Requirements, license levels, and the issuing authority, sourced from Tennessee's official board.
The $25,000 per project ceiling on the LLP is the number to plan around: it is per project, not annual, so a plumber whose work is ordinary residential service stays comfortably inside it and avoids the audited financial statement entirely. Crossing it once requires the full contractor license.
| Requirements | TENNESSEE HAS TWO TIERS AND THEY ARE FOR DIFFERENT JOBS. LIMITED LICENSED PLUMBER (LLP). Required by plumbers working in a municipality that uses the Division of Fire Prevention for permits or inspections, and it covers work of LESS THAN $25,000 PER PROJECT. General maintenance work under $500 is exempt from the LLP entirely. Experience: at least ONE YEAR. The examination is 40 questions and, unlike the contractor route, needs NO exam pre-approval. Fee: $75.00 for a two-year license, of which $50 of the application fee is non-refundable. No financial statement and no proof of insurance is required for the LLP, this is the accessible tier, and it is the right one for a working plumber taking ordinary residential jobs. CMC-A PLUMBING CONTRACTOR, for work at or above the LLP ceiling. Exam PRE-APPROVAL by the board is required before sitting the paper, with verification of at least THREE YEARS of plumbing work experience and a $50 fee for the request. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT IS THE REAL BARRIER, and it surprises people. A contractor license application requires a REVIEWED or AUDITED financial statement prepared by a licensed, independent accounting firm, a CPA or LPA. That is a genuine expense before a license exists, and the monetary limit on the license is set from it. |
| Reciprocity | The Board for Licensing Contractors publishes a reciprocation form and process for applicants licensed in other states; it is an application route rather than an automatic exemption, and the financial statement and classification rules still apply. Confirm the current list of participating states with the board. |
| Renewal | The LLP is a TWO-YEAR license at $75.00. Contractor licenses renew on the board's own cycle and require the financial statement to be kept current, because the monetary limit on the license is derived from it. |
| Notes | The $25,000 per project ceiling on the LLP is the number to plan around: it is per project, not annual, so a plumber whose work is ordinary residential service stays comfortably inside it and avoids the audited financial statement entirely. Crossing it once requires the full contractor license. |
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Sources: www.tn.gov, www.tn.gov, www.tn.gov, www.tn.gov. Always confirm current requirements with the issuing authority.
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