Plumbing school in California

7 plumbing programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

7 schools offer these plumbing programs, and California has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Plumbers install and repair pipes, fixtures and piping systems. Most learn the trade in a four- or five-year apprenticeship, and most states and some cities require plumbers to be licensed.¹ In California, 2 of the 7 programs take students without a high school diploma.

See the 7 programs

How much does plumbing school cost in California?

$850 to $1,288 is what most plumbing programs in California cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 5 programs with a price. All of them: $600 to $1,890

In the typical program

Finished the program: Too few programs to say
Working 6 months later: Too few programs to say
Earned a year, estimated: Too few programs to say
Length: 12 to 44 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in California may also offer plumbing school. How these figures are made

Is there free plumbing school in California?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴In program year 2024 it paid toward the training of at least 9 people at 1 of the 7 programs here.
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. Most plumbing programs in California cost $850 to $1,288. Prices on this page run from $600 to $1,890.
Or earn while you learn. Apprentices are paid for their work on the job.⁶ 2 of the 7 programs here are apprenticeships, and none of them lists a price.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: paid apprenticeships, financial aid and the GI Bill

Plumbing school in Los Angeles, Bakersfield, San Francisco and other California cities

Choosing an area filters the list below.

All 7 plumbing programs in California approved for WIOA funding

7 programs

Plumbing certificate or diplomaIn personEducation and courses
Plumbing
Harbor Occupational Center - LAUSD
San Pedro
Education and courses
Harbor Occupational Center - LAUSD, San Pedro · Plumbing certificate or diploma · In person · Education and courses
Earned a year, estimated$59,800
Price if you pay yourself$1,890
Program website, Plumbing at Harbor Occupational Center - LAUSD
More details about Plumbing at Harbor Occupational Center - LAUSD
Finished
38%
Working at 6 months
33%
Earned in a quarter
$14,950
Length
30 weeks, 12 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$540
Students counted
235
a year, estimated
$59,800
price
$1,890
Plumbing certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Plumbing
Maxine Waters Employment Prep Center - LAUSD
Los Angeles
High school diploma or equivalent
Maxine Waters Employment Prep Center - LAUSD, Los Angeles · Plumbing certificate or diploma · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$1,260
Program website, Plumbing at Maxine Waters Employment Prep Center - LAUSD
More details about Plumbing at Maxine Waters Employment Prep Center - LAUSD
Finished
16%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
12 weeks, 30 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$2,011
Students counted
123
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$1,260
Short course or single levelIn personEducation and courses
Plumbing 1
Whittier Adult School
Whittier
Education and courses
Whittier Adult School, Whittier · Short course or single level · In person · Education and courses
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$850
9 students trained with WIOA funding
School website, Plumbing 1 at Whittier Adult School
More details about Plumbing 1 at Whittier Adult School
Finished
60%
Working at 6 months
94%
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
9 weeks, 14 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$310
Students counted
47
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$850
trained with WIOA funding
9
Plumbing certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Basic Residential Plumbing 101
Frye Plumbing Inc.
Bakersfield
High school diploma or equivalent
Frye Plumbing Inc., Bakersfield · Plumbing certificate or diploma · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$600
More details about Basic Residential Plumbing 101 at Frye Plumbing Inc.
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
12 weeks, 2 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$225
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$600
Plumbing certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
PLUMB-Plumbing Certificate of Achievement
Diablo Valley College
Pleasant Hill
High school diploma or equivalent
Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill · Plumbing certificate or diploma · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$1,288
Program website, PLUMB-Plumbing Certificate of Achievement at Diablo Valley College
More details about PLUMB-Plumbing Certificate of Achievement at Diablo Valley College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
48 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$1,489
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$1,288
Plumbing apprenticeshipIn personNo diploma needed
Pipe Trades Training Center
Pipe Trades Training Center
San Jose
No diploma needed
Pipe Trades Training Center, San Jose · Plumbing apprenticeship · In person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
More details about Pipe Trades Training Center at Pipe Trades Training Center
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
Not reported
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
Not reported
Plumbing apprenticeshipIn personNo diploma needed
Plumbing Apprenticeship Program (Associated Builders & Contractors of San Diego)
ABC of San Diego, Inc.
Poway
No diploma needed
ABC of San Diego, Inc., Poway · Plumbing apprenticeship · In person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
More details about Plumbing Apprenticeship Program (Associated Builders & Contractors of San Diego) at ABC of San Diego, Inc.
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
157 weeks, 6 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
Not reported

How to pay for plumbing school in California

WIOA funding can pay for plumbing school in California

Every program on this page is approved for WIOA funding: public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.²People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.³Your state or local area may limit how much WIOA pays and for how long. If a program costs more, a Pell Grant, a scholarship or severance pay can cover the rest.⁴

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).⁵

Paid plumbing apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a job: you're paid to learn, with a raise as your skills grow, and most include classroom teaching. You apply to the employer or the program sponsor. Ask what you'll pay for the classroom part and what you'll earn on the job.⁶

Financial aid and grants for plumbing school

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁷⁸

GI Bill for plumbing school

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁹

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Quick facts: Plumbing school in California

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare: 2nd of 17
plumbing programs here, against the typical state's 4: 7 vs 4

State comparisons use the same figures as the plumbing school by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Plumbing apprenticeships in California

Most plumbers train in a four- or five-year apprenticeship. Each year usually brings about 2,000 hours of paid work on the job plus classes in safety, local plumbing codes and blueprint reading. Unions, trade associations and businesses run the programs; some people start as helpers or with a pre-apprenticeship course. To work on your own, states and cities often ask for two to five years of experience and a passed exam.¹

You apply to the employer or the program sponsor, not through a school.⁶ The Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Finder lists openings by place and job. This page lists 2 plumbing apprenticeships approved for WIOA funding in California, none of them with a price listed. Ask what you'll pay for the classes and what you'll earn on the job.

Show only the 2 plumbing apprenticeships

What is an apprenticeship, and can WIOA pay for one?

Where the California plumbing program numbers come from

Which California plumbing programs are on this list?

These are the plumbing programs California approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).¹⁰ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what California offers.

How California plumbing program prices are reported

The price is tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported it. "Trained with WIOA funding" on a program counts the people whose training there WIOA paid toward through a training account in program year 2024; the file never gives counts under 3, so a program without the line may still take WIOA students. It does not say how much of the price WIOA covered. Prices under $100 are treated as not reported, because the file holds many blanks entered as $0. Check the current price with the school.

What the graduate results of these programs measure

The figures at the top of this page are the middle program among those that report results: half did better, half did worse. Results describe students who left each program in recent years: the share who finished, the share working in the second quarter after leaving, and the middle earnings of those working in that quarter. States report earnings for that one quarter because they take them from the wage reports employers file every three months. The yearly figure here is that quarter times four, rounded to the nearest $100: an estimate, and an early one, since it is measured about half a year after training. The quarter as reported is under "More details" on each program. Results are withheld for small programs, and they describe past students, so they are no guarantee.

Why do some plumbing programs say "Not reported"?

Where a school or the state left a field empty, or the Department of Labor withheld it, the page says "Not reported". Nothing here is estimated to fill a gap.

Why the kind of school is left off each program

The file also records whether a school is public, private or nonprofit, but those entries are wrong too often to print next to a school's name, so this page leaves them out.

Other training in California

Sources for the facts about plumbing school in California

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