DC designated master plumber bonds.
$275. Five minutes.

A DC plumbing and gas fitting contractor must have a designated master plumber/gas fitter, and that master files a separate $5,000 bond with DLCP. Three percent of $5,000 is $150, so this lands at our $275 minimum — five minutes, no credit check.

Required for the designated master plumber / gas fitter backing a DC plumbing contractor
Fixed amount, fixed price — $5,000 bond, $275, no quote process
Runs with the license — DC plumbing bonds expire March 31 of even years
A-ratedA.M. Best carriersFastoften same purchase$275flat minimum
Trusted by industry leaders
NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
How it works

Three steps. One sitting.

Trade license bonds are about the simplest thing in surety. Here's the entire process:

NOW · 5 MINUTES

Apply online

Business and license details and an effective date. No financials, no credit check section, no follow-up.

MINUTES, USUALLY

Pay & e-sign

Small fixed-amount trade bonds like this are among the bond types that issue right after purchase. At most, 1–2 business days.

SAME DAY

File with DLCP

Your executed plumbing and gas fitting bond arrives by email, ready to file with the designated master license. Wet-ink original mailed on request.

The whole pricing page.

$5,000 bond × 3% = $150, which is under our $275 minimum, so you pay $275 per term. Multi-year terms track the statutory renewal cycle.

1-year term
$275
2-year term
$275
3-year term
$275
About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the bond actually guarantees

The District licenses plumbing and gas fitting through the Board of Industrial Trades at DLCP. A plumbing/gas fitting contractor must designate a licensed master plumber/gas fitter responsible for the work, and that designated master files a separate $5,000 surety bond.

It's a three-party arrangement: the designated master (the principal), the surety carrier, and the District (the obligee), with the public protected. The bond stands behind compliance with the District's plumbing and gas fitting licensing rules.

It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a valid claim, you repay the surety. The bond runs concurrently with the license and expires March 31 of the even-numbered year; it must stay continuous for the license to stay valid, and we send renewal notices 60 and 30 days out.

DLCP Board of Industrial Trades (Title 17 DCMR; cf. DC Code § 47-2853.122)DC plumbing and gas fitting is licensed by the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection through the Board of Industrial Trades. A designated master plumber/gas fitter files a $5,000 surety bond on the District's bond form; the bond runs concurrently with the license and expires March 31 of the even-numbered year. Confirm the amount and class on your DLCP application.

You need this bond if you're

The designated master plumber/gas fitter for a DC plumbing contracting business
Becoming a master a contractor is designating as responsible for the work
Renewing your master license and your current bond is expiring or non-renewing
Setting up a contracting entity that needs both a contractor and a designated-master bond

Five minutes. The whole thing.

These are the actual issuing fields — no credit check section, because this bond doesn't have one.

Start the application →
FAQs

Common questions.

If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.

How much is the DC designated master plumber bond? +
The premium is $275 — our flat minimum. Three percent of the $5,000 bond amount is $150, which falls under our $275 floor, so you pay $275. Same number for every master.
Do I pay the $5,000? +
No. You pay $275. The $5,000 is the surety's maximum liability if a valid claim is made — not a deposit, and nobody holds your money.
How is this different from the contractor bond? +
The contractor entity files its own $5,000 plumbing/gas fitting bond, and the designated master plumber/gas fitter files a separate $5,000 bond. A licensed plumbing business generally needs both; we write each one.
Is there a credit check? +
Not on this bond — the application has no credit section at all. Small fixed-amount trade bonds like this one don't need one.
When does it renew? +
DC plumbing bonds run concurrently with the license and expire March 31 of the even-numbered year. We send renewal notices 60 and 30 days out so it never lapses over a missed email.
Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

Finish your DLCP license checklist today.

$275 flat, five-minute application, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.

Your premium @ 3%$275
Apply now →