Getting licensed and insured in Alabama isn’t just red tape — it’s a gateway to joining an industry growing faster than the national average. While it’ll take some time to get your Alabama plumbing license, it’s worth the time and effort.
Let’s walk through exactly what you need to get licensed and insured in Alabama, including the process, insurance requirements, reciprocity information, renewals and an important regulatory update in 2025.
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If you’re looking to start a plumbing career in Alabama, let’s clear something up right away: yes, you absolutely need a license to work as a plumber here. But don’t let that discourage you. Think of it as your ticket to bigger opportunities and better pay.
The Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (PGFB) takes licensing seriously and offers different license levels depending on your experience and the type of plumbing work you’ll tackle. To start, you’ll register as an apprentice. From there, the typical path for plumbers is to transition to a journeyman and finally to a master plumber.
Protecting your plumbing business starts by having the right Alabama insurance coverage. It’s about more than meeting the minimum requirements — you’ll sleep better at night knowing your plumber insurance safeguards the business you’ve worked so hard to build.
If you have five or more employees, you’ll need workers’ comp. This coverage steps in when someone gets hurt on the job, helping to cover medical expenses and lost wages. This protection proves its worth fast in a physical trade like plumbing, dealing with heavy tools and challenging spaces.
Learn more about workers’ compensation for contractors.
Picture this: you fix a pipe, but it springs a leak three days later and damages your customer’s hardwood floors. General liability insurance helps cover accidents, property damage, and even personal injury claims. It’s your first line of defense against those “uh-oh” moments that could otherwise sink your business.
Learn more about general liability insurance for contractors.
If you have a shop or office, commercial property insurance can protect it against break-ins, fire, or storm damage. It helps cover your physical space and everything in it, from your computers and phone system to your inventory of pipes and fixtures.
A business owner’s policy, or BOP insurance, provides broad coverage of general liability and commercial property policies combined in a single, more cost-efficient bundle. That means it can help cover damage that you or your employees may inadvertently cause to another person’s property and help protect your business inventory in the event of a fire or other covered event.
Tools and equipment insurance helps cover your gear if it’s stolen from your truck or damaged on the job. Replacing your tools isn’t cheap; this coverage helps you get back to work quickly if something goes wrong.
Commercial auto insurance can help protect your vehicle from accidents that happen while you’re driving between jobs. Your work truck isn’t just transportation — it’s a mobile workshop, and personal car insurance won’t always pay for work-related incidents.
In Alabama, coverage minimums are:
Ready to get your Alabama plumbing license? Let’s walk through the process, starting with your apprenticeship.
The first step is to register as an apprentice plumber. The Alabama PGFB makes this part easy with its online system.
With any luck, you’ll already have a board-approved apprentice training program lined up to work with. But it’s okay if you don’t — just put “N/A” in the employer field and make sure to notify the board (in writing) within 30 days of landing a position.
You’ll submit your application and fee, along with a photo ID and proof of U.S. citizenship (like a driver’s license or birth certificate).
The apprenticeship phase takes up the biggest chunk of time — you’ll spend two years learning the ins and outs of the trade. But you’ll earn money while mastering the skills that’ll serve you throughout your career.
You can apply to take the journeyman exam after you get two years of experience, either by:
Prov administers the tests, and you’ll schedule your plumbing exam with them directly. The exam is 75 questions long (open-book permitted) and takes about three hours. Subject areas include:
Once you’ve passed the journeyman plumber exam (with a 70% or better), you’ll have 90 days to get certified with the state. Unlike the apprentice registration, you’ll need to fill out a paper form to apply for a journeyman certificate. You can email or fax the completed form to the PGFB.
Although you’ll need a year of journeyman experience before applying for the master plumber exam, you won’t have to wait around for text results — Prov scores your license exam right after you finish it. They’ll send your official results to the board immediately and drop your copy in the mail.
If you’re aiming for a master plumbing license, you’ll have to wait at least a year after getting a journeyman certificate. Then, you can apply to take the master plumber exam. It has 100 questions and gives you just over four hours to complete it.
Score at least 70% on that exam and apply for a master plumber certificate. Again, it’s a paper form; you can email or fax it to the board.
Alabama doesn’t have reciprocal agreements with any other state, which means your current license won’t automatically transfer over.
But your experience and knowledge still count for something — the PGFB has created special guidelines for out-of-state plumbers. They’ll look at your current classification level and point you toward the equivalent Alabama exam.
Every year, October 1st kicks off renewal season for your plumbing license. You can renew your Alabama plumbing license online and pay renewal fees through the PGFB portal.
But there’s a aignificant change coming in 2025. Starting January 1st, the state of Alabama will raise the bar for plumbers by requiring four hours of continuing education to keep their licenses up to date.
NEXT is dedicated to insuring small businesses, working with over 1,300+ professions. We take the headache out of protecting your livelihood, helping you craft simple and affordable plumber insurance packages.
Our online platform lets you skip the endless phone calls and paperwork. You get exactly the coverage you need in minutes, not days or weeks. Plus, you can pull up and share your certificate of insurance right from your phone as many times as you need, at no extra cost. That means no more running back to the office or waiting for your agent to email you paperwork.
Start a free instant quote with NEXT.
Do you want to work as a plumbing contractor in another U.S. state? Learn what states require licenses in our guide to plumbing license requirements.
This information has been provided as a service. It is correct and up-to-date to the best of our knowledge; however, it is in no way intended to offer legal advice, and you must always consult with local authorities before you make any business decisions. Regulations and requirements may change at any time.
Amy Beardsley, insurance expert and contributing writer at NEXT Insurance, is a content marketing writer who specializes in small business coverage. Leveraging her background in the legal field, Amy brings a deep understanding of laws, regulations, and compliance requirements to her work. As a content marketing writer since 2016, she has contributed to publications like Legal & General, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, Insurify, and NerdWallet. Her work has also appeared in CNBC, Kiplinger, and US News. When she’s not writing, Amy enjoys playing cards with her family and experimenting with new recipes.
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