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How do plumbers in Hawaii get more customers from Google and AI search?
Short answer: Plumbers in Hawaii get found online with a website that shows their license number, names the towns they serve such as Urban Honolulu CDP, and collects real local reviews. Licensing runs through the Contractors License Board, Hawaii DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing. The state had 401 businesses with staff in this Census category in 2022.
- Licensing body: Contractors License Board, Hawaii DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing.
- HRS 444-9.2 lets a contractor advertise in print or broadcast media only if the ad shows the current license number and the contractor can prove it is valid.
- 401 businesses with staff in 2022, 43rd of 50 states; 76% have fewer than 10 staff.
- Largest cities: Urban Honolulu CDP.
Do plumbers need a license in Hawaii?
In Hawaii, the licensing body for this work is Contractors License Board, Hawaii DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing.
License or registration types named by the state: C-37 Plumbing Contractor.
- Plumbing contractors hold the C-37 classification. Sub-classes cover sewer and drain, irrigation, and other plumbing niches.
Homeowners can check a license on the state lookup page. Put your number where they will look for it.
Contractor registration in Hawaii sits with Contractors License Board, Hawaii DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing. Work over $1,500 in labor and materials needs a license. Concrete is C-31a, masonry C-31, fencing C-32 or C-32a, painting C-33. B general building licensees automatically hold C-31a cement concrete and C-32a wood and vinyl fencing. A licensees hold C-31a and C-32.
License numbers in ads and on websites
HRS 444-9.2 lets a contractor advertise in print or broadcast media only if the ad shows the current license number and the contractor can prove it is valid. Advertising as a contractor without a valid license is a misdemeanor, even for people exempt under the small-job rule.
How many plumbing contractors compete in Hawaii’s main cities?
| City | County | Businesses with staff | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu CDP | Honolulu County | 252 | 3,926 |
Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 and County Population Estimates 2023. Counts businesses with paid employees only.
How many plumbing contractors are in Hawaii?
The Census Bureau counted 401 businesses with employees in Hawaii in 2022, in the category “Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors”. That ranks Hawaii 43rd of 50 states, one of the smaller markets, and 0% of the US total. 76% of them have fewer than 10 staff, and 42 have 20 or more.
Together they employ 4,029 people, with an average yearly payroll of $791,908 per business. The three busiest counties hold 94% of them, so competition is packed into a few places.
With 1,435,138 residents (Census, July 2023), that is one business for every 3,579 people, against 3,051 nationally: more residents per business than the US average, so each business has more homes to serve.
Counties with the most plumbing contractors
| County | Businesses | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu County | 252 | 3,926 |
| Hawaii County | 64 | 3,244 |
| Maui County | 61 | 2,692 |
| Kauai County | 24 | 3,077 |
4 of Hawaii’s counties have at least one. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022.
How big are they?
Businesses by number of employees, 2022: 227 with 1-4 staff, 79 with 5-9 staff, 52 with 10-19 staff, 34 with 20-49 staff, 8 with 50+ staff.
Where Hawaii is growing
New homes and new owners bring new work. Hawaii's population changed -1.1% from July 2020 to July 2023. The fastest-growing counties with 50,000 or more people:
- Hawaii County: 207,615 people, +3.4% since 2020, 64 plumbing contractors
- Kauai County: 73,851 people, +0.9% since 2020, 24 plumbing contractors
- Maui County: 164,183 people, -0.4% since 2020, 61 plumbing contractors
- Honolulu County: 989,408 people, -2.3% since 2020, 252 plumbing contractors
Source: US Census Bureau, County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023.
Which code applies in Hawaii?
Hawaii has no single statewide edition of the plumbing code. Cities and counties adopt their own, so say which edition applies in the towns you serve.
What should a Hawaii plumber website show?
- Your license number in the footer of every page. Hawaii requires it in advertising for at least some trades.
- A service area list that names real counties and towns, for example Honolulu County, Hawaii County and Maui County.
- Real reviews from local jobs, with the town named, and photos of your own work.
Hawaii questions
Who licenses plumbers in Hawaii?
Contractors License Board, Hawaii DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing. Plumbing contractors hold the C-37 classification. Sub-classes cover sewer and drain, irrigation, and other plumbing niches.
How many plumbing contractors are there in Hawaii?
The US Census Bureau counted 401 businesses with employees in Hawaii in 2022 in the category Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors, and 76% of them have fewer than 10 staff.
Which county in Hawaii has the most plumbing contractors?
Honolulu County, with 252 businesses with employees in 2022 (Census County Business Patterns).
Do I need my license number on my website in Hawaii?
HRS 444-9.2 lets a contractor advertise in print or broadcast media only if the ad shows the current license number and the contractor can prove it is valid. Advertising as a contractor without a valid license is a misdemeanor, even for people exempt under the small-job rule.
Sources
- US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 (state and county files)
- US Census Bureau, City, Town and County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023
- https://cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/boards/contractor/
- https://cca.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/DescriptionofContractorLicenseClassifications-1.pdf
- https://www.housecallpro.com/licensing/handyman/hawaii/
- https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol10_Ch0436-0474/HRS0444/HRS_0444-0009_0002.htm
- https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/hawaii/Haw-Code-R-SS-16-77-83
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