In all seriousness, why so fearful that the industry will be overrun. I'm sure they will be some handyman types start unclogging a drain here and there but I have my doubts the industry will be swamped with new plumbers driving rates down and gobbling up bunches of work.

In all seriousness, why so fearful that the industry will be overrun. I'm sure they will be some handyman types start unclogging a drain here and there but I have my doubts the industry will be swamped with new plumbers driving rates down and gobbling up bunches of work.

In all seriousness, why so fearful that the industry will be overrun. I'm sure they will be some handyman types start unclogging a drain here and there but I have my doubts the industry will be swamped with new plumbers driving rates down and gobbling up bunches of work.

O M G!!!! funniest thing I have seen on here in a LONG time

O M G!!!! funniest thing I have seen on here in a LONG time

If you are already seeing these life threatening situations regularly, how is this new lack of certification really going to change anything?

Agree. I don't see builders using bad plumbers as they have inspections to pass. I will bet most cities that have stricter codes will include a work must be done by licensed plumber rule.
In rural area and small remodels unlicensed handymen have been doing plumbing for years.
We had a hot water heater bust a year ago and Farmers said we had to use a licensed plumber.

This is just crazy. Sunset Commission cited inefficiencies with the TSBPE which are stifling the abilities of much needed plumbers to perform restoration work after Katrina. How much restoration work from Katrina is still ongoing 14 years after the fact? In Texas, I mean...I'm sure there is still plenty of "restoration" to be done in/around NOLA. LOL

I am not a plumber but am a licensed plumbing inspector. After 20 years of inspection, I have come across dozens of legitimate life threatening situations caused by plumbing work done by unlicensed, unskilled, untrained people. Anything from pumping exhaust gasses/carbon monoxide into attics and subfloor spaces and hearing resident's stories about how long they have been battling headaches with no understanding of what was causing it...lucky they didn't go to sleep permanently. Another from a service tech that was hospitalized after a backdraft explosion resulting from improperly vented on demand water heater. Several water softener refresh/drain lines tied directly to building drain/sewer...awww, no way that sewage could ever get pulled back into the pipes you get your drinking water from! LOL

I can't predict what the actual outcome will be. All I know is that there was an established apprenticeship program in place with required annual continuing education and testing that forced a demonstration of competency. Among the plumbing, HVAC and electric trades, I would say plumbing by far, has the greatest impact on the health and sanitation of our environment. Come 9/1 anybody with a pipe rack and sharpshooter can call themselves a plumber.

Now, I am having to consider if we will require licensing and testing at the local level with current State license holders being exempted from testing. I have a very uneasy feeling with letting any jackleg contract plumbing work in my jurisdiction. I can't imagine letting an unlicensed individual install medical gas piping. Going to be an interesting few weeks trying to figure all of this out!

i agree
who is the cat holding the fish & with the shirt on?

Just talked to a plumbing friend. Basically they are talking about disbanding the state plumbing board which would in turn shut down the regulatory arm of the plumbers in the Texas. He basically said there are some legal issues being wrangled and that there is talk of a special session to get it hammered out.

So it's not that the state had made a conscious decision to end regulation of plumbers more along the lines that the whole deal is in limbo with a bunch of politicians, so even if it does end on Sept 1 (he doesn't believe it will) it will be a short gap in regulation and the cities can fill that gap no problem.

Heck cities handled the electricians licensing until about 05. Wh n the state took it over they had a window where if you had x amount of hours in the field they grandfathered you in as a licensed electrician. I know a couple of guys that did that and.i know dang good and well a bunch got it that would never have been able to pass that exam, where I had just studied and spent money on prep courses to pass the sbci exam like a year or two before.