Virginia Journeyman Plumber

Key Concepts

Definitions (18 VAC 50-30-10)

Journeyman — Possesses the ability, proficiency, and qualifications to install, repair, and maintain specific materials and equipment using working knowledge sufficient to comply with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC), working according to plans and specifications.

Master — Can do everything a journeyman does, plus plan, lay out details, and supervise the installation work. The key distinction: masters supervise; journeymen execute.

Plumber — A tradesman who performs the construction, repair, maintenance, alteration, or removal of plumbing systems regulated under the VUSBC.

Key Concepts

Grounds for Disciplinary Action (18 VAC 50-30-185) The board may impose the following sanctions when a licensee violates Chapter 1 (§ 54.1-100 et seq.) or Chapter 11 (§ 54.1-1100 et seq.) of Title 54.1, or board regulations: - Remedial education - Monetary penalty (per § 54.1-202 A) - Suspension - Revocation - Refusal to renew

Prohibited Acts (18 VAC 50-30-190) Key violations that trigger disciplinary action:

• Abandonment: Intentional, unjustified failure to complete contracted work, or misapplication of funds. Cessation of work for 30 days or more is considered evidence of abandonment.
• Misrepresentation: Making false promises or misrepresentations likely to influence or persuade a client.
• Aiding unlicensed contractors: Aiding, abetting, conspiring with, or acting as…

Key Concepts

License Expiration – Three-Year Cycle (18 VAC 50-30-120 A) Plumber tradesman licenses expire three years from the last day of the month in which they were issued, as shown on the license. This three-year cycle also applies to electricians, gas fitters, LP gas fitters, natural gas fitter providers, and HVAC tradesmen.

Continuing Education Requirement (18 VAC 50-30-120 C) As a condition of renewal or reinstatement, plumbing tradesman license holders must complete 3 hours of continuing education relating to applicable building code changes, from a board-approved provider. This requirement is mandated under § 54.1-1133 of the Code of Virginia.

Key Concepts

Virginia-Specific Trade & License Definitions (18 VAC 50-30-10)

These are the most testable definitions and the ones most unique to Virginia:

• Journeyman — Possesses ability, proficiency, and qualifications to install, repair, and maintain specific materials/equipment using working knowledge sufficient to comply with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC), working according to plans and specifications.
• Master — Possesses ability to plan and lay out details for installation AND supervise the work of installing, repairing, and maintaining. The key distinction from Journeyman: Masters plan/supervise; Journeymen execute.
• Plumber — A tradesman who performs the construction, repair, maintenance, alteration, or removal of plumbing systems regulated under the VUSBC.
• Plumbing work — Includes installation, maintenance, extension,…

Key Concepts

Education & Experience Requirements (18 VAC 50-30-39 B) To qualify for a journeyman plumber license, an applicant must demonstrate one of the following combinations: - 8,000 hours of verified work experience in plumbing, OR - A combination of formal vocational training (as defined in 18 VAC 50-30-10) and work experience that totals the equivalent — formal training hours may substitute for a portion of the required work experience on an hour-for-hour basis up to a defined limit.

Apprenticeship Completion as Examination Exemption Completion of a board-approved apprenticeship program in plumbing may qualify an applicant for exemption from the journeyman examination. The apprenticeship must be a formally structured program meeting board standards — informal on-the-job training alone does…

Key Concepts

Statutory Authority: § 54.1-1110 The Board for Contractors has authority to suspend, revoke, or deny any license or certificate. Grounds include: - Fraud or misrepresentation in obtaining a license - Conviction of a felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude - Violation of any Board regulation or applicable law - Aiding or abetting an unlicensed person to practice - Substantial identity of interest with a previously revoked licensee (the Board can deny a new application if the new applicant is essentially the same individual or entity as one whose license was revoked)

Key Concepts

Drainage Fixture Unit (DFU) Values are the foundation of all DWV sizing. Common DFU values to memorize: - Water closet (tank type): 3 DFU - Lavatory: 1 DFU - Bathtub/shower: 2 DFU - Kitchen sink (residential): 2 DFU - Clothes washer: 2 DFU - Floor drain (2"): 2 DFU - Dishwasher: 2 DFU - Urinal: 2 DFU

Slope Requirements (IPC Section 704.1): Horizontal drainage pipe must slope toward the point of discharge. Standard slopes: - 2½" pipe and smaller: ¼" per foot (2%) - 3" and 4" pipe: ⅛" per foot (1%) minimum - 6" and larger: ⅟₁₆" per foot minimum

Key Concepts

Backflow Prevention & Cross-Connection Control

• Air gap = physical separation; minimum 2× the effective opening diameter, never less than 1 inch. Highest level of protection.
• Atmospheric vacuum breaker (AVB): Cannot be used under continuous pressure; must be installed at least 6 inches above highest downstream outlet.
• Pressure vacuum breaker (PVB): Can be under continuous pressure; must be 12 inches above highest downstream outlet.
• Reduced Pressure Principle (RP) assembly: Required for high-hazard cross-connections (chemicals, irrigation with fertilizer injection, medical). Must be testable; relief valve must discharge freely.
• Double check valve assembly (DC): Approved for low-hazard cross-connections only (non-health hazard). Also testable, no relief port.

Key Concepts

Types of Backflow

• Backsiphonage: Backflow caused by negative pressure (vacuum) in the supply pipe — the upstream pressure drops below atmospheric.
• Backpressure: Backflow caused by downstream pressure exceeding supply pressure (e.g., boilers, pumps, elevated tanks).
• Knowing which cause is present drives device selection.

Hazard Levels

• High hazard (contamination): Involves substances that are toxic or health-threatening (chemicals, sewage, fecal matter). Requires maximum protection — typically an air gap or reduced pressure principle assembly (RPPA/RP).
• Low hazard (pollution): Involves substances that are aesthetically objectionable but not health-threatening (taste, odor, color). A double check valve assembly (DCVA) or vacuum breaker may suffice.

Key Concepts

Disposal Requirements (IPC §1101.2) Storm water from roofs, paved areas, yards, and courtyards must drain to an approved place of disposal. For one- and two-family dwellings, discharge onto flat areas (streets, lawns) is permitted if storm water flows away from the building. Storm water shall never drain into sewage-only sewers (§1101.3) — this is a hard prohibition.

Pipe Sizing Direction (§1101.5) Storm drain pipe size cannot be reduced in the direction of flow — same rule as sanitary drainage.

Roof Drain Standards (§1102.6) Roof drains must conform to ASME A112.3.1 or ASME A112.6.4. Non-siphonic roof drains must be tested/rated per ASME A112.6.4 or ASPE/IAPMO Z1034.

(IPC 2021, Chapter 4 | 7 questions, ~9% of exam)

Key Concepts

Fixture Quality Standards (§402) - All fixtures must have smooth, impervious surfaces, free from defects and concealed fouling surfaces (§402.1) - Porcelain enamel surfaces must be acid resistant - Specialty fixtures must use: stainless steel, soapstone, chemical stoneware, plastic, or be lined with lead, copper-base alloy, nickel-copper alloy, or corrosion-resistant steel (§402.2) - Sheet copper: min 12 oz/sq ft per ASTM B152 (§402.3) - Sheet lead for pans: min 4 lbs/sq ft, coated with asphalt paint or approved coating (§402.4)

Key Concepts

Permit Requirements, Applications & Exemptions

• A permit is required before beginning any plumbing installation, alteration, or repair. Application must be submitted to the code official with sufficient plans and descriptions to evaluate compliance.
• Exemptions typically include minor repairs (stopping leaks in drains, soil, waste, vent pipe, valves, fixtures, or faucets) and clearing stoppages — but any new work, replacement of pipe, or alteration of a system requires a permit.
• Historic buildings (IPC §102.6) may be exempt from mandatory compliance where the code official judges the structure safe.

Key Concepts

Fixture Trap Requirements (IPC Chapter 10)

• Every fixture must have a trap. Only one trap per fixture is permitted.
• Trap seal depth: minimum 2 inches, maximum 4 inches of water.
• Prohibited trap types: S-traps, bell traps, crown-vented traps, and running traps are not allowed. No trap that depends on moving parts to maintain the seal.
• Trap arm length: measured from the trap weir to the vent; must not exceed the distance allowed by the fixture drain size per code tables.