Arizona Residential Plumbing Contractor License (CR-37)

If you are bidding residential plumbing work in Arizona and want one license that also carries commercial plumbing scope, ROC points you to CR-37 Plumbing. The work usually gets delayed over three things: using the wrong dual-classification fee schedule, guessing at the bond instead of sizing it to annual volume, and missing the workers' compensation filing ROC expects to see again at renewal.

What CR-37 actually lets you do

ROC treats CR-37 as a dual plumbing classification. The published scope reaches the plumbing work allowed under both the commercial and residential plumbing classifications, including piping, fixtures, appliances, water-supply and drainage work, gas piping, septic and leaching components within the plumbing scope, lawn sprinkler systems, water-conditioning equipment, and pool-related piping that falls inside the plumbing classification.

What ROC checks in the application

ROC's classification-requirements bulletin lists 4 years of experience for CR-37, and the filing normally runs through both the Statutes and Rules Exam (SRE) and the plumbing trade exam. The application checklist also calls for background-check submissions for everyone named on the filing.

The financial side is where contractors often lose time. ROC requires a completed bond, but the amount varies with the license's annual Arizona volume rather than one flat CR-37 number. The application materials also require either a workers' compensation policy or the right exemption if the business has no employees. ROC's current specialty-dual fee schedule totals $850, made up of a $100 application fee, a $380 license fee, and a $370 recovery-fund assessment.

Renewal and ongoing compliance

CR-37 renews every 2 years. ROC's current specialty-dual renewal total is $650, and the renewal checklist adds a $50 late-renewal fee when the filing misses the on-time window.

Renewal is not just a payment event. ROC says the bond has to stay active and still match the annual volume on the license, so the amount can vary as annual volume changes. Contractors with employees need current workers' compensation information on file, and businesses without employees need the proper exemption selected at renewal.

Why the license matters

Arizona's public ROC guidance says a contractor license is required when the job needs a permit or when labor and materials exceed $1,000. Under A.R.S. § 32-1164, unlicensed contracting is a Class 1 misdemeanor, so a CR-37 filing problem can turn into more than a paperwork issue if the company keeps working.

*Disclaimer: This information is provided for general reference only and does not constitute legal advice. Always verify current requirements directly with the Arizona ROC before applying, renewing, or relying on this summary for a project decision.*