Check two licenses before you hire. Search the Construction Contractors Board lookup for the business, then the Building Codes Division lookup for the plumbing contractor license and the individual plumber. Both are free and take a few minutes.
Two licenses, two lookups
In Oregon, a plumbing contractor needs two licenses. The Construction Contractors Board licenses the business as a contractor, and the Building Codes Division licenses the plumbing business and the individual plumbers. The Building Codes Division says that for plumbing work, contractors must hold a CCB license and the appropriate plumbing contractor license.
Each lookup is free and takes only a few minutes. You can search the CCB database by license number, business name or owner name. The Building Codes Division runs a separate license search, and you should check that the person who will work on your house holds an individual plumbing license too.
What each license covers
The Building Codes Division also notes that plumbing apprentices cannot perform work under a minor label, a reminder that who does the work matters as much as who sold it.
| License | Issued by | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Contractors Board license | CCB | The business is licensed, bonded and insured as a contractor |
| Plumbing business license | Building Codes Division | The business may advertise and offer plumbing to the public |
| Journeyman plumber license | Building Codes Division | The individual may perform plumbing installation and repair |
| Plumbing apprentice registration | Building Codes Division | A trainee working under supervision |
| Sewage disposal service license | Oregon DEQ | Required for septic pumping and installation, not general plumbing |
A five-minute check
Before you agree to a repair
- Ask for the contractor's business name and CCB license number, in writing if possible.
- Search the CCB lookup and confirm the license is active and matches the name.
- Search the Building Codes Division lookup for the plumbing business and the plumber's name.
- Ask who will actually come to your house, and verify that person's license.
- Get the price and scope in writing before work begins.
- Ask whether a permit is needed and who pulls it.
Red flags that should slow you down
None of these proves a problem alone, but two or three together are a reason to call someone else. An emergency can make it harder to check, so keep the lookups bookmarked.
- A license number that will not appear in the lookup, or belongs to a different name.
- A company that cannot say who the plumber will be.
- A demand for full payment up front, or cash only.
- Pressure to sign on the spot for a non-emergency job.
- A quote with no scope, no materials and no permit mention.
- Reluctance to give you a license number at all.
Why permits and inspections connect to licenses
Many plumbing jobs need a permit and an inspection under the Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code, which builds on the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC). Water heater replacements, sewer repairs and gas piping are common examples. Licensed contractors pull permits and schedule inspections. A contractor who suggests skipping the permit is shifting risk onto you.
Permits matter when you sell the home. An unpermitted water heater or sewer repair can come up in an inspection and delay a sale. If you are replacing a tank, the water heater replacement page lists what a proper install includes, and for a lateral, sewer line replacement explains the permit and locate steps.
What a written quote should show
A quote that skips these is not necessarily dishonest, but it leaves too much open. Ask for the missing items before you sign, and keep a copy.
- The contractor's legal name and CCB license number.
- A description of the work in plain language, with the materials named.
- The price, how it is calculated and what could change it.
- Who pulls the permit and what inspection follows.
- The start date, the expected duration and the payment schedule.
- A warranty on labor and parts, in writing.
If something goes wrong
The Construction Contractors Board takes complaints about licensed contractors and about unlicensed work. A licensed contractor carries a bond, which can provide a route to recovering some losses if work is defective or abandoned, subject to the board's rules. That route does not exist if the person you hired was unlicensed.
Keep your records: the quote, the invoice, photographs of the work and any messages. If a repair fails, give the contractor a written chance to fix it first, since the board generally expects that before it intervenes. Do not withhold payment without checking your contract and the board's guidance, because a dispute over payment can complicate things.
For electrical or gas work attached to a plumbing job, the same rule applies: each trade has its own license, and each is searchable.
Other trades that touch a plumbing job
Plumbing jobs often overlap with other licensed work, and each trade has its own lookup. A water heater swap that needs a new circuit involves an electrician. A gas line extension is fuel gas piping and falls under its own licensing and permit rules. Septic work is licensed by the Department of Environmental Quality and searched through its own database.
Ask the contractor which parts of the job they will do themselves and which they will subcontract. A subcontractor needs the right license too. A general contractor's CCB license does not cover plumbing work unless the plumbing license is also in place.
If a company says it does everything, ask for each license number. It takes a minute, and it tells you who is actually responsible if something fails.
How this site fits in
This website is an advertising and referral service. Calls to the number shown are answered by dispatch and may be connected to a participating independent plumbing contractor. The licenses, insurance and workmanship belong to the contractor who comes to your door, which is why the check above matters.
When a plumber is dispatched, ask for the license numbers and look them up before work starts. A reputable contractor expects the question. In Redmond and other nearby towns the rules are the same, and the Redmond page covers local conditions for that area.