Florida Plumbing Contractor License Cost & Requirements (2026)
The Certified Plumbing Contractor license, the CFC, is a true CILB construction license, so its skeleton matches the general contractor's: a window-priced application payment with the initial license fee bundled inside, a two-part exam for $295, and the FICO credit test in place of a bond. First-time total: $540. Two plumbing specifics are worth knowing before the detail: the Trade Knowledge exam is still given on paper, and the insurance minimums for this trade sit a full tier below the general contractor's.
Everything else follows the construction board's pattern, including the 31 August biennial renewal and the 14 hours of continuing education, minus the wind mitigation hour that only the building classes owe.
Florida Plumbing Contractor Fee Estimator
Regulatory fee breakdown for Certified Plumbing Contractor (CFC)
Itemized Fee Schedule
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR)
All applications and exams must be registered directly with this board.
Fee figures on this page were checked against Florida DBPR - Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) on October 29, 2026. View the official source
Regulatory & Licensing Requirements Summary
| Official License Classification | Certified Plumbing Contractor (CFC) |
| Minimum Experience | 4 Years (Journeyman / Field Supervisor) |
| Mandatory State Surety Bond | Not required at state level (Local permits may apply) |
| General Liability Insurance | Varies by category: $300,000 liability / $50,000 property damage for General and Building Contractors; $100,000 / $25,000 for Residential and most specialty categories (Rule 61G4-15.003, FAC). |
| Estimated Application Processing Time | Not published by the board |
| Renewal Cycle & CE Requirement | Every 2 year(s) with 14 hours of Continuing Education |
Warning: Unlicensed Contracting Penalties in Florida
First offense: a first-degree misdemeanor, up to 1 year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine (§489.127(2)). A repeat offense, or any offense during a Governor-declared state of emergency, is a third-degree felony.
Note: In many states, unlicensed contractors also lose the ability to file mechanic's liens or sue for non-payment in civil courts.
Special Statutory Notes for Florida
One Florida construction exam still arrives on paper. The Certified Plumbing Contractor license, the CFC, is a Division II credential from the Construction Industry Licensing Board inside DBPR, issued by statewide certification through examination, and its Trade Knowledge test is still given on paper several times a year rather than on a computer.
The exam has two parts, Business & Finance and Trade Knowledge, and the exam stage costs $295: $135 to the exam vendor PTI plus $80 per test. The money at application follows the board's cycle pricing: a payment of $245 or $145 depending on where you apply in the two-year cycle, with the $200 initial license fee already included in it. There is no surety bond.
Florida tests financial responsibility by credit, so the applicant needs a FICO score of 660 or higher, and anyone below 660 completes a 14-hour board-approved financial responsibility course instead. Plumbing carries the lower of the board's insurance tiers, at least $100,000 of public liability and $25,000 of property damage cover, and the licensee must hold workers' compensation coverage or an exemption. Electronic fingerprinting is mandatory.
Experience is 4 years in the trade with at least 1 year supervisory. Renewal is every 2 years at $209, or $259 if you qualify a business, with 14 hours of continuing education. If a business designates a Financially Responsible Officer, that officer must separately post a $100,000 bond or letter of credit.
Florida divides licensing into Certified (statewide practice) and Registered (county/local jurisdiction practice). Building standards are strictest in the Miami-Dade and Broward High-Velocity Hurricane Zone.
The paper exam and the rhythm of a CILB application
Most Florida contractor exams have moved to computer-based testing. The plumbing Trade Knowledge part has not: it is still a paper-and-pencil examination, offered several times a year, which makes the exam calendar a real planning constraint for plumbing applicants in a way it no longer is for most trades. The other part, Business & Finance, follows the standard arrangement: $135 to the exam developer PTI at scheduling and $80 per test administered.
The application payment itself is the CILB window price: $245 in the first part of the biennium, $145 in the second, with the $200 (or $100) initial certification fee prepaid inside it. DBPR publishes no end-to-end processing time for certification; its own FAQ says licenses are typically issued within about two weeks after the board meeting at which the application was approved, which is the only honest timing statement available.
Insurance a tier down, credit the Florida way
Plumbing sits in Florida's second insurance division: a CFC must carry at least $100,000 of public liability and $25,000 of property damage cover, against the $300,000 and $50,000 demanded of general and building contractors. Workers' compensation coverage or an exemption is required as well, and electronic fingerprinting is mandatory for certification applicants, priced by the Livescan channel rather than by DBPR.
Financial responsibility is the post-2022 Florida pattern: no surety bond, a credit report with no unsatisfied judgments or liens, and a FICO score of 660 or higher, with a 14-hour board-approved financial responsibility course for applicants below the line. The $100,000 bond that appears in some plumbing cost guides belongs to a different situation entirely: it is posted only by a designated Financially Responsible Officer of a business, not by the plumbing contractor as a condition of the license.
Mistakes that delay a Florida Plumber application
- Planning exam dates as if the plumbing exam were computer-based. The Trade Knowledge part is paper-and-pencil and runs several times a year; missing a sitting costs months.
- Carrying the general contractor's insurance minimums into a plumbing budget. The CFC tier is $100,000 public liability and $25,000 property damage.
- Adding the $200 initial fee on top of the $245 application payment. It is prepaid inside it. First-time total is $540.
- Looking for a plumbing bond. There is none under the current rule; the requirement is the FICO 660 credit test or the 14-hour course, and the $100,000 figure online is the Financially Responsible Officer's conditional bond.
- Renewing at the individual price while qualifying a business. Renewal is $209, or $259 when the license qualifies a business, with 14 hours of continuing education.
Florida Plumber Licensing FAQ
Is the Florida plumbing exam taken on a computer?
The Trade Knowledge part is not. It remains a paper-and-pencil examination offered several times a year, unlike most Florida contractor tests. Fees follow the standard CILB pattern regardless: $135 to the exam vendor PTI plus $80 per test, $295 for the two parts (Business & Finance and Trade Knowledge).
How much insurance does a Certified Plumbing Contractor need?
At least $100,000 of public liability and $25,000 of property damage cover, the second-division tier that also covers air conditioning contractors. General and building contractors are held to $300,000 and $50,000. Workers' compensation coverage, or a valid exemption, is required on top.
Does a Florida plumber need a surety bond or a 660 credit score?
The credit score, not the bond. Since Rule 61G4-15.006 was amended in April 2022 there is no contractor bond in the CILB scheme. Financial responsibility means a credit report with no unsatisfied judgments or liens and a FICO score of 660 or higher; below 660, a 14-hour board-approved financial responsibility course satisfies the requirement.
Why does renewing a plumbing license cost $259 for some contractors and $209 for others?
The $209 is composed of the $200 renewal fee in Rule 61G4-12.009 plus the $4 and $5 statutory fees. When the license qualifies a business, a further $50 business-qualification charge applies under the same rule, bringing the biennial renewal to $259. Both figures carry the same 14 hours of continuing education.
How much does a Plumbing Contractor license cost in Florida?
The filing and licensing fees on the Florida Plumbing Contractor schedule total approximately $540. The $245 application payment already includes the $200 initial license fee; on top of that, the examination fees are $295.
How long does it take to get a Plumbing Contractor license in Florida?
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) does not publish a fixed end-to-end processing time for this license. The Department publishes no end-to-end processing time; its FAQ states licenses are typically issued within about 2 weeks after the board meeting at which an application is approved.
What are the penalties for working as an unlicensed Plumber in Florida?
First offense: a first-degree misdemeanor, up to 1 year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine (§489.127(2)). A repeat offense, or any offense during a Governor-declared state of emergency, is a third-degree felony.
How often do you need to renew a Plumber license in Florida?
Licenses must be renewed every 2 year(s) with a renewal fee of $209. You must also complete 14 hours of approved Continuing Education (CE).