How to become a plumber in West Virginia

The path in West Virginia, step by step

West Virginia licenses plumbing work at the state level through the West Virginia Division of Labor, Plumber Certification (contractor licenses by the WV Contractor Licensing Board). These are the steps it lays out, in order.

1. Register as a plumber in training with the Division of Labor and work under licensed plumbers.
2. Pass the journeyman written exam with ProV, Inc.
3. Wait at least one year, then pass the master plumber exam.
4. For jobs at or above $5,000 residential or $25,000 commercial, pass the Plumbing exam and the WV Business and Law exam for a contractor license.
5. Register the business with the WV State Tax Department, set up workers' comp and unemployment coverage, and apply to the Contractor Licensing Board.
6. Renew the plumber certification by the date on your card and the contractor license every 12 months.

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

Finding an apprenticeship in West Virginia

West Virginia has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency, so the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers and oversees programs there through a state field office. Apprenticeship.gov lists the West Virginia Apprenticeship Office 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 West Virginia

The license to aim for: Master plumber certification, plus a contractor license with the Plumbing classification.

Trade exam. Yes. Master and journeyman applicants must pass a written exam with a score of at least 70 percent. ProV, Inc. gives the test.

Business exam. For the contractor license you also pass the WV Business and Law exam.

Keeping it. The plumber certification renewal date is on your card, and the Division sends a renewal form about 45 days before. A contractor license expires 12 months after it is issued.

What the West Virginia license costs

The fees the West Virginia Division of Labor, Plumber Certification (contractor licenses by the WV Contractor Licensing Board) lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.

What plumbers earn in West Virginia

The median plumber in West Virginia earned $27.39 an hour in May 2025, 45th of 51 states, with 1,830 on payrolls. The national median was $30.67.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of plumbers in West Virginia earned under $21.16 an hour and a tenth under $17.31. At the top, a quarter earned over $35.44 and a tenth over $39.98.

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

Jobs ahead in West Virginia

West Virginia's labor market office projects jobs for plumbers growing from 1,510 in 2022 to 1,570 in 2032, a change of 4%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 140 openings a year.

Jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 2.3% projected nationally, ranking 40th of the 50 states in the file.

These are the state's own long-term projections, published together on Projections Central for the occupation group plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters.

Starting your own plumber business in West Virginia

To contract on your own in West Virginia, the license is the Master plumber certification, plus a contractor license with the Plumbing classification.

Insurance. For the contractor license, proof of workers' compensation and unemployment coverage for all employees working in West Virginia.

Bond. A wage bond status affidavit is required with the contractor license application.

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the West Virginia median of $27.39 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $118.69 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.