Water Heater Replacement Requirements in Louisiana
Louisiana water-heater replacement: plumbing work — 'installation, maintenance, or repair of potable and non-potable tap water and/or sewer water systems within a building structure or house' — requires the LSLBC Plumbing classification when the value exceeds $10,000 including labor and materials; a State Plumbing Board master plumber must ALSO hold the LSLBC commercial plumbing license for such work. Below $10,000 no state plumbing license attaches. Every claim sourced and dated.
License thresholds by classification (rule default $50,000; residential family lower) — Rule §301.F verbatim: 'A license is required when the project cost exceeds $50,000 except where otherwise noted.' Otherwise noted: Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing — 'A license is required when the value exceeds $10,000' (rules §301.14, §301.38, §301.47; Hazardous Materials work > $1 with LDEQ credentialing, §301.21); Residential Construction — 'the construction of a residential structure … when the cost of the undertaking exceeds $75,000' (§301.50); Home Improvement — 'A license is required when the value exceeds $7,500. Home improvement is limited to a value of $75,000' (§301.26); Residential Swimming Pools > $7,500 (§301.51); Mold Remediation > $7,500 with 24 hours of board-approved training (§301.39); Solar Energy Equipment ≥ $10,000 (§ 2156.3). FAQ: thresholds include labor AND materials; 'A Commercial license does not allow you to build a single residential home.' S-LA-BLUE-BOOK
Written contract required; no work before all signatures; lien denial — § 2159(A): every agreement requiring licensure or registration must include the complete agreement (with a clear description of incorporated documents), the full names, addresses and the LICENSE NUMBER of the contractor, a description of the work, the total price (or an approximation of the owner's cost under a cost-plus or time-and-materials contract), the signature of all parties, and current insurance certificates (workers' compensation and liability). § 2159(B): 'At the time of signing, all parties shall be furnished with a copy of the signed contract. No work shall begin prior to the signing of the contract by all parties.' § 2159(D): 'No contractor who fails to obtain a license … shall be entitled to file a statement of claim or a statement of lien or privilege' for sums owed under a contract requiring a license. S-LA-BLUE-BOOK
Amounts are statutory caps (§ 2156.C) — the board's current actual fees and all parish/municipal permit fees (LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED) are not published here.