# Grandfather Clause



## robwilliams (May 6, 2011)

I was just wondering, how many people here received their license by way of the Grandfather Clause. If you did, has anyone ever said you weren't as qualified as the people that took and passed an exam to get their license.


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

I worked for a guy who had grandfathered into a license. One time during a conversation with my wife she said "Well, he has been doing it for 30 years." My response was "That doesn't mean he was doing it right." 

He is a good guy and could fix anything and knew many codes, but would often do things directly against code. 

We always joked with his isms.

You guys and your code.
If the drain has fall, it will drain, it don't need a 1/4inch per foot. 
There is common sense, then there is code. 

You get the idea. :laughing:


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

Indie said:


> If the drain has fall, it will drain, it don't need a 1/4inch per foot.
> There is common sense, then there is code.


I know a guy like that, he says, "Water will run out of a pipe that is level, too", but I always ask him, will the turds know which way to go?:laughing:


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

Nobody, just wonders.


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## robwilliams (May 6, 2011)

The reason I asked this question is, I was Grandfathered into all of my master licenses, i.e., HVAC, Plumbing, Gas Fitting. Recently, I was attending the Continuing Education Class, which is a requirement for license renewal in my area. During the Class, the Instructor asked how many people attending actually took an exam to get their license and how many people were Grandfathered. Turns out, there was only about 6 people out of 40 that were Grandfathered. Used to be 50/50 according to the Instructor. Truely a dying breed I guess. Anyway, the other guys in the class were making comments that we were not as good as they were because we never took the exam. Hell, I can't help it I was born at a certain time and the licensing authority offered a Grandfather Clause that I responded to. And as for codes, any work I have done that required a permit, a permit was pulled. And in 36 years of business, I never failed an inspection. I usually don't let things like that bother me, life is way too short to sweat the small stuff. But, I left that Class with some mixed feelings. That was the reason for this Thread. I was just trying to get a feel for how many of us are left in the trade and what comments you may have received from younger Plumbers.

Thanks for reading.


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## revenge (Jun 30, 2011)

a few years back grand fathered sparkys. Worst thing ever done. You had some of them asking helpers for advice. imop, many peop/e were stuck digging or grunt work or limited to small jobs. They didn't get full access to the trade,to have enough knowledge to perform profesionaly on there lisgesed trade. Good example if a plumber has worked thirty years in nothing but track homes he will be very limited in his experiece.no gast iron work copper work etc. So let's say he get grand fathered in and applies to a construction co. He might be lost right. With our exam they test a lot of diffrent aspect of plumbing so when the plumber passes it shows he at least knows how to work with the material. Also he is familiar with code at leastthe important ones. Nowi ain't saying nothing raw or sour about you pershnally hell you might be a retter plumber than me. But, its a lot of the other plumber who are grandfathered that gives the good ones a bad names


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

If it continues to eat at you, I suppose you could pay the exam fee and take the test. That would put it all to rest.


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

California Grandfathered a bunch of plumbing contractors into solar contractors during the first big boom but only long enough to write the test. If you did not take and pass the test by a certain date it was revoked.

Mark


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## 100 Watt (Aug 11, 2011)

robwilliams said:


> And in 36 years of business, I never failed an inspection.


You either the best plumber in the world or don't get too many inspections!:yes:


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## BROOKLYN\PLUMB (May 21, 2010)

100 Watt said:


> You either the best plumber in the world or don't get too many inspections!:yes:


I was thinking the same thing, my money is on not to many permit jobs


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## BROOKLYN\PLUMB (May 21, 2010)

Now NYC won't give you a license even if you did all your time and passed all the tests if the master you worked for didn't pull enough permits


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

robwilliams said:


> Anyway, the other guys in the class were making comments that we were not as good as they were because we never took the exam.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


 




In Florida, you don't need to have a journeyman's certification in order to work as a plumber (as long as you work under a master; journeymen can't own and operate their own company).


I never bothered to get my journeyman's cert. One time, a guy was ribbing me because I never sat for the journeyman's exam. This feller had gotten his journeyman cert. He said, "You're not really a journeyman."

I said, "My paycheck says I'm a journeyman."......:laughing: He left me alone after that.


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## plumber666 (Sep 19, 2010)

In Canada it says right in the Code, anybody doing plumbing must be either a journeyman or an indentured apprentice working under the supervision of journeyman. I've known lots of older guys that are "plumbers" but never spent a day in school, and were awesome on the tools. But they'll often have a 25 year old green journeyman bossing them around at work.


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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

Babawawa said:


> Licenses are a joke for making money it's not what u know it's what you can do


so do you have a drivers license?


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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

Babawawa said:


> Licenses are a joke they r for state to take money it's not what u know its what u can do


Would you go to an unlicensed Doctor?


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Babawawa said:


> Licenses are a joke for making money it's not what u know it's what you can do











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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

Babawawa said:


> U guys must b younger generation , I've seen licensed plumbers I wouldn't let near job. Sure overall it's to stop dipshits. The top 3 plumbers for hands on plumbing work getting done that I know don't have one don't need one. So go ahead an shoot some redi ulous put down back at me


calm down, I know lic’ed guys who are morons, and some guys who aren’t lic’ed but could be. 
I’m asking if you have a drivers lic or would go to an unlic’ed doctor?


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