A: Rick, you do need to check with your local plumbing inspector for the exact rules and regulations in your area. But, right off the top I can tell you to stay in high school or switch to an equivalent trade school to get your high school degree.

Nowadays, plumbing is a very complicated trade, and any good licensed plumbing company will look for an educated candidate to enlist in their apprentice program. Once you do graduate high school, you have basically two choices. First, you can go to work for a licensed "Master" plumber full time as an apprentice while taking some evening classes to prepare you for the "journeyman" test. Or, you can go on to higher education at a technical school full time, then after graduating look for employment as an apprentice.

You'll need to weigh the options and the time line to see what program will be the best for you. Basically, the apprenticeship can take between 2 to 4 years before you can test for the journeyman license. Then, after another 1 to 2 years as a journeyman, you can test for your master's. Earning a "Plumbing Master's" is not easy, and the tests are at a very high level of learning. The process from start to finish can take 3 to 6 years of round-the-clock hard work.

Now you know why I constantly say "Always hire a licensed Master plumber!"