Plumbing Contractor Permit Requirements in Portland, ME

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Maine Revenue Services — Sales Tax Registration

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property or taxable services in Maine. Maine charges a 5.5% state sales tax (food and lodging have different rates). Register with Maine Revenue Services online.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

1. Maine Plumbers' Examining Board - Master Plumber License

   Plumbing work in Maine requires an individual licence from the Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation). A Master Plumber may engage in the business of installing plumbing and plumbing systems; the path runs Trainee, Journeyman-in-Training, Journeyman, Master. A Master applicant must pass the state examination and document at least four years and 8,000 hours of work as a licensed trainee plumber under a master's supervision. Maine licenses the individual, not a separate plumbing contractor business.

   Official government source

   $200 license fee plus a $21 criminal background check fee (about $221 to start); renewal is $200 biennially, with a $50 late fee after expiration·License term is two years, based on the date of first licensure

   $200 license fee plus a $21 criminal background check fee (about $221 to start); renewal is $200 biennially, with a $50 late fee after expiration

   License term is two years, based on the date of first licensure

2. City of Portland Business License (specific regulated activities only)

   Portland does not require a business licence of every business. The City's Business License Administrator (207-874-8557, [email protected]) issues licences only for specific regulated categories: food service and liquor establishments, breweries and distilleries, food trucks and pushcarts, temporary events and catering, flea markets and second-hand dealers, marijuana businesses, massage therapists and establishments, taxi/livery/tour vehicles and valet parking, farmers market vendors, fire permits, scrap metal recycling and transient sellers. If your business is not in one of those categories, no City of Portland business licence is required. Where one does apply, most types need Zoning, Health, Code Enforcement, Fire, Police (SBI background check) and Treasury approvals first, and outstanding taxes or sewer fees will block issuance.

   Official government source

   $45 flat application fee (a single $45 fee even when applying for several licence types at once) and $35 a year to renew - not revenue-tiered. Sole proprietors and partnerships also file a d/b/a for $10.·Licences are annual. Allow time for the departmental approvals - zoning, health, code, fire, police background check and treasury - before the licence issues

   $45 flat application fee (a single $45 fee even when applying for several licence types at once) and $35 a year to renew - not revenue-tiered. Sole proprietors and partnerships also file a d/b/a for $10.

   Licences are annual. Allow time for the departmental approvals - zoning, health, code, fire, police background check and treasury - before the licence issues

3. Portland Plumbing Permit (per project)

   A plumbing permit must be pulled from the City of Portland Permitting and Inspections Department for each job, and inspections are required on completion. Portland requires plumbing permits for commercial work to be taken out by a licensed contractor - a business may not pull its own. Cumberland County has no plumbing permit role.

   Official government source

   $40.00 minimum for up to four fixtures plus $10.00 per additional fixture, plus a $10.00 city surcharge on every plumbing permit; $10 each for a public sewer hook-up, hook-up to an existing subsurface system, piping relocation or permit transfer. Subsurface disposal systems are priced separately ($200 engineered / $250 non-engineered plus a $15 DEP surcharge). Starting work without a permit doubles the fee.·Pull the permit before starting work; schedule the inspection on completion

   $40.00 minimum for up to four fixtures plus $10.00 per additional fixture, plus a $10.00 city surcharge on every plumbing permit; $10 each for a public sewer hook-up, hook-up to an existing subsurface system, piping relocation or permit transfer. Subsurface disposal systems are priced separately ($200 engineered / $250 non-engineered plus a $15 DEP surcharge). Starting work without a permit doubles the fee.

   Pull the permit before starting work; schedule the inspection on completion

Official Sources

• Maine Plumbers Examining Board — Master Plumber License
• City of Portland City Clerk / Licensing Division

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