Kentucky Plumber Supervision and RME Requirements

Kentucky's Supervision Hierarchy

Kentucky's plumbing supervision structure under KRS Chapter 318 creates a strict chain of authority. Every level of the trade has defined boundaries on who can work independently, who needs direct oversight, and who bears legal responsibility for the work performed.

Understanding these boundaries matters because getting them wrong carries real consequences — stop-work orders, daily fines, and experience hours that the DHBC refuses to credit toward the next license tier.

Apprentice Supervision: Direct and Physical

Registered apprentices must work under the direct physical supervision of a licensed journeyman or master plumber who is present on the job site. "Direct physical supervision" means the supervisor is physically at the location where the apprentice is working — not at a different job site, not reachable by phone, but on-site and available to oversee the work in real time.

This requirement is non-negotiable. Hours worked without a qualified supervisor physically present do not count toward the apprentice's experience requirement. The DHBC scrutinizes experience documentation during the journeyman application process, and claims of hours worked under unlicensed supervisors or absent supervisors are rejected.

Journeyman Supervision: Independent Work, General Oversight

Licensed journeymen can perform plumbing installations, alterations, repairs, and maintenance independently — they do not need someone standing over their shoulder on the job site. However, they must operate under the general supervision of a licensed master plumber.

"General supervision" means the journeyman works for a master plumber's business. The master holds the permit, takes legal responsibility for the work, and is available to provide guidance — but does not need to be physically present at every job site.

The critical limitation: journeymen cannot pull permits, contract directly with the public, or advertise their own plumbing services. They perform the trade work; the master provides the legal authority and business framework.

The Responsible Managing Employee (RME)

When a plumbing business is structured as an LLC, corporation, or partnership rather than a sole proprietorship, the business needs a designated technical qualifier — Kentucky's equivalent of a Responsible Managing Employee. This is the licensed master plumber whose credentials authorize the business to contract plumbing work.

The RME files a Letter of Representation with the DHBC, formally linking their personal master plumber license to the business entity. The RME's responsibilities include:

• Ensuring all work performed under the business meets state plumbing code standards
• Maintaining the required $250,000 general liability insurance
• Pulling permits for the business's plumbing projects
• Supervising journeymen and apprentices employed by the business

What Happens When the RME Leaves

If the qualifying master plumber leaves the firm, the business must file a Letter of Dis-Representation immediately. Without a qualifying master on record, the business cannot pull new permits or contract new plumbing work.

In the specific case of the qualifying master's death, 815 KAR 20:030 grants the business a 180-day grace period to complete outstanding projects under the deceased master's license. After 180 days, a replacement master must be designated through a new Letter of Representation, or the business must cease plumbing operations.

Practical Implications

A master plumber who employs three journeymen and two apprentices does not need to be at every job site simultaneously. The journeymen work independently under the master's general supervision — but every apprentice on a site needs a journeyman or master physically present. If a journeyman calls in sick and leaves an apprentice alone on a job, that apprentice must stop work until a qualified supervisor arrives.

For the full supervision chain and the documentation requirements at each level, the Kentucky Plumber License Guide covers how to structure your team's supervision to keep every worker's hours creditable and every project legally compliant.

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