Your pipes / Licenses and permits
Who is allowed to work on your pipes?
what the utility requires of plumbers and gasfitters in the two counties
A master plumber in Maryland working in Montgomery or Prince George’s needs a WSSC Water license and insurance, and reaching journeyman alone takes 7,500 hours under a WSSC Water-licensed master.
By the Your Water Numbers desk, not WSSC Water · Updated · How we check
Look up your number: the job and who may do it
| Job | Who may do it | Paperwork | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing work in the home | WSSC Water-licensed, insured | Permit via registered master | Applies in both counties |
| Stuck house valve | Licensed plumber | Ask if a permit applies | You use it, they replace it |
| Your side of the service line | Licensed plumber | Notice first if verified lead | Never yourself |
| Irrigation connection | Licensed plumber | Permit where required | Parts alone are not the job |
| Any gas work, appliance swaps too | Registered gasfitter | WSSC Water permit and inspection | Inspected within 10 business days |
| Heater gas connection, venting | Registered gasfitter | Permit and inspection | Never a self-install |
| Main, curb stop, outside meter | WSSC Water | Nothing for you to file | Report, don’t repair |
| Doing it yourself | Not confirmed | Ask plumbing inspections | Exemptions unconfirmed |
Source: WSSC Water plumber information and gas inspection pages · via search index, Nov. 2026
Reading this: Find the job in the left column. If the middle column says licensed, the person on your doorstep should be able to show it.
Whose license counts here?
WSSC Water’s. Doing plumbing or fuel gas work in Montgomery or Prince George’s requires its license and insurance, under the 2024 Plumbing and Fuel Gas Code.
The state has its own body as well, the Maryland Board of Master Plumbers and Gas Fitters. We could not read its lookup, so we quote no state rules here. Check both. The utility’s plumber search is the place to start.
How much experience does a license stand for?
7,500 hours under a licensed master to reach journeyman, then 3,750 more as a journeyman to become a master. That is 11,250 hours in total, our arithmetic, plus a 32-hour backflow certificate.
Source: WSSC Water plumber licenses · via search index, Nov. 2026
Licenses renew every 4 years. Masters must hold liability insurance. Reciprocity exists with Baltimore County, Maryland and Virginia licenses, so ask how it applies to the person you hire.
Who pulls the permit?
A registered principal master plumber or gasfitter, or their proxy, through ePermitting. The permit runs through them, not through you. If a quote says no one will pull one, ask why, and ask plumbing inspections if the answer doesn’t fit the table above.
What should you ask before anyone starts?
Four questions cover most of it.
- What is your license number, and who is the registered master on the permit?
- Can I see your insurance?
- Does this job need a permit and inspection?
- Which side of the property line is this work on?
The last question matters more than it sounds. Street-side work is the utility’s, as who owns which pipe explains. For a verified lead line, WSSC Water wants notice first; see the lead inventory.
Why is gas treated differently?
All gas work goes through a registered gasfitter with a WSSC Water permit and inspection, including appliance replacement. First-time or replacement appliances are inspected within 10 business days. We give no gas-line or burner advice on this site.
If you smell gas, leave first. Use no switches or phones inside. Call 911 and Washington Gas from outside.
What are these two links?
Catalog and service pages, for reference. Neither is an endorsement of anyone’s work.
Short of money for a leak? The Customer Assistance Program offers a free annual plumbing leak investigation, and it has a Leak Repair arm for those eligible. The water a leak wastes is a separate cost.
Before you sign
- Check the license on the utility’s search and the state board
- Get the insurance shown, not described
- Confirm who files the permit and when inspection happens
- For gas, accept only a registered gasfitter
Questions on this page
Is a master plumber license from elsewhere in Maryland good here?
Reciprocity exists with Baltimore County, Maryland and Virginia licenses, but the work itself still requires a WSSC Water license. Ask the plumber to show theirs.
Can I swap my own gas dryer or water heater?
All gas work, including appliance replacement, goes through a registered gasfitter with permit and inspection. This site gives no instructions for doing it yourself.
Can a homeowner do their own plumbing in Prince George’s?
We could not confirm any exemption. Ask WSSC Water plumbing inspections before you start.
Where each number comes from
| Figure | What it is | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7,500; 3,750; 32 hours; 4 years | Journeyman and master requirements, renewal | WSSC Water plumber licenses | via search index, Nov. 2026 |
| 10 business days | Gas appliance inspection window | WSSC Water gas inspections | via search index, Nov. 2026 |
| License and insurance rule | Montgomery and Prince George’s | WSSC Water plumbing code | 2024 code |
| 11,250 | 7,500 plus 3,750 | Our arithmetic from WSSC Water figures | current license rules |