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2nd Edition

By Dick M. Carpenter II, Ph.D., Lisa Knepper, Kyle Sweetland and Jennifer McDonald

Pipelayer Contractor

License required by 27 states

22nd most burdensome licensing requirements.

46th most widely and onerously licensed occupation.

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.

States With Licenses

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

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