Hoii. C. E. :Belk.,,~gdminlptrator,' 

Board of-Plysbing +aminers~., 

" ?;.'; " 

904. Lava* 

:' .' ; .. '~ 

Austin, Texas, "' 

'. 

.I, opinlon.~oo.:~-6gl.. I 

1 . .lie:. Wh+&~perspqs ‘may eni 

'i:, 1; .:. ..,~:,, gage ln ;p!u$blns without 

. *"Statef plumbing license 

:. :. :;' by vl.utue of their work 

.". ..,. being supervised'by a 

.i ,:. ,.,~..,; :.;:; . . ., __; !' : 

;. _: : State l~censed'mster 

_ '. _..i .'," ?' . . .?P!y?;'. : '? : .: ,.: 

Dear Mr. Be?& 

'. %ie quote fe$'+& request,'dated August 27, as 

follows'::. ..' 

,; ..,, 

-;:i. "a,gene~al.builaing'contractor holds' a 

State M+ster Pl@b&~s~l~cen%- -He is doing 

plumbing work:on thebugldlsgs 'which he"has 'Y. 

under contract and using ur&censed plumbers 

to do this work. It Is his contention that 

Section,l4~ of the l+wlallows hti to do this. 

1.i.. . . . z . 

. ..vill ~ou'plesse advise us:~whether this 

.or any other Section'of theAct; exempts suci 

persons from the Jlcenslng requlregnents of the 

Plumbing License Law of 19471" 

', &&2tion 2 of the Plumbing License Law of 1947, 

we find the':deflhition of the actlvvity of'~"plumblng", 

which Is regulated by the licensing statute, and we set out 

that def5udtloq asfqllows: ..~ 

"The,word~or term.~plumbWg* as used In 

this Act meansand shall lnc$ude: (1) All 

.pip@g, f*tures,'~app+%euauces a* appllauces 

for; a supply of Waters or gas; or both; for all 

pe%sonal or domestic purposes in and about bulldings where a person or persons live, work or 
476 Hon. C. E. Belk, Page 2, (V-691) 

ass6mble; all'piplng, fixtures, appurte- . 1~ .,,,. :' 

nances and appliances outside a building 

: ,'.' 

connecting the building with the source of 

water or gas supply, or both, on the prem- s '.J 

lses, or th45 main in the street, alley or. :.._, 

at the curb; all piping, flxtures~ appurtenances, appliances., drain or waste pipes 

carrying waste water or sewage from or,with-~ 

in a building to the sewer service lateral 

at the curb or In the &reet or, alley or 

other disposal terminal holding private 'or 

domestic sewage; (2) the installation, rg' 

pair and maintenance of all piping, flxturis, appurtenances and appliances In and 

about buildings where a person or persons. 

live, work or ass~enible, for a supply of gas, 

water, or both, ~6r disposal of waste water : 

or sewage." 

We also.&.out the definitions of @Master. 

Plumbers" an&"Jouriieymen Plumbers" from Section 2 of 

the Act, as follows: 

"(b) Ii Waster Pluniber' within ihe ." .~. 

niearkg of this Act Iti a plumber havipg' :' ._ 

a regular place of business, who, by himself, or through a person or persons in his 

employ, performsLplusiblug work, and who has 

successfully fu~filled~~the.e+!inatlons and. 

requirements of thy Board.~ 

"(c) A ~Journeyman'Plujniber~ within 

the meatiing of this Act is any person other. 

than a mskter plumber who engages in or works 

at the actual installation, ,alteratlon, rek 

pap and renovatlng.of plumbing; ati who has 

successfully falfilled the examinations aod~. 

requirements of .the;Board." ': " 

Section 3 .of the Act provides the'express exemptlons &lowed under the Act. .We.,find ti exemption 

which ~a&ll~s tom your pa&Multi situationi 

Section 14 of the Act provldes'as folloW& 

"After w expiration of one hundred 

twe&y days from the effective date of MS 

Act,, no person, whether as a master pleer, 

;. 
. 

. Hon. C. E. Belk, Page ~3 .(V.&Il) .:R.:.~ :;,..~ ,;; -: _,:.,.: 47+7 :: 

forany persons to engage. in, work“at, or 

conduct the business: of:plumblng ln~this 

state or serve as ~a'plunibing inspector as 

plumb&ng~work..except ,as speclflcallg herein 

provided unless such,lnstallation of plumbiog:ror.plambin~.~work~.be.~under the supervislon and control of a plumber licensed under 

.,this Act: land d,t,.is,expressly provided that 

~~;~o.vislbns';'of.,Artlcle l22.of the Penal 

Cod&of: aexas~.'?ha;ll,~.apply,..to violations of . 

this Actiizapd- said Article I.22 of the Penal. 

.Code 'and the p&alties therein provlded'are 

hereby expressly referred to..'! 

:.' ." 

,::.~~Spctcifical~y,~~.you ask tihether the underlined 

portionof. Sectlou 14 set o~t,~above~exempts from the 

llcenslng.requirement of the Act those who engage In 

pluxbing under the.sup&vdsion and control of a Master 

Plumber. :We are o$Tthe~op$n$on~that :lt does not exelilpt 

them from the licensiiig'requlrement of.the Act. 

..- 

. . The underl'ined.language. fro&~Section 14 above 

must be construed in Cion$ekt vith'khe rest of'the Section. 

Section 14 gives a period of grace of one hundred twenty 

says after-the effective date of the Act for plumbing 

without a license. Thereafter, two activities are prohibited: (1) any person% engaging in, working at; or 

conduct&g the,business ,of plumbing'(as defined inthe 

Act) wrthout'a license; and (2) any persoh's;firmfs or 

corporation's engaging in or working at the business of 
478 Eon, C. E. B&lk, Page 4 (V+&) 

. 

lnstalling'plumblng~and dOi@ plumbing &rk and 

using the&for un.lic.ensed.Ijlumbers for the oontrol 

and saperv%slon'i%f sach-p>un@lng (88: defined Xn the 

Act). These,portions of B&&ion 14 prohibit'anyvne 

from engaging IIJ plumbing wXthout+ lloenseJ or engaging in plumbi.ng through others who are snot 1ioenaeU 

~Nothlng.ln this Seation graats an exemption to engage 

.- 

in plu&lng +thout a 'llc@p merely becatise such 

activity is undtr '+$KI supe+3~on a~nd control of 5 

licensed plumber. 

. . 

A'pe&on engagit$~'in'plunibing with@ 

the deflnltlon~.thereof as set'out.ln the 

Plumbin& Lloense,~Law~ of 1947'1s not exempt 

from'the ~lXolcdnsingz%q~tielqents of thatAot 

merely‘becausq su6h aotgvity will be under 

the supervtiSoti’~Iand ooxitrol~of a'p+ber 

licetied undeti y.Acti .; .': . 

: 

.