Texas — plumbing code & licensing
Verified
The code
| Code family | UPC / IPC (dual adoption) |
| Edition in force | 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code (IAPMO) and 2018 International Plumbing Code (ICC), both adopted by board rule at 22 TAC 367.2; Tex. Occ. Code 1301.255 directs the board to adopt the UPC and the IPC and lets municipalities and public water system owners adopt or amend either code locally |
| Effective date | not defined in documentation |
| Adopted by | Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) |
| Adoption source | https://tsbpe.texas.gov/wp-content/uploads/documents/TSBPE_AdministrativeRules_January2026.pdf |
| State amendments | No state amendments on record |
Licensing
| Model | State individual licensing: Responsible Master Plumber, Master Plumber, Journeyman Plumber, Tradesman Plumber-Limited, and Plumbing Inspector licenses; Plumber's Apprentice registration; endorsements (Medical Gas, Water Supply Protection Specialist, Multipurpose Residential Fire Protection Sprinkler); a company offering plumbing to the public must secure a Responsible Master Plumber |
| Authority | Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) |
| Licensing source | https://tsbpe.texas.gov/wp-content/uploads/documents/TSBPE_AdministrativeRules_January2026.pdf |
| License classes | https://tsbpe.texas.gov/free-licensee-list/ |
Permits & inspections
Plumbing inspectors are a state-licensed category; board rules ch. 367 set inspector standards of conduct and enforcement. Work to a board-adopted code is inspected by a plumbing inspector under Occ. Code ch. 1301.
How this record was verified
| Adoption | Verified |
| Amendments | Verified |
| Licensing | Verified |
| Permits & inspections | Verified |
Working notes
Dual-code state, unique in this lane: the board adopts BOTH model codes and the local jurisdiction (or, in unregulated areas, the licensee's practice) determines which governs a given job. No separate state amendment package; local adoption/amendment of either code is expressly contemplated by 1301.255. Rule-effective date for the 2018-edition adoption at 367.2 not stated in the board rules compilation opened, so code_effective_date is left blank rather than guessed.
Reference only. Compiled from the cited official sources as of the date shown; adoptions and rules change. Confirm with the authority having jurisdiction before designing or permitting work.