Home › Guides

North Carolina Plumbing and HVAC License: Exams, Experience, Fees and Renewal

By Dale Morgan · Updated 2026-10-18 · Every fact links to its official source.

North Carolina licenses plumbing and heating (HVAC) contractors through a single state board, and many people search for those rules every month. This guide brings together the verified requirements for both licenses, covering experience, the exam, fees, renewal, continuing education and reciprocity, each with a link to the official page.

Below, the guide works through each trade in turn. Inside each section the facts are grouped by topic: who issues the license, the license levels, experience, the exam, fees and renewal. Each one is quoted from an official North Carolina page and linked. Where we haven't verified something, we say so and point you to the board.

A practical tip: write down which license you actually need before you compare fees or exams. Contractor licenses (for businesses that bid and contract work) and individual trade licenses (for the person doing the work) often have different requirements, and the scope label on each fact tells you which one it belongs to.

Check a North Carolina license: we don't hold a bulk license file for North Carolina, so use the board's own search, linked from North Carolina licensing board website.

chart iconVerified facts at a glance

Typical licensing path1Find thelicensing authority2Log supervisedexperience3Pass theexam4Apply andpay fees5Renew and keepup CE
Typical licensing path. A general outline only; the order and requirements differ by jurisdiction — see the verified facts below.
Experience hours by license — contractor licenses (verified values only)North Carolina Plumber4,000North Carolina HVAC4,000
Experience hours by license — contractor licenses (verified values only) (hours). Each bar is a single number quoted on an official page and reviewed by our editor; amounts are for the license type named in the scope note below and are not totals. Jurisdictions without a verified value are left out rather than estimated.

Chart sources (experience hours):

Exam fee by license — contractor licenses (verified values only)North Carolina Plumber$150North Carolina HVAC$150
Exam fee by license — contractor licenses (verified values only) (USD). Each bar is a single number quoted on an official page and reviewed by our editor; amounts are for the license type named in the scope note below and are not totals. Jurisdictions without a verified value are left out rather than estimated.

Chart sources (exam fee):

section iconNorth Carolina plumber / plumbing contractor license

Here is what the official North Carolina pages we checked actually say. Each point is quoted from our reviewed record with its source; for the full picture, including anything still pending review, see our North Carolina plumber license requirements page.

Licensing authority

Experience / hours

Exam

Fees

Renewal

Continuing education

Reciprocity & endorsement

section iconNorth Carolina hvac / mechanical license

Here is what the official North Carolina pages we checked actually say. Each point is quoted from our reviewed record with its source; for the full picture, including anything still pending review, see our North Carolina hvac license requirements page.

Licensing authority

Experience / hours

Exam

Fees

Renewal

Continuing education

Reciprocity & endorsement

steps iconHow to use this guide

help iconFAQ

How much does it cost? (North Carolina plumber / plumbing contractor license)

Examination application fee: $150 (non-refundable). (Contractor license (NC Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler board)) — source: FAQ - North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, verified 2026-10-18

What exam is required? (North Carolina plumber / plumbing contractor license)

Exams are computer-based and administered by PSI. (Contractor license (NC Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler board)) — source: FAQ - North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, verified 2026-10-18

How much experience do I need? (North Carolina plumber / plumbing contractor license)

Contractor exam (plumbing): 2 years (4,000 hours) on-site full-time experience. (Contractor license (NC Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler board)) — source: Applicant Information - North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, verified 2026-10-18

How often must the license be renewed? (North Carolina plumber / plumbing contractor license)

Licenses renew annually and expire December 31. (Contractor license (NC Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler board)) — source: FAQ - North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, verified 2026-10-18

How much does it cost? (North Carolina hvac / mechanical license)

Examination application fee: $150 (non-refundable). (Contractor license (NC Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler board)) — source: FAQ - North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, verified 2026-10-18

What exam is required? (North Carolina hvac / mechanical license)

Exams are computer-based and administered by PSI. (Contractor license (NC Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler board)) — source: FAQ - North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, verified 2026-10-18

How much experience do I need? (North Carolina hvac / mechanical license)

Contractor exam (heating (Heating Group 1–3)): 2 years (4,000 hours) on-site full-time experience. (Contractor license (NC Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler board)) — source: Applicant Information - North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, verified 2026-10-18

How often must the license be renewed? (North Carolina hvac / mechanical license)

Licenses renew annually and expire December 31. (Contractor license (NC Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler board)) — source: FAQ - North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, verified 2026-10-18