We often are asked why a plumber needs a license. The answer? It’s a matter of protecting you from incompetents, a legitimate historic responsibility of government.

The State of Illinois wants to be sure that anyone doing work that can affect the health and safety of others has adequate knowledge, training and experience to do that work. So the Illinois General Assembly, to protect everyone’s health and safety, has “declared” that persons who plan, inspect, install, alter, extend, repair and maintain plumbing systems must be individuals with proven and appropriate skills and knowledge.

To get their license to practice, plumbers must demonstrate their competence to an official examining board. And, once licensed, they must complete at least four hours of approved continuing education every year (no other construction workers have a continuing education requirement to stay on the job).

The license carried by a licensed plumber indicates that its holder is qualified both theoretically and practically to maintain the standards of the Plumbing Code – having sufficient, current knowledge to do the job right the first time. Work done improperly not only endangers health and safety, but also will have to be redone when the property changes hands. Plumbing is much much more than a handyman’s job.

Licensed plumbers will have been employed as licensed apprentices under proper supervision for at least four years and have submitted evidence that they have completed an approved course of instruction before they could apply. Plumbers in Illinois who are affiliated with unions serve a five-year apprenticeship, a year more than required by law and put in more than 1,200 classroom hours during this time in addition to their on-the-job training.

If you want to verify a State of Illinois license, call (217) 524-0791. To verify a City of Chicago license, call (312) 744-3895.