Plumbing board moves into new Cameron Road facility, says testing will resume despite slow work by state facilities commission

The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners on Sept. 10 said it has completed a move to a new Cameron Road facility and plans to resume inspector testing within weeks, while criticizing the Texas Facilities Commission for slow progress on requested building modifications.

Chairman Duncan told the board the agency vacated its previous building on schedule and used state prison labor and internal staff to cut moving costs. “It’s state money, but it’s our money,” he said, describing a decision to reject a $175,000 private moving bid and rely on other arrangements that the board estimated would cost roughly $30,000–$40,000. He also said the board obtained local contractors to repair a damaged flagpole and signage for about $4,800, far less than a $94,000 estimate he received from the facilities commission.

The board emphasized it would not wait on the facilities commission to complete nonstructural items the board requested, saying temporary workarounds (including running temporary power and modifying display houses used for testing) would let the agency begin holding practical inspections soon. “We believe that within 2 weeks’ time, we will be testing inspectors over here,” the chair said; the board also discussed aiming to examine plumbers at the site by Nov. 1, with a staff estimate that some members thought testing could begin as early as Oct. 15.

Staff and board members described operational preparations: licensing staff were moved first and kept working by phone, the agency repurposed an acquired truck to shuttle materials at minimal cost, and employees modified shelving and temporary power to make at least one test house functional. Lisa (staff) said licensing work continued through the move: “We’ve never missed a beat on licensing or things of that nature,” she said.

Board staff reported that Waco testing operations remain open but are booked for weeks; the board said reopening the Cameron Road location is intended to increase testing capacity and reduce appointment waits. The agency also discussed experimenting with a second shift at the Waco testing center to add capacity, with a pilot planned within about 60 days.

The board highlighted outreach and personnel items tied to facility operations: newly hired staff included an enforcement attorney and an administrative licensing employee; the agency has sent staff to industry events and high school outreach programs; and it acquired a surplus truck the board is using for local logistics and outreach at no acquisition cost beyond registration and minor expenses.

Why this matters: restoring on-site testing and increasing capacity affects how quickly journeymen and other applicants can take exams and enter the workforce, a point the board connected to industry staffing needs.

The board said it will continue to do temporary workarounds where needed and will hold a future in-person meeting at the new facility once the conference room is presentable. No formal action was required on the move itself during the Sept. 10 meeting.