Chapter 26
Hiring a licensed plumber after a flood
The questionHow do I find a real licensed plumber after the flood and avoid the storm chasers?
The short answerHiring a licensed plumber after a flood starts with three checks: a state license you can look up, a repair permit from the City of Wharton or the county, and more than one written estimate.
By the editors of High Water at Home · Updated · about 7 minutes
Sections in this chapter
26.1 Who licenses plumbers in Texas?
The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners does. Its license types page lists four plumbing licenses (Tradesman Plumber-Limited, Journeyman Plumber, Master Plumber and Plumbing Inspector), three endorsements, including Water Supply Protection Specialist, and four registrations such as Plumber's Apprentice and Drain Cleaner. Licenses renew every year.
Every plumbing company answers to one person. A Responsible Master Plumber must carry at least $300,000 of commercial general liability insurance, pull the permits, request the inspections, make sure everyone on the job holds a current license or registration, and show the company name and RMP license number on its service vehicles (as the board's page read on 11 Nov 2026).
| Credential (TSBPE) | What the holder may do | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Responsible Master Plumber | Answers for the company's work, permits and inspections; carries liability insurance | The RMP license number on the truck and estimate |
| Master Plumber | Installs and repairs plumbing under an RMP's supervision; may supervise apprentices | Which RMP the work runs under |
| Journeyman Plumber | One of the board's four plumbing licenses | Whether a licensed plumber will be on site |
| Plumber's Apprentice (registration) | Works under licensed supervision | Who is supervising |
| Water Supply Protection Specialist (endorsement) | One of the board's three endorsements, added to a license | Whether the job involves the drinking-water supply side |
26.2 How do you check a plumber's license?
Search it yourself before anyone starts. The board's Find a License page opens the state's public license search, where you can look someone up by name, license number, city or county. The board also keeps a Find-a-Plumber map, built with the Texas Division of Emergency Management from the same public license data.
If something goes wrong, the board takes complaints on a fillable form posted on its site. Write down the license number from the truck or the estimate before work begins, so you have it if you need it.
26.3 Do flood repairs need a permit first?
Yes, in both places most readers live. Within Wharton city limits, the city's permits and inspections rules say contractors must register with Code Enforcement, handing in a copy of the state master's license and the licenses of their employees. Work that needs a permit cannot start until Code Enforcement issues it, and the permit has to be posted at the job. The city builds to the 2018 International Plumbing Code and 2018 International Fuel Gas Code, with amendments, and the 2023 National Electrical Code.
On rural lots the county's flood repair sheet is blunt: do not begin repairs before you have a permit, and bring your repair estimates when you apply. If you live inside El Campo or another town, ask that city's building office before work starts. The flood insurance chapter explains why the County's damage figures matter for a claim.
26.4 Which jobs need someone other than a plumber?
Several do, and floods tend to touch all of them at once. TDLR says anyone doing non-exempt electrical work must be licensed and work through a licensed electrical contractor; that covers panels, outlets and the wiring to a well pump. TDLR also licenses water well drillers and pump installers, the people for anything inside a well casing (see well pumps and pressure tanks).
Septic tanks and drainfields go to TCEQ-licensed installers, with permits from the County as described in the flooded septic chapter. Propane systems are for your supplier's trained technician; the Railroad Commission's propane brochure tells owners never to modify or repair their own system.
26.5 What do the state and FEMA say about storm chasers?
Both warn about them in plain terms. The Texas Attorney General's disaster scams page says to get more than one estimate, get everything in writing, never sign a contract with blank spaces, ask for proof of insurance and hold the final payment until the work is done. A sale made at your home must include a notice giving you three business days to cancel. The same page says emergency remediation contractors from outside the area, with some exceptions, may not demand payment before work begins.
FEMA's contractor fraud warning (September 2025) adds that FEMA does not license or certify contractors and suggests someone known in the community. Its October 2026 fraud notice says never to pay more than half the repair cost up front.
26.6 What should you do before anyone opens a wall?
Work through the paperwork in order. It takes an afternoon. If the house also needs its fixtures cleaned first, the cleaning chapter covers that part.
- Look up the plumber's license, and the RMP's, in the state search, and keep a screenshot.
- Ask for proof of liability insurance.
- Get at least two written estimates, with no blank lines, naming the RMP and license number.
- Confirm who pulls the permit: the City of Wharton's Code Enforcement Department or the County Permit & Inspection Department.
- Read the three-day cancellation notice if the deal was signed at your kitchen table.
- Pay no more than half before work starts, and nothing final until the inspection passes.
Questions readers ask
Does FEMA keep a list of approved plumbers?
No. FEMA's contractor fraud page says the agency does not license or certify contractors, and FEMA never charges for inspections or help applying. Anyone claiming to be "FEMA-approved" deserves a second look.
What if a crew wants full payment before starting?
The Attorney General says most out-of-area emergency remediation contractors may not require payment before work begins, and FEMA advises paying no more than half in advance. Keep the rest until the job is finished and inspected.
How do you tell which master plumber stands behind a job?
State rules require the company name and the Responsible Master Plumber's license number on service vehicles. Look that number up in the state search and match it to the estimate.
Can a plumber from Houston work on my house in Wharton?
A TSBPE license is a state license, so the plumber can work anywhere in Texas. Inside the City of Wharton the firm must still register with Code Enforcement and get the permit before work starts.
Where is a plumber reported who took the deposit and left?
File a complaint with the Plumbing Board on its form, and report scam conduct to the Texas Attorney General's consumer protection division. FEMA also runs a Disaster Fraud Hotline for fraud tied to disaster aid.
What this chapter rests on
The licensing facts come from the Plumbing Board's and TDLR's own pages, and the permit rules from the City of Wharton and Wharton County, all checked on 11 Nov 2026. Scam guidance is the Texas Attorney General's and FEMA's; one FEMA notice was written for an Indiana disaster but gives general advice. El Campo and East Bernard permit offices are not named here; ask each city who issues plumbing permits before work starts.
Notes to chapter 26
- Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners — License Types · four licenses, three endorsements, four registrations; annual renewal · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners — Responsible Master Plumber · $300,000 insurance, permits, inspections, vehicle markings · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners — Master Plumber · works under an RMP, may supervise apprentices · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners — Find a License / Registration · public license search by name, number, city, county · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners — Find-a-Plumber · map built with TDEM; complaint form · checked 11 Nov 2026
- City of Wharton — Building Permits & Inspections · contractor registration, permit before work, adopted codes · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Wharton County Permit & Inspection Department — Rebuilding/Repairing After the Flood · no repairs before a permit; bring estimates · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — Electricians · electrical work requires a license and a licensed contractor · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers · well drilling and pump installing are licensed · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Railroad Commission of Texas — Propane Safety Tips for the Home · flooded gas controls replaced by a qualified technician; owners do not repair propane systems · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Office of the Texas Attorney General — Disaster Scams · estimates, written contracts, three-day cancellation, no prepayment rule, price gouging · checked 11 Nov 2026
- FEMA — Beware of Post-Disaster Contractor Fraud · FEMA does not license contractors; written estimates (September 2025) · checked 11 Nov 2026
- FEMA — How to Avoid Potential Fraud After a Disaster · no more than half paid in advance (October 2026) · checked 11 Nov 2026