervised by a master plumber who is employed by or the qualifying party of a master plumbing contractor"; 37:2158(A)(24); 37:2164(A); Section 2 repeal of R.S. 37:1361 through 1380; Section 4 "shall hold the equivalent license of the State Licensing Board for Contractors created by this Act on January 1, 2027"; Section 5 abolition of the State Plumbing Board; Section 7 effective January 1, 2027. legis.la.gov, read November 3, 2026.
35. Nebraska Revised Statutes 18-1907: "Any person desiring to do any plumbing, or to work at the business of plumbing, in any city or village which has established a plumbing board, shall make written application to the plumbing board for examination for a license". nebraskalegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
36. Omaha Municipal Code, chapter 49, article II (Ord. No. 40524): 49-203 the supervising master "assumes responsibility for all workmanship compliance"; 49-206 "$10,000.00 bond"; 49-210 a master plumber license "shall only be valid and in effect for one company or business, for whom the license holder is a full time employee ... except and unless that license holder owns 50 percent or more of more than one company"; 49-211 allowing another person to use the license to "(a) Engage in unlawful plumbing work. (b) Secure a plumbing permit. (c) Violate any provision of chapter 49" is "cause for revocation"; 49-217 suspension up to six months, revocation "in effect for one year", then re-examination. Municode copy, library.municode.com. 49-103, violations are "a misdemeanor", from the city's posted 2015 plumbing code, planning.omaha.gov. Read November 3, 2026.
37. Lincoln Municipal Code, Lincoln Plumbing Code: 24.12.065 (UPC 103.1 amended) "A permit shall be issued only to a properly registered master plumber contractor"; 24.12.125(a) a master plumber contractor "may supervise a maximum of three apprentices at a job site address"; (f) a firm must have a master plumber contractor "as a bona fide employee or partner" who "shall at all times be in actual charge of and responsible for all installation, removal, or repair", who on leaving "shall immediately notify" the city, which "shall forthwith recommend" revoking the firm's registration; a master covered by the firm's insurance "is not required to duplicate such coverage"; "No registered master plumber contractor or journeyman plumber shall allow his or her name to be used by another person, firm, partnership, or corporation, directly or indirectly, to obtain a permit"; (i) suspension or revocation, no new application "until one year after the date of such revocation"; 24.12.130 certificate of insurance. Encode Plus copy of the city code, pages 1227 to 1233, online.encodeplus.com, read November 3, 2026.
38. Iowa Code 2026, chapter 105: 105.10(2) a licensed master "who shall be responsible for the proper designing, installing, and repairing ... is employed by the person and is actively in charge"; 105.22(3) "unethical conduct", (7) "Aiding and abetting a person who is not licensed"; 105.27(1) civil penalty "not to exceed five thousand dollars per offense. Each day of a continued violation constitutes a separate offense". legis.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.
39. Iowa Administrative Code r. 641-23.4 (effective June 19, 2024): (1) "A master may only be a master of record for one contractor in any particular discipline at any one time, except that a contractor or a master may seek prior board approval"; (3) available to supervise journeypersons or apprentices; (4) a master of record who disassociates notifies "the board and the contractor ... within 30 days". Cornell LII copy, law.cornell.edu, read November 3, 2026.
40. Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, "Contractor License": "Master of record" definition; public liability insurance "minimum coverage amount of $500,000"; surety bond "minimum amount of $5,000"; the contractor "may continue to provide plumbing ... services for a period of up to six months without identifying a new master of record" if it notifies the board "within 30 days". dial.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.