Licence classes in Arizona
| Class | Scope |
|---|---|
| C-37 Plumbing | Commercial classification covering installation, alteration and repair of all plumbing performed solely within property lines, including water supply, drainage, septic, gas piping and pool equipment. |
| C-77 Plumbing Including Solar | The C-37 scope plus solar water heating. |
| C-78 Solar Plumbing, Liquid Systems Only | Solar water heating systems operating at or below 220 degrees Fahrenheit. |
| A-12 Sewers, Drains and Pipe Laying | Sewer access holes, storm drains, water and gas lines, irrigation and sewers. |
| R-37 Plumbing, Including Solar | Residential classification covering water and gas piping, water sprinkler fire protection, sewage treatment systems and solar. |
| R-37R sub-classes (Plumbing / Gas Piping / Sewers, Drains & Pipe Laying / Solar Plumbing Liquid Only) | Legacy residential sub-classifications; no new applications are accepted, though existing holders may still appear in the ROC search. |
| CR-37 / CR-77 / CR-78 / CR-80 | Dual commercial and residential combinations of the plumbing classifications above. |
How to verify a contractor before work starts
- Ask for the licence number and the exact registered name it is held under.
- Check that name against the company on the estimate, the invoice and the vehicle.
- Check the status is current, not expired, suspended or revoked.
- Ask for a certificate of insurance issued to your address, not a policy number read out on a call.
- For gas, sewer, water-heater or repiping work, ask which permit is being pulled and by whom.
Which plumbing code applies
None statewide - plumbing code adoption is by city or county There is no Arizona plumbing code; the governing document is whichever code the city or county has adopted. Phoenix enforces the 2018 Phoenix Building Construction Code and Pima County adopted the 2012 I-Codes, so two houses an hour apart can be held to different editions and to different local amendments.
Permits
Permitting is entirely local in Arizona. Many jurisdictions in the Maricopa County area accept residential equipment replacement permits through a shared online portal, and Pima County publishes a dedicated permit page for air-conditioning and water heater replacements - a useful reminder that swapping a water heater is normally permitted work even though it is often done without a permit.
Complaints
Arizona licences can be checked on the ROC contractor search, and ROC publishes a formal complaint process; verifying the licence before work starts is financially material here, because the Residential Contractors' Recovery Fund is only available to homeowners who hired a licensed residential contractor.
PlumberArizona is not a licensed contractor
PlumberArizona is an independently operated referral service. PlumberArizona is not a plumbing contractor, holds no contractor licence, employs no plumbers and performs no plumbing work. Every job arranged through this site is performed by an independent, separately licensed professional who contracts directly with the homeowner. Statutory disclosure: Not a Licensed Contractor.
Consumer protection
The ROC Residential Contractors' Recovery Fund can compensate a homeowner for loss caused by a licensed residential contractor after an ROC complaint, but only where the contractor was licensed - which is the strongest practical reason in Arizona to verify a licence before work begins.