Plumbing school in Iowa

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

2 schools offer these plumbing programs, and Iowa 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 Iowa, 1 of the 3 programs takes students without a high school diploma and 2 ask for a diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 3 programs here are plumbing certificate or diploma (2 programs) and pre-apprenticeship (1 program).

See the 3 programs

How much does plumbing school cost in Iowa?

$3,940 to $7,486

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

In the typical program

Finished the program: Not enough data; 2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later: Not enough data; 2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Earned a year, estimated: Not enough data; 2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Length: Not enough data; 3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5

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

Is there free plumbing school in Iowa?

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.²³⁴
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. These programs cost $3,940 to $7,486.

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

All 3 plumbing programs in Iowa approved for WIOA funding

3 programs

Pre-apprenticeshipIn personNo diploma needed
Plumbing Pre-Apprenticeship
Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Kirkwood Community College, Cedar RapidsPre-apprenticeship · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimated$37,400
Price if you pay yourself$7,350
Program website, Plumbing Pre-Apprenticeship at Kirkwood Community College
More details about Plumbing Pre-Apprenticeship at Kirkwood Community College
Finished
65%
Working at 6 months
92%
Earned in a quarter
$9,356
Length
32 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$1,494
Students counted
57
Earned a year, estimated
$37,400
Price if you pay yourself
$7,350
Program website, Plumbing Pre-Apprenticeship at Kirkwood Community College
Plumbing certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Residential Plumbing - Certificate
Western Iowa Tech Community College
Sioux City
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux CityPlumbing certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$30,400
Price if you pay yourself$3,940
Program website, Residential Plumbing - Certificate at Western Iowa Tech Community College
More details about Residential Plumbing - Certificate at Western Iowa Tech Community College
Finished
75%
Working at 6 months
86%
Earned in a quarter
$7,590
Length
16 weeks, 24 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$832
Students counted
56
Earned a year, estimated
$30,400
Price if you pay yourself
$3,940
Program website, Residential Plumbing - Certificate at Western Iowa Tech Community College
Plumbing certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Plumbing Systems - Diploma
Western Iowa Tech Community College
Sioux City
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux CityPlumbing certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$7,486
Program website, Plumbing Systems - Diploma at Western Iowa Tech Community College
More details about Plumbing Systems - Diploma at Western Iowa Tech Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
32 weeks, 23 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$1,184
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$7,486
Program website, Plumbing Systems - Diploma at Western Iowa Tech Community College

How to pay for plumbing school in Iowa

WIOA funding can pay for plumbing school in Iowa

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

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.

Plumbing apprenticeships in Iowa

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. None of the plumbing programs on this page is an apprenticeship. There is also 1 pre-apprenticeship here, a course that prepares you to apply.

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

Plumbing school in Sioux City, Cedar Rapids and other Iowa cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Iowa

How plumbing school compares with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in Iowa

Where the Iowa plumbing program numbers come from

Which Iowa plumbing programs are on this list?

These are the plumbing programs Iowa 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 Iowa offers.

How the prices and results of Iowa plumbing programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about plumbing school in Iowa

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