Hoii.C. E. :Belk.,,~gdminlptrator,' " ?;
;.';"
Board of-Plysbing +aminers~., :' .' ; ..'~
904.Lava* '.
Austin, Texas, "' .I, opinlon.~oo.:~-6gl..I
1...lie:. Wh+&~perspqs ‘may eni
'i:,
1;.:. ..,~:,,
gage ln ;p!u$blns without
. *"Statefplumbing license
:. :. by vl.utueof their work
:;'
.". ..,. being supervised'by a
.i
,:.
,.,~..,;
:.;:;..., __; ;._: State l~censed'mster
:
!' : _ '._..i .'," ?'.. .?P!y?;'.
'? : .:: ,.:
Dear Mr. Be?&
'.%ie quote fe$'+& request,'dated August 27, as
follows'::.
:..'
,; ..,,
-;:i."a,gene~al.builaing'contractorholds'a
State M+ster Pl@b&~s~l~cen%- -He is doing
plumbing work:on thebugldlsgs 'which he"has 'Y.
under contract and using ur&censed plumbers
to do this work. It Is his contention that
Section,l4~of the l+wlallows hti to do this.
1.i..
...
z.
...vill ~ou'plesse advise us:~whetherthis
.or any other Section'of theAct; exempts suci
persons from the Jlcenslng requlregnentsof the
Plumbing License Law of 19471"
', &&2tion 2 of the Plumbing License Law of 1947,
we find the':deflhitionof the actlvvityof'~"plumblng",
which Is regulated by the licensing statute, and we set out
that def5udtloq asfqllows: ..~
"The,word~or term.~plumbWg* as used In
this Act meansand shall lnc$ude: (1) All
.pip@g, f*tures,'~app+%euauces a* appllauces
for;a supply of Watersor gas; or both; for all
pe%sonal or domestic purposes in and about bulld-
ings where a person or persons live, work or
476 Hon. C. E. Belk, Page 2, (V-691)
..1~
.,,,.
:'
ass6mble; all'piplng, fixtures, appurte- : ,'.'
nances and appliances outside a building
connecting the building with the source of
water or gas supply, or both, on the prem- s'.J
lses, or th45main in the street, alley or. :.._,
at the curb; all piping, flxtures~ appur-
tenances, appliances.,drain or waste pipes
carrying waste water or sewage from or,with-~
in a building to the sewer service lateral
at the curb or In the &reet or,alley or
other disposal terminal holding private 'or
domestic sewage; (2) the installation, rg'
pair and maintenance of all piping, flx-
turis, appurtenances and appliances In and
about buildings where a person or persons.
live, work or ass~enible,for a supply of gas,
water, or both, ~6r disposal of waste water :
or sewage."
We also.&.out the definitions of @Master.
Plumbers" an&"Jouriieymen Plumbers" from Section 2 of
the Act, as follows:
"(b) Ii Waster Pluniber'within ihe ." .~.
niearkg of this Act Itia plumber havipg' :' ._
a regular place of business, who, by him-
self, or through a person or persons in his
employ, performsLplusiblugwork, and who has
successfully fu~filled~~the.e+!inatlonsand.
requirements of thy Board.~
"(c) A ~Journeyman'Plujniber~ within
the meatiingof this Act is any person other.
than a mskter plumber who engages in or works
at the actual installation, ,alteratlon,rek
pap and renovatlng.of plumbing; ati who has
successfully falfilled the examinations aod~.
requirements of .the;Board."': "
Section 3 .of the Act provides the'express ex-
emptlons &lowed under the Act. .We.,findti exemption
which ~a&ll~s tomyour pa&Multi situationi
Section 14 of the Act provldes'as folloW&
"After w expiration of one hundred
twe&y days from the effective date of MS
Act,,no person, whether as a master pleer,
;.
.
. Hon. C. E. Belk, Page ~3 .(V.&Il) .:R.:.~
:;,..~
,;; -: _,:.,.:
47+7 ::
forany personsto engage.in, work“at, or
conduct the business:of:plumblng ln~this
state or serve as ~a'plunibinginspector as
plumb&ng~work..except,as speclflcallg herein
provided unless such,lnstallation of plumb-
iog:ror.plambin~.~work~.be.~under
the supervi-
slon and control of a plumber licensed under
.,thisAct: land d,t,.is,expresslyprovided that
~~;~o.vislbns';'of.,Artlclel22.of the Penal
Cod&of: aexas~.'?ha;ll,~.apply,..to
violations of .
this Actiizapd-said Article I.22of the Penal.
.Code 'and the p&alties therein provlded'are
hereby expressly referred to..'!
:.'."
,::.~~Spctcifical~y,~~.you
ask tihetherthe underlined
portionof. Sectlou 14 set o~t,~above~exempts from the
llcenslng.requirement of the Act those who engage In
pluxbing under the.sup&vdsion and control of a Master
Plumber. :We are o$Tthe~op$n$on~that :ltdoes not exelilpt
them from the licensiiig'requlrementof.the Act.
..-
.. The underl'ined.language.
fro&~Section 14 above
must be construed in Cion$ektvith'khe rest of'the Section.
Section 14 gives a period of grace of one hundred twenty
says after-the effective date of the Act for plumbing
without a license. Thereafter, two activities are pro-
hibited: (1) any person% engaging in, working at; or
conduct&g the,business ,of plumbing'(as defined inthe
Act) wrthout'a license; and (2) any persoh's;firmfs or
corporation's engaging in or working at the business of
478 Eon, C. E. B&lk, Page 4 (V+&)
..
lnstalling'plumblng~and dOi@ plumbing &rk and
for the oontrol
using the&for un.lic.ensed.Ijlumbers
and saperv%slon'i%fsach-p>un@lng (88:defined Xn the
Act). These,portions of B&&ion 14 prohibit'anyvne
from engaging IIJplumbing wXthout+ lloenseJ or en-
gaging in plumbi.ngthrough others who are snot 1ioenaeU.-
~Nothlng.lnthis Seation graats an exemption to engage
in plu&lng +thout a 'llc@p merely becatisesuch
activity is undtr '+$KI
supe+3~on a~ndcontrol of 5
licensed plumber.
..
A'pe&on engagit$~'in'plunibingwith@
the deflnltlon~.thereofas set'out.ln the
Plumbin& Lloense,~Law~
of 1947'1s not exempt
from'the ~lXolcdnsingz%q~tielqents
of thatAot
merely‘becausq su6h aotgvity will be under
the supervtiSoti’~Iand
ooxitrol~ofa'p+ber
licetied undetiy.Acti .; .': .
:
.