The Illinois Plumbing License Law and My Experience in the Plumbing Industry
The Illinois Plumbing License Law exists to protect consumers and safeguard public health. It requires individuals who plan, install, repair, or maintain plumbing systems in Illinois to be properly licensed professionals or supervised apprentices. The law is administered by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), which establishes licensing requirements, examinations, continuing education, and minimum plumbing standards.
So What Is Really Going On in Chicagoland?
To understand my concerns, it is important to explain some of my personal history in the plumbing industry.
Many years ago, ABC Plumbing was a small, growing plumbing company located at 454 East Northwest Highway in Des Plaines, Illinois. After building a successful career in the sewer business in Park Ridge, I decided to further my profession and follow in my family’s footsteps by pursuing a career as a licensed plumber.
I went to work for ABC Plumbing and quickly began to see practices that concerned me.
GordonSchroll, Bryan Schroll, and Rich Griesel were plumbers who had recently come through the Plumbers Local 130 apprenticeship program. Gordon was the dominant figure at the company and, in my experience, was extremely focused on revenue and increasing the amount customers were charged.
One incident has always stayed with me. I asked Gordon how much flux I should use when soldering a copper joint. His response was, “Flux is cheap.”
To me, that statement represented a larger problem. Rather than emphasizing proper training, craftsmanship, and doing the job correctly, I felt there was an excessive emphasis on the cost of materials and how much could be charged to the customer.
Gordon maintained a polished public image. The company had good trucks, uniforms, and a professional appearance. From the outside, ABC Plumbing looked like a successful operation. Inside the company, however, I saw significant problems with training and the use of workers who were not properly licensed.
Bryan Schroll was also a Local 130 apprentice-school graduate. Although he was often in Gordon’s shadow, he was generally respected by the workers. Rich Griesel was another Local 130 graduate and had a very different personality, often joking around with the other employees.
My Apprenticeship
I eventually became a Local 130 apprentice. That created resentment among some of the workers who had been with the company for years but had not gone through the formal apprenticeship process.
I was even told that I should “turn it down” so that some of the older employees could have an opportunity to attend plumbing school. I found that attitude extremely frustrating. If someone wants to become a professional plumber, the answer should be proper education, training, and licensing—not keeping qualified people out of the apprenticeship system.
Despite those circumstances, I worked hard and was eventually recognized as the “Serviceman of the Quarter.” My name was placed on a plaque, and I received a dinner at Arlington Park Racetrack along with a $500 award.
Gordon became angry when he learned that I was not spending the money betting on horse races. I had young children at home, and I intended to save the money for my family. I remember having to pretend that I was interested in gambling simply to avoid another confrontation.
That experience told me a great deal about the difference between my priorities and those of the people running the company.
Licensing, Training, and the Union
In my experience, ABC Plumbing used workers who were not properly licensed to perform plumbing work. I believed that practice undermined both the apprenticeship system and the professionals who had invested years in learning the trade.
Eventually, I was fired shortly after entering the Union. I believed the underlying issue was that the company did not want to pay for my time away from work one day a week so that I could attend school.
Not long afterward, Gordon and Bryan appeared before the Plumbers Local 130 Board. They attempted to persuade the Union to allow the company to continue using workers who had not gone through the appropriate licensing and apprenticeship process. Gordon argued that the Union should consider different methods and rules.
Ultimately, ABC Plumbing was removed from the Union and became a non-union contractor.
That experience left a lasting impression on me. I had entered the plumbing trade because I believed in the value of education, licensing, craftsmanship, and professional standards. I still believe those principles matter.
The Same Concerns Today
What concerns me now is seeing what I believe are similar practices appearing in different forms.
Bryan eventually moved to Sarasota, Florida, where he now lives. In my view, some of the business practices I observed decades ago have followed him into the Florida market.
I have also become concerned about what I describe as “back-door plumbers”—people performing plumbing-related work without following the same training, licensing, and professional standards required of licensed plumbers. I stopped Caulkers at the City of Chicago and now, politics put them back. That is politics and fraud.
My criticism is not directed at every individual who works in the plumbing or construction industry. There are many honest, hardworking professionals who take pride in their work and follow the law.
My concern is about a system in which qualified, licensed professionals are expected to comply with strict requirements while others may perform similar work without the same level of training, oversight, or accountability.
Why This Matters
This issue is bigger than one plumbing company, one contractor, or one individual.
Licensing laws exist for a reason. Plumbing work involves drinking water, sewage, natural gas, drainage systems, and the structural integrity of buildings. When unqualified people perform that work, the consequences can extend far beyond the immediate customer.
After spending decades in the plumbing industry, I believe strongly that people who perform skilled trades should be properly trained, properly licensed, and held accountable to the same standards.
That is why, despite my personal history with ABC Plumbing and my disagreements with some of the people involved, I am willing to support the company’s defense in the lawsuit brought by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
My position is not based on whether I personally like the people involved. It is based on what I believe should be a consistent principle: the law should be applied fairly, professional licensing requirements should mean something, and individuals and companies should have the opportunity to defend themselves when serious allegations are made against them.