Plumbing licensed contractor information & exams

To qualify for a City of Winnipeg plumbing contractor licence, individuals must:

• Hold a Manitoba journeyperson plumber certificate or an inter-provincial red seal plumber certificate with no expiry date
• Pass the City of Winnipeg plumbing contractor exam
• Pay the contractor licence fee

• Exams are open book and based on the following (paper copies must be brought to the exam; free downloads available):
  • The National Plumbing Code of Canada 2020
  • Manitoba Plumbing Code amendments
• Mobile phones and other electronic devices must be turned off during the exam
• Questions are true/false, fill-in-the-blank and long answer
• A calculator is needed
• Passing grade is 70 percent
• Exam duration is 3 hours

Only those who register and pay the exam fee before the registration deadline can write the exam. Seating capacity is limited. Register early.

Step 1: Register

Email the required documentation to contractorlicence@winnipeg.ca:

1. Plumbing contractor licence exam application
2. Copy of Manitoba journeyperson plumber certificate or an inter-provincial red seal plumber certificate with no expiry date

Step 2: Fees/payment

Submit payment for the examination fee after receiving notification that document processing is complete. Credit card payment instructions will be provided at that time. Applicants may also drop off a cheque. Exam fees can be found in the Planning, Development and Building Fees and Charges schedule.

For registration to be complete, payment and documentation must be received before the registration deadline. An exam confirmation letter will be emailed to applicants.

City of Winnipeg plumbing contractor licences are issued to individuals, based on their qualifications. Licences are not issued to companies or other entities. Licensed contractors are responsible for plumbing work performed under permits obtained with their licence, whether they perform the work personally or not. Licensed contractors remain responsible for active permits obtained by authorized signees and/or an associated company, even after they have been removed from their licence.

Provide up-to-date personal contact information. If applicants provide business information instead of personal information, or if information has changed, email contractorlicence@winnipeg.ca.

Plumbing contractors are expected to comply with administrative and technical requirements of the current enforced editions of the Winnipeg Building By-law, the Planning, Development and Building Fees and Charges schedule, and applicable sections of the Manitoba Building Code. These include:

• plumbing contractor responsibilities
• permit procedure & penalties
• types of work needing a permit

A contractor’s licence may be suspended or revoked if they have violated any of the provisions of the Manitoba Plumbing Code, the Winnipeg Building By-law, or the conditions of their licence. This includes engaging in work without a permit (where a permit is needed), or failure to call for inspection.

In the case of the sudden passing of a licensed contractor:

1. Upon receiving notification, the licence status will be changed to inactive.
2. Do not attempt to obtain permits under the licence.
3. Permits cannot be transferred to another contractor.
4. Permit applications and issued permits where no inspections have taken place may be cancelled and applied for under a different contractor licence.
5. A contact person must be assigned to take responsibility for closure of active permits. Contact the appropriate Inspections Branch to schedule final inspections or to develop a plan for larger projects.

Licensed contractors and authorized signees must be aware of the following conditions. They must be acknowledged and signed as part of the licensing application process.

• Fees as outlined in the Planning, Development and Building Fees and Charges schedule, including:
  • failure to call for an inspection or let the City know that work has been started within six months of getting a permit
  • failure to call for re-inspection of a defect, or to get an extension from the City to correct a defect within:
    • one month for work related to a "PR" plumbing permit (residential)
    • seven working days for work related to a "PC" plumbing permit (commercial)
  • failure to close a permit or get an extension from the City within three-years of a permit being issued
  • work performed without a permit where a permit is needed
  • work performed by anyone not licensed by the City that requires the permit holder to have a valid licence issued by the City
• Permit applicants must let the City know where any addition, deletion, deviation and/or revision of work is made regarding the scope of work approved under the permit.
• A licence may be suspended or revoked if a contractor has violated any of the provisions of the Manitoba Building Code, the Winnipeg Building By-law or the conditions of this licence. This includes engaging in work without a permit where a permit is needed.
• Contractor licences are intended to be continuous and if not renewed by the expiry date, a late fee will be added to the cost.
  • If not renewed within six months of the expiry date, it will become inactive and the contractor must re-write the exam to re-qualify.
  • Licence renewal reminders will be sent via email.
• Permit applicants must declare the value of work, which shall include permanent or fixed equipment and devices as well as the labour, materials, and other devices necessary to complete the work.
• An individual cannot hold more than one plumbing contractor licence.
• Certification by the professional designer is needed for all work for which a professional designer is involved.

All newly licensed contractors will automatically be sent a Permits Online registration email.

Once registration is complete, contractors will have access to Permits Online where they can apply and pay for permit applications, track the status of applications and permits, and pay their licence renewal fee. If contractors need help, email contractorlicence@winnipeg.ca or call 204-986-5189.

Only active permits are shown in Permits Online. Closed permits are removed after 30 days. Contractors must schedule final inspections with the appropriate Inspections Branch to close permits.

Emails are sent at permit-related milestones. These emails are sent to the permit applicant’s email address on file. Depending on the permit type, emails may include the licensed contractor if the permit applicant is an authorized signee.

Make sure to add all emails containing “@winnipeg.ca” to a safe sender list to ensure messages are received. We recommend applicants set up email rules/filters to suit their business needs.

Visit the Mechanical Information Centre for plumbing documents, information, fees, news, etc.

The City publishes a daily updated list of licensed plumbing contractors. Only the contractor's name and company name (if applicable) is published. This is not optional; all active licensed contractors are published. If there are any errors in published information, email contractorlicence@winnipeg.ca.

If contractors wish to register a company name and have that name reflected on plumbing permits, an associate company profile can be created.

• New applicants can complete the organization information portion of the licensed contractor application form that is sent with the notification of exam passed.
• Existing contractors can request a current contractor information update form by emailing contractorlicence@winnipeg.ca.

If a business relationship changes, such as the company is closing or a contractor is leaving a company (including retirement), the following applies:

1. Permits cannot be transferred to another contractor.
2. Permit applications and issued permits where no inspections have taken place may be cancelled and applied for under a different contractor licence.
3. Ensure a new licensed contractor is in place before a departure. Make sure all new permits are obtained under the new contractor's licence.
4. Contractors are responsible for all work associated with permits obtained under their licence. They remain responsible for active permits obtained by authorized signees and/or an associated company, even after they are removed from a licence.
5. If additional time to complete active projects is needed, a licence must remain active for a term suitable for project completion. Active permits can be viewed using Permits Online.
6. Contact the appropriate Inspections Branch to schedule final inspections and ensure all active permits are closed.
7. In addition, if leaving a company:
   • Permits must be closed in a reasonable amount of time, preferably before company departure, but no longer than 60 days thereafter.
   • Upon request, an extension may be granted for larger projects that will not be completed within 60 days.
   • Contractors must identify the company contact person who will be taking responsibility for permit closure after their departure. This does not negate their responsibilities as the licence holder.

If contractors have a staff member responsible for submitting permit applications on their behalf, that individual can be added as an authorized signee under the licence.

To add authorized signees:

• New applicants can complete the authorized signees portion of the licensed contractor application form that is sent with the notification of exam passed.
• Existing contractors can request a current contractor information update form by emailing contractorlicence@winnipeg.ca.

Authorized signees must be employed by the contractor and share the same company name. The contractor assumes full responsibility for their permits and actions related to permits obtained on their behalf. As permit applicants, authorized signees serve as the main contact for the permits they have obtained. Contractors remain responsible for active permits obtained by authorized signees even after they have been removed from their licence. If an authorized signee has been disrespectful to City staff, we may remove that signee or suspend the contractor licence.

Licensed plumbing contractors have the option of activating their licence for a one-year or three-year term. Licensing fees can be found in the Planning, Development and Building Fees and Charges schedule.

• Starting at approximately six weeks before the licence expiry date, email reminder notifications will be sent to the address(es) on file about the upcoming expiration and available payment methods.
• At each licence renewal, contractors will be asked to confirm their personal and business contact information and that of any authorized signees.
• A late fee will be applied to all licence renewals made after the expiry date.

Contractor licences are intended to be continuous. Should a licence not be renewed within two months of the expiry date, it will become inactive and contractors must re-write the exam to re-qualify. If contractors allow their licence to expire beyond two months, they are still responsible for all active permits under their licence until they are closed or cancelled.

If opting to not renew a licence or retiring:

• Permits cannot be transferred to another contractor.
• Permit applications and issued permits where no inspections have taken place may be cancelled and applied for under a different contractor licence.
• Licensed contractors are responsible for all work associated with permits obtained under their licence, including active permits obtained by authorized signees and/or an associated company, even after they have been removed from a licence.
• A plan must be in place for closing all active permits under the contractor's licence before the licence expires. If additional time to complete active projects is needed, the licence must be renewed for a term suitable for project completion. Active permits can be viewed using Permits Online.
• Contact the appropriate Inspections Branch to schedule final inspections and ensure all active permits are closed.