Plumbing

What this trade is

Plumbing covers supply (hot/cold pressurized), DWV (drain-waste-vent), gas, and hydronic. On a remodel it splits into two phases: rough-in before drywall (new stack routing, slab cuts, manifold layout) and finish (fixture setting, trim, final connections). State licensing is almost always separate from the GC license.

Why a GC needs a verified plumbing sub

Plumbing rough-in is the most permit-sensitive and most expensive-to-redo trade in a remodel. A GC who rotates through whichever plumber is available in a given week will eventually get mismatched work, failed inspections, and slab patches. AskBaily exposes the GC's declared plumbing sub(s), how long the relationship has run, and whether the same names appear across permit records.

Regulatory landscape

License structure varies by jurisdiction. AskBaily verifies against the licensing authority that applies to the project location — not the GC's headquarters. A few representative jurisdictions:

• California — CSLB
  C-36 (Plumbing)

  Plumbing is a separate CSLB classification. A GC who subs plumbing hires a C-36 holder, never performs plumbing themselves under a B license without the classification.

  CSLB→
• New York — NYC DOB Master Plumber
  Licensed Master Plumber (LMP)

  NYC requires a Licensed Master Plumber to pull plumbing permits. Only the LMP (not the GC) can legally file PLW applications with DOB.

  NYC DOB Master Plumber→
• Washington — L&I
  Plumbing Contractor (PL01) + Journey plumber (PL01)

  Washington L&I licenses plumbing contractors separately from general contractors, and requires a journey-level plumber onsite for most residential work.

  L&I→

Quality signals AskBaily tracks

Each declared sub accumulates these signals across projects. They appear on the sub's digital twin and on the GC's public sub-trade view.

• Rough-in inspection first-pass rate

  Percentage of plumbing rough-in inspections passed on first visit. Below 75% signals pattern issues with layout or venting.

• Same-sub consistency across GC

  How often the same plumbing sub appears on the GC's permit record. High consistency is the single strongest predictor of quality.

• Gas-line certification

  Whether the sub holds the additional gas-piping endorsement required in the jurisdiction. Material for kitchen remodels with gas ranges.

Cross-trades

Plumbingsits at the edge of several other trades. Coordinated scheduling between these is the GC's core responsibility; the sub-trade graph makes the coordination visible across projects.