State plumbing guide · MD
Plumbing in Maryland
Maryland licenses plumbers and gas fitters through a state board, and backflow training is part of the journey license. Its older cities, Baltimore above all, have some of the oldest housing in the country.
- Median home built
- 1980
- Built before 1980
- 50%
- Owner-occupied
- 68%
- Winter
- Regular hard freezes
- General statewide rating
- Plumbing code
- Local
- City guides
- 1
Housing figures: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year (B25035, B25034).
Maryland city plumbing guides
How to check a plumber's license in Maryland
The Maryland State Board of Plumbing licenses apprentice, journey and master plumbers and gas fitters. A journey license requires years as an apprentice, 7,500 training hours under a master plumber, and 32 hours of backflow prevention device testing training. [1]
A Maryland master plumber/gas fitter license requires at least two years holding a journey license, 3,750 hours of training under a licensed master plumber, and a comprehensive written exam. [2]
Maryland's older housing stock
Statewide, the median home was built in 1980 and 50% of homes predate 1980. Homes like that were usually built with copper or CPVC supply, plastic drains, and in some homes gray polybutylene supply pipe. The city guides below show how much that varies within the state.
Seasonal problems to plan for in Maryland
- Winter
- Freeze-thaw cycles catch pipes in exterior rowhouse walls and unheated rear additions.
- Summer storms
- Heavy rain can back sewage up into basements through floor drains.
Regions of Maryland
Central Maryland
Baltimore: rowhouses, very old pipe and sewer laterals, freeze-thaw winters.
Maryland plumbing questions
How do I check a plumber's license in Maryland?
Plumbers and gas fitters are licensed by the Maryland State Board of Plumbing; ask for the license number and verify it with the Maryland Department of Labor.
Can any Maryland plumber test my backflow device?
Maryland journey plumbers complete backflow prevention device testing training as part of licensing, but many water systems also require a certified tester. Ask your water utility what it accepts.
Sources (3)
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year (B25035, B25034) · checked 2026-10-01
- Maryland Department of Labor, Board of Plumbing License Requirements · checked 2026-10-01
- Maryland Department of Labor, Board of Plumbing License Requirements · checked 2026-10-01