Pipelayer contractors contract with clients to lay pipe for storm or sanitation sewers, drains and water mains. Work may involve any of the following: grading trenches or culverts, positioning pipe, or sealing joints.
This report looks only at contractors, not the pipelayer workers who work for them, though they may also be licensed. Many states have contract minimums before the contractor’s license applies. See Appendix B for details.
Twenty-seven states license pipelayer contractors. On average, these laws impose $377 in fees, 546 days in education and experience, and around one exam—the 22nd most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. However, because pipelayers are licensed by only slightly more than half the states, the occupation ranks as the 46th most widely and onerously licensed.
License requirements vary widely across states. Twelve states require between two and five years of experience working under a licensed contractor, while another two (Alabama and Mississippi) require completion of three contracted jobs. Twelve states require no education or experience. Similarly, California and New Mexico require three exams, while eight states require none.
Burden Rank | State | States Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Arkansas | 27 | $180 | 1825 | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
2 | Nevada | 27 | $1,078 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
3 | Arizona | 27 | $886 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
4 | California | 27 | $579 | 1460 | 4 years | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
5 | Hawaii | 27 | $615 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
6 | Florida | 27 | $364 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
7 | Oregon | 27 | $385 | 1463 | 16 clock hours | 4 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
8 | Georgia | 27 | $253 | 1097 | 12 clock hours | 3 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
9 | New Mexico | 27 | $318 | 730 | 2 years | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
10 | Virginia | 27 | $320 | 731 | 8 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
11 | Utah | 27 | $549 * | 733 * | 20 clock hours * | 2 years * | 2 * | 0 | 0 |
12 | South Carolina | 27 | $310 | 730 | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
13 | Mississippi | 27 | $640 | 67 | 3 jobs, contractors | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
14 | Alabama | 27 | $592 | 67 | 3 jobs, contractors | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
15 | Wisconsin | 27 | $540 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | ||
16 | Louisiana | 27 | $460 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
17 | Rhode Island | 27 | $200 | 1 | 5 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
18 | West Virginia | 27 | $174 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
19 | D C | 27 | $655 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
20 | North Dakota | 27 | $125 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
21 | Tennessee | 27 | $305 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
22 | North Carolina | 27 | $145 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
23 | Alaska | 27 | $300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
24 | Washington | 27 | $113 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
25 | Iowa | 27 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
26 | Idaho | 27 | $30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
27 | Nebraska | 27 | $0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |