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How do plumbers in Tennessee get more customers from Google and AI search?
Short answer: Plumbers in Tennessee get found online with a website that shows their license number, names the towns they serve such as Nashville-Davidson, Memphis and Knoxville, and collects real local reviews. Licensing runs through the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. The state had 1,817 businesses with staff in this Census category in 2022.
- Licensing body: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors.
- 1,817 businesses with staff in 2022, 22nd of 50 states; 69% have fewer than 10 staff.
- Largest cities: Nashville-Davidson, Memphis and Knoxville.
- Common words in local searches: “residential”, “emergency” and “best”.
- Coldest month January (about 38°F), warmest July (about 78°F), statewide average.
- Code edition: 2021 plumbing code.
Do plumbers need a license in Tennessee?
Licensing in Tennessee is set by Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, and some cities add their own rules on top.
License or registration types named by the state: Plumbing Contractor (CMC-A); Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP).
- State license needed for plumbing work of $25,000 or more, as prime or subcontractor.
- Home Improvement licenses do not clearly cover plumbing; check with the Board.
Homeowners can check a license on the state lookup page. Put your number where they will look for it.
Contractor registration in Tennessee sits with Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. Contractor license is required before bidding or pricing projects of $25,000 or more, labor and materials. Masonry subcontractors need a license at $100,000 and up.
What do homeowners in Tennessee’s biggest cities search for?
Google autocomplete for plumber searches in each city (job-seeker searches removed):
Nashville-Davidson
- nashville tn plumbers
- plumber nashville tn
Memphis
- memphis area plumbers
- memphis emergency plumber
- memphis plumbers jac
- memphis plumbers residential
- plumber memphis tn
- plumbers memphis residential
- plumbers memphis tn
- plumbing memphis tn
Knoxville
- knoxville best plumber
- knoxville plumbers residential
- knoxville plumbers reviews
- plumber knoxville iowa
- plumber knoxville tn
- plumbers knoxville iowa
- plumbers knoxville tn
- plumbers knoxville tn free estimate
Chattanooga
- best plumber chattanooga
- chattanooga area plumbers
- chattanooga plumber reviews
- commercial plumbers chattanooga tn
- emergency plumber chattanooga
- plumber chattanooga tn
- plumbers chattanooga residential
- plumbing chattanooga tn
Clarksville
- plumber clarksville tn
- plumbers clarksville tn
- plumbers clarksville tn prices
- plumbers clarksville tn residential
- plumbing clarksville tn
Across these cities, the words that come up most are “residential”, “emergency”, “best” and “reviews”.
Source: Google autocomplete suggestions, checked November 8, 2026. Suggestions change over time.
What does a year of plumber work look like in Tennessee?
Publish each seasonal page four to six weeks ahead.
| Month | Avg temp | Jobs to plan for (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 38°F | water heater replacements, drain clearing after the thaw |
| February | 42°F | water heater replacements, drain clearing after the thaw |
| March | 49°F | water heater replacements, drain clearing after the thaw |
| April | 58°F | remodel plumbing, outdoor spigots, sewer line inspections |
| May | 67°F | remodel plumbing, outdoor spigots, sewer line inspections |
| June | 74°F | irrigation leaks, water heater checks, emergency leak calls |
| July | 78°F | irrigation leaks, water heater checks, emergency leak calls |
| August | 76°F | irrigation leaks, water heater checks, emergency leak calls |
| September | 70°F | remodel plumbing, outdoor spigots, sewer line inspections |
| October | 59°F | remodel plumbing, outdoor spigots, sewer line inspections |
| November | 48°F | water heater replacements, drain clearing after the thaw |
| December | 41°F | water heater replacements, drain clearing after the thaw |
Temperatures: NOAA NCEI nClimDiv statewide data. Job column: our planning suggestion, not survey data.
How many plumbing contractors compete in Tennessee’s main cities?
| City | County | Businesses with staff | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson | Davidson County | 182 | 3,914 |
| Memphis | Shelby County | 224 | 4,063 |
| Knoxville | Knox County | 157 | 3,189 |
| Chattanooga | Hamilton County | 120 | 3,166 |
| Clarksville | Montgomery County | 56 | 4,283 |
Competition is tightest around Chattanooga (Hamilton County), with one business for every 3,166 residents, and loosest around Clarksville, at one per 4,283.
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 Tennessee?
The Census Bureau counted 1,817 businesses with employees in Tennessee in 2022, in the category “Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors”. That ranks Tennessee 22nd of 50 states, a mid-sized market, and 2% of the US total. 69% of them have fewer than 10 staff, and 278 have 20 or more.
Together they employ 24,815 people, with an average yearly payroll of $813,637 per business. The three busiest counties hold 31% of them, so the work is spread across the state.
With 7,126,489 residents (Census, July 2023), that is one business for every 3,922 people, against 3,051 nationally: more residents per business than the US average, so each business has more homes to serve.
Tennessee next to its neighbors
| State | Businesses | Residents per business | Under 10 staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 1,817 | 3,922 | 69% |
| Alabama | 1,579 | 3,235 | 75% |
| Arkansas | 1,091 | 2,812 | 81% |
| Georgia | 3,048 | 3,619 | 76% |
| Kentucky | 1,362 | 3,323 | 75% |
| Mississippi | 703 | 4,182 | 78% |
| Missouri | 1,913 | 3,239 | 75% |
| North Carolina | 3,862 | 2,806 | 75% |
| Virginia | 2,764 | 3,153 | 75% |
Counties with the most plumbing contractors
| County | Businesses | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | 224 | 4,063 |
| Davidson County | 182 | 3,914 |
| Knox County | 157 | 3,189 |
| Hamilton County | 120 | 3,166 |
| Rutherford County | 84 | 4,370 |
| Sumner County | 60 | 3,467 |
| Wilson County | 59 | 2,774 |
| Montgomery County | 56 | 4,283 |
| Williamson County | 54 | 4,897 |
| Washington County | 44 | 3,146 |
77 of Tennessee’s counties have at least one. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022.
How big are they?
Businesses by number of employees, 2022: 913 with 1-4 staff, 346 with 5-9 staff, 276 with 10-19 staff, 197 with 20-49 staff, 81 with 50+ staff.
Where Tennessee is growing
New homes and new owners bring new work. Tennessee's population changed +2.9% from July 2020 to July 2023. The fastest-growing counties with 50,000 or more people:
- Wilson County: 163,674 people, +10.1% since 2020, 59 plumbing contractors
- Loudon County: 60,591 people, +9.9% since 2020, 9 plumbing contractors
- Maury County: 110,760 people, +8.8% since 2020, 33 plumbing contractors
- Montgomery County: 239,872 people, +8.4% since 2020, 56 plumbing contractors
- Rutherford County: 367,101 people, +6.9% since 2020, 84 plumbing contractors
Source: US Census Bureau, County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023.
Which code applies in Tennessee?
Tennessee uses the 2021 edition of the plumbing code (Per ICC April 2026 adoption chart; not cross-checked with the state). Homeowners rarely ask about code editions, but inspectors do, and a line on your service pages saying your work meets the current 2021 code answers the question before it comes up.
What should a Tennessee plumber website show?
- Your license number in the footer of every page. Tennessee requires it in advertising for at least some trades.
- A service area list that names real counties and towns, for example Shelby County, Davidson County and Knox County.
- Seasonal pages published before April, so they are found when demand starts.
- Real reviews from local jobs, with the town named, and photos of your own work.
Tennessee questions
Who licenses plumbers in Tennessee?
Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. State license needed for plumbing work of $25,000 or more, as prime or subcontractor. Home Improvement licenses do not clearly cover plumbing; check with the Board.
How many plumbing contractors are there in Tennessee?
The US Census Bureau counted 1,817 businesses with employees in Tennessee in 2022 in the category Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors, and 69% of them have fewer than 10 staff.
Which county in Tennessee has the most plumbing contractors?
Shelby County, with 224 businesses with employees in 2022 (Census County Business Patterns).
Which edition of the plumbing code does Tennessee use?
The 2021 edition. Per ICC April 2026 adoption chart; not cross-checked with the state.
What do people in Nashville-Davidson search for when they need a plumber?
Google autocomplete for Nashville-Davidson shows searches such as “nashville tn plumbers” and “plumber nashville tn”.
When is the busiest season for plumbers in Tennessee?
Tennessee’s statewide average runs from about 38°F in January to about 78°F in July (NOAA, 1991 to 2020).
Sources
- US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 (state and county files)
- US Census Bureau, City, Town and County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023
- NOAA NCEI, nClimDiv statewide temperature and degree days, 1991 to 2020
- Google autocomplete suggestions for the cities named, checked November 2026
- https://www.tn.gov/commerce/regboards/contractors.html
- https://awc.org/priorities/codes-standards/adoption/tennessee/
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