2.2 Adopted Plumbing Codes & Jurisdictional Authority

2.2 Adopted Plumbing Codes & Jurisdictional Authority

Core Principle: Texas is a dual-code state. Under Texas Occupations Code Section 1301.255, the Board is required to adopt both the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) published by IAPMO and the International Plumbing Code (IPC) published by the ICC, and it may adopt later editions by rule. Municipalities then choose which of the two they enforce. Because of that structure, the Journeyman examination is deliberately written so that a candidate who knows either code well can pass.

Misunderstanding this is the single most common orientation error among Texas candidates. There is no "Texas Plumbing Code" book. There is a state statute, a set of Board rules, and two adopted model codes.

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1. What Is Adopted Right Now

22 Texas Administrative Code Section 367.2(a) currently adopts:

[!NOTE] A code-cycle change is pending, not effective. On July 31, 2026 the Board filed a proposed amendment to 22 TAC 367.2 that would repeal the 2018 editions and adopt the 2021 UPC, IPC, IFGC, and IRC, with an earliest possible adoption date of September 13, 2026. Until that rule is actually adopted, the 2018 editions remain the adopted codes. Always confirm the current edition on the TSBPE Law & Rules page before you buy a code book — an adopted-but-not-yet-effective edition circulating near a changeover is a classic trap.

The TSBPE Journeyman examination review course tells applicants to study the 2018 IPC together with the 2018 IFGC, or the 2018 UPC — and states plainly that the examination is not specific to any one of those codes. You need one code family, not both.

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2. Who Enforces What: The Jurisdiction Ladder

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|            TEXAS PLUMBING AUTHORITY: WHICH RULE CONTROLS?                |
|                                                                          |
|   Texas Occupations Code Ch. 1301 (Plumbing License Law)  <-- statute    |
|                 |                                                        |
|                 v                                                        |
|   22 TAC Part 17 Board Rules, including 367.2 code adoption              |
|                 |                                                        |
|                 v                                                        |
|   Local ordinance: the political subdivision picks IPC or UPC and        |
|   may amend it for local concerns (no substantial variance from state)   |
|                 |                                                        |
|                 v                                                        |
|   No local code adopted / unincorporated area  ---> use a Board-adopted  |
|   code from 22 TAC 367.2(a) as the default minimum standard             |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Key rules to carry into the exam:

• Municipal choice. A political subdivision may adopt a plumbing code with amendments to address local concerns, provided the amendments do not substantially vary from the rules or laws of this state. A city cannot amend below the state minimum.
• Follow the local adoption. Plumbing must be installed in accordance with all applicable plumbing codes adopted by the political subdivision in which the work is performed. Know which code family your city enforces before you bid.
• The default rule. Work performed by a licensee in an unincorporated area of the county, or any area where no plumbing code has been adopted, must still be installed in accordance with a code adopted by the Board under 22 TAC 367.2(a). There is no such thing as "no code applies."
• Grandfathering in progress. An installation started before the Board adopted the current codes may be completed under the code in effect when the permit was issued or the work commenced.
• Inspection is mandatory. Plumbing installed in compliance with an adopted code must be inspected by a licensed Plumbing Inspector, and a municipality of more than 5,000 inhabitants is required to regulate plumbing material, construction, alteration, and inspection by ordinance.

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3. Texas-Specific Overlays You Will Not Find in the Model Codes

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4. Reading a Question That Does Not Name a Code

Many written items describe a condition without naming the IPC or the UPC. When that happens:

1. Look for a number the two codes share. Trap seals of 2 to 4 inches, the 6-inch vent rise above the flood level rim, the 1-inch minimum air gap, and the 5-foot water-service-to-sewer separation are common ground.
2. If the codes differ, expect the question to say so. Trap-arm distances, cleanout clearances, and T&P discharge terminations are the classic split points, and a fair item will cite the code it wants.
3. Do not answer from your city's amendment. Local amendments are enforceable on the job, but the examination is written against the adopted model codes and the Plumbing License Law.

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5. Study Sequence That Matches the Board's Own Guidance

1. Read the definitions chapter of your chosen code first (see Section 2.3). Every later chapter depends on it.
2. Work through General Regulations, Fixtures, Water Heaters, Water Supply and Distribution, Sanitary Drainage, Vents, Traps, and Fuel Gas in that order — the sequence the Board's review course recommends.
3. Learn manufacturer instructions for the joints you will be tested on: solvent-cemented PVC, threaded steel, soldered and brazed copper, and compression-band cast iron. The codes defer to those instructions, and the exam expects you to know them.
4. Finish with the Plumbing License Law and Board Rules sections the Board names (covered in Chapter 1).