Plumbers in Amarillo

Texas law says any person or company that offers plumbing must have a Responsible Master Plumber (RMP). Every written proposal, invoice or contract has to show the RMP's name and license number, plus the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners' name, address and phone number, and you must get an invoice when the job is done. A quote on a plain notepad page with none of that is your cue to keep calling. The same details belong on the final invoice, which you should keep with the permit record.

The RMP is also responsible for pulling permits, requesting inspections, making sure every worker on your job is licensed or registered, and having the company name and RMP license number on service vehicles. Workers have to carry their license or registration while they work, so asking to see it is reasonable.

Texas cities over 5,000 people must regulate plumbing by ordinance, water heaters included, and require permits for all but small jobs such as fixing leaks or replacing faucets, toilets or garbage disposals. Amarillo Building Safety handles those permits online through MGO Connect, and the city also issues its own annual contractor licenses there.

When a Texas city issues a plumbing permit, it has to confirm with TSBPE that the RMP has insurance on file; the RMP must keep at least $300,000 of general liability coverage. A permit is therefore a quiet insurance check on your plumber. A property owner needs no state plumbing license for work in their own homestead, and Amarillo lets homeowners apply for a permit on a home listed as their homestead. Check the city's permit rules with Building Safety before any work.

Amarillo water lines and backflow

The City of Amarillo supplies water from its own system. New construction and material changes to a home's private water lines can trigger a TCEQ customer service inspection for cross-connections and lead. Backflow assembly testing needs a separate TCEQ tester license, valid three years, so ask for that license number if a plumber offers to test one.

Plumbing license levels in Texas

TSBPE issues four licenses, Tradesman Plumber-Limited, Journeyman Plumber, Master Plumber and Plumbing Inspector, and each needs an exam and a yearly renewal. Apprentices register with TSBPE, and drain cleaners hold their own add-on registration. A crew can mix these levels as long as the RMP is responsible for the job and every worker holds a current license or registration.

Ask whether an Amarillo quote includes the service-call fee and the permit. HomeGuide puts typical plumber rates nationally at $45 to $150 an hour, with average jobs at $125 to $450 and service-call fees of $50 to $200.

Its Dallas guide puts most residential jobs at $182 to $500, and a burst pipe repair runs $400 to $2,000 nationally. Treat all of these as reference points for an Amarillo quote. The Texas plumbing guide breaks costs down further.

1. Search the name or license number on TSBPE's Public License Search; you can filter by city or county.
2. Confirm the RMP named on the bid matches the license.
3. Ask for the MGO Connect permit number for water heater, repiping or sewer work.
4. Complaints go to TSBPE on its General Complaint Form, (512) 936-5200.

If a furnace or AC job also touches gas or drain lines, ask who holds the plumbing license; see HVAC companies in Amarillo. To compare with the next market south, see plumbers in Lubbock, and the Amarillo city guide covers the city's other permit and utility rules.