How to become a plumber in Hawaii

The path in Hawaii, step by step

Hawaii licenses plumbing work at the state level through the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Contractors License Board. These are the steps it lays out, in order.

1. Build 5 years and 10,000 hours of plumbing work and get your Journey Worker Plumber license, then 2 more years for Master Plumber.
2. Build 4 years of supervisory experience in plumbing within the past 10 years.
3. Apply to the Contractors License Board for the C-37 classification and pay the $50 application fee.
4. Once approved, pass Part I Business and Law and Part II Trade exams.
5. Pay the license fee and file proof of liability and workers compensation insurance.
6. Renew the contractor license by September 30 of even years and your plumber license every three years.

The full license guide, with every fee and form: plumbing license in Hawaii.

Finding an apprenticeship in Hawaii

Hawaii runs Registered Apprenticeship through its own State Apprenticeship Agency, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor to register and oversee programs there. Its staff are state employees, and it may use the federal paperwork or forms of its own. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Hawaii State Apprenticeship Agency as the contact.

Either way, a registered program means paid work with a mentor, raises as you progress, classroom instruction and a credential recognized in every state. Search open spots in the Apprenticeship Job Finder.

Across the country. Most plumbers learn the trade in a 4 or 5 year apprenticeship, with about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training plus some classroom instruction each year.

License levels and exams in Hawaii

The license to aim for: C-37 Plumbing Contractor (plus a Master Plumber license).

Trade exam. Yes. The contractor exam has a trade part (Part II). Plumber licenses also need a written exam that covers the Uniform Plumbing Code.

Business exam. Yes. Part I of the contractor exam covers business and law.

Keeping it. Contractor licenses expire September 30 of even numbered years. Plumber licenses renew every three years by June 30 (2027, 2030, 2033) and need a Uniform Plumbing Code update course.

Coming from another state. Hawaii has no reciprocity agreements. All applicants meet the same licensing and exam requirements.

What the Hawaii license costs

The fees the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Contractors License Board lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.

What plumbers earn in Hawaii

The median plumber in Hawaii earned $37.53 an hour in May 2025, 12th of 51 states, with 2,500 on payrolls. The national median was $30.67.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of plumbers in Hawaii earned under $29.60 an hour and a tenth under $22.96. At the top, a quarter earned over $47.09 and a tenth over $54.47.

Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: plumber salary in Hawaii.

Starting your own plumber business in Hawaii

To contract on your own in Hawaii, the license is the C-37 Plumbing Contractor (plus a Master Plumber license).

Insurance. Bodily injury liability of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence, property damage liability of $50,000, plus workers compensation if you have employees.

Bond. A bond only if the board requires one.

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Hawaii median of $37.53 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $136.50 per billable hour. Try your own in the plumber labor rate calculator.

The full checklist is in how to start a plumbing business. The free Koira Office plan gives you a website on a Koira address, estimates customers sign with a deposit, invoices with card payments and your day's jobs in one place, with no per-person fee. See the plans.