MA Plumber

The Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters, which sits within the Division of Occupational Licensure. The Board conducts exams and issues licenses for journeyman and master plumbers and gas fitters, registers apprentices, and issues corporate and partnership certificates for plumbing and gas work.

The blueprint spans seven areas: Massachusetts Plumbing Code administration, permits, and inspections; water supply and distribution piping, materials, and sizing; drainage, waste, and vent systems; fixtures, appliances, and specialty systems; gas piping, materials, sizing, and pressure testing; gas appliance venting and combustion air; and job-site safety, licensure responsibilities, and business practices.

The Board's main agency page does not publish a question count or time limit, so no figure is stated here rather than risk quoting an outdated number. Check the Board's licensing services and information pages, or your candidate bulletin, for the current test specification before you schedule.

A passing score is not listed on the Board's agency page, so treat any number you hear secondhand with suspicion. Confirm the current passing standard through the Board's licensing services pages or the testing vendor's candidate handbook for the exam you are actually scheduled to take.

Applications, renewals, and fee information are handled through the Board's licensing services and information pages. Because fees and application requirements change, pull the current figures directly from the Board rather than relying on a prep course, a forum post, or an older printed form.

The Board's agency page does not describe a retake policy, waiting period, or fee, so none is stated here. Contact the Board directly at [email protected] or 617-701-8798 to confirm the current re-examination procedure before you assume a timeline.

Study the State Plumbing Code edition in force on your test date, plus the Board's policies, variance applications, and forms, all posted on its site. The Board has published a separate FAQ list for the regulations that took effect on 12.8.23, which is worth reading for recent changes.

Work the code book first, because most items are lookups or applications of a specific section. Then drill the calculation-heavy areas: water supply sizing, DWV sizing, and gas pipe sizing and pressure testing. Finish with venting, combustion air, and the administration and safety material, which are easy points to lock in.

Two things: not being able to find a section quickly under time pressure, and answering from memory instead of from the code. Gas sizing and pressure-testing items and venting/combustion-air items reward careful reading of tables and footnotes, so practice tabbing your code book and reading each question's exact wording.

The Board approves dual and elevated gases and plumbing and gas products, and maintains an Accepted Plumbing Products Online System. Product approval questions go to [email protected], and variance assistance is available at [email protected]. Check acceptance before specifying a product on a permit set.

General questions and correspondence go to [email protected] or 617-701-8798. The office is at One Federal Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA 02110-2012. The Board also posts meeting schedules and members, and holds public hearings on code changes.