Plumbing brings clean water into homes and carries waste away safely. You'll learn how these systems work, use real tools, and do simple repairs under supervision. These are handy skills that save time and money.
Why it's worth it
Clean water in and waste water out is one of the biggest reasons people live longer today than they did 150 years ago, and plumbers keep it working. This badge teaches you how the pipes in your home actually run, how to use real tools, and how to fix the small problems that cost families money, like a running toilet or a slow drain. Plumbing is also a skilled trade where you can earn while you learn through an apprenticeship and build toward running your own business.
Start this week
- With a parent, find your home's main water shutoff valve and learn how to turn it off in an emergency.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Plumbing counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Open the cabinet under a sink and trace where the hot and cold lines come in and where the drain goes out. Sketch what you see.
- Make a list of plumbing jobs your home needs, like an old faucet to replace or a slow sink drain whose trap needs cleaning, that you could do with an adult for requirement 6.
Stay safe
- Shut off the water before opening any line, and do all hands-on work with a skilled adult supervising.
- Never work on gas lines or water heater gas or electrical connections. Those belong to licensed professionals.
- Wear safety glasses when cutting pipe or clearing drains, and use torches or chemical drain cleaners only if an adult is in charge.
Requirements · 7
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
- Requirement 1
Health and safety
Tips for this section: Talk about why plumbing rules protect people's health, and learn the safety steps before working on any pipes.
Example for this section: Explain how a P-trap holds water to block sewer gas, why codes require backflow prevention so dirty water can't get into drinking lines, and the safety steps you take before working, like shutting off water and power to a water heater.
- Requirement 1a
Describe how a plumbing system that works properly keeps your family healthy and safe
- Requirement 1b
List five important local health rules about plumbing and tell how each protects health and safety
- Requirement 1c
Describe the safety steps to take when doing plumbing repairs at home
- Requirement 2
Supply and drainage systems
Tips for this section: Trace the pipes in your basement or under the sink, then draw where water comes in and goes out.
Example for this section: Draw your home's system in two colors: blue and red for the cold and hot supply lines from the meter and water heater, and brown for drains, traps, and the vent pipe through the roof. Label the shutoff valves.
- Requirement 2a
Draw a home's hot- and cold-water supply system and explain how it works, and tell how you'd keep it from freezing
- Requirement 2b
Draw a house's plumbing drainage system and explain it. Show and explain what drains and vents do
- Requirement 3
Show how to use five important plumbing tools
Tip: Ask a parent or plumber to show you how to use each tool before you try it.
For example: Show five tools with a real task for each: an adjustable wrench on a supply nut, a pipe wrench on threaded pipe, a plunger on a sink, a tubing cutter on copper, and a hacksaw or PVC cutter on plastic pipe.
- Requirement 4
Identify and explain these terms: water meter, drainpipe, trap, union, plug, coupling, nipple, tee, elbow, flux, solder, plunger (rubber force cup), retaining nut, and washer
Tip: Make flash cards of common terms and fittings, and look for them at a hardware store.
- Requirement 5
Name the pipe types most often used in plumbing systems and explain why each is used
Tip: Visit a hardware store to see and compare different pipe types.
For example: Bring short samples or photos of copper, PEX, PVC, ABS, and galvanized steel. For each, say where you'd find it, like PEX for supply lines in newer homes or PVC and ABS for drains.
- Requirement 6
Hands-on plumbing. Choose 4 of 7
Tips for this section: Do these tasks with a skilled adult supervising, like replacing a faucet or cleaning out a sink trap.
Example for this section: Four tasks with an adult might be: name the pipes and fittings in a hardware store's plumbing aisle, clean out a sink P-trap, wrap thread tape on a fitting, and cut PVC pipe and solvent-weld a coupling, a tee, and an elbow.
- Requirement 6a
With a knowledgeable adult supervising, go to the plumbing section at a home center or hardware store and identify 6a1 through 6a6
- Requirement 6a1
PVC pipe and fittings
- Requirement 6a2
CPVC pipe and fittings
- Requirement 6a3
PEX pipe and fittings
- Requirement 6a4
Copper pipe and fittings
- Requirement 6a5
Steel pipe and fittings
- Requirement 6a6
Specialty plumbing tools
- Requirement 6b
With a knowledgeable adult supervising, cut and deburr PVC or CPVC pipe and solvent weld three or more joints, including a coupling, a tee, and an elbow
- Requirement 6c
With a knowledgeable adult supervising, cut PEX pipe and make one or more joints using a crimp fitting (with its special tools) or a quick-connect fitting
- Requirement 6d
With a knowledgeable adult supervising, use a gas torch to solder a copper joint
- Requirement 6e
With a knowledgeable adult supervising, replace a kitchen or bathroom faucet
- Requirement 6f
With a knowledgeable adult supervising, take out a sink or lavatory drain trap, clean or replace it, and put it back in
- Requirement 6g
With a knowledgeable adult supervising, correctly wrap pipe thread tape on a pipe or plumbing fitting
- Requirement 7
Name three careers that use plumbing skills. Pick one and research its training, education, certification, experience, and costs to get started, plus job outlook, starting pay, and advancement. Discuss what you learned and your interest with your counselor
Tip: Ask a plumber how they learned the trade and what an apprenticeship is like.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A plumbing supply house or the plumbing aisle of a hardware store
You can see every kind of pipe, fitting, valve, and trap side by side and learn what each is for.
How: Go with a parent at a quiet time and ask a staff member to show you fittings for copper, PEX, and PVC.
A trade school or union training center
Apprentices practice on full-size mock-ups of bathrooms and kitchens, and instructors can show you how the trade is taught.
How: A leader can call and ask whether they host open houses or tours for youth groups.
A water treatment or wastewater plant
You'll see where your home's water comes from and where it goes after the drain.
How: A leader can call the city or utility and ask about public tours. Many offer them to school and Scout groups.
Where it can lead
- PlumberInstalls and repairs water and drain systems; most learn through a paid apprenticeship.
- Pipefitter or steamfitterBuilds high-pressure piping for factories, hospitals, and power plants.
- Water treatment plant operatorRuns the equipment that keeps a city's water safe to drink.
- Plumbing inspectorChecks new work to make sure it meets code and protects public health.
- Mechanical engineerDesigns plumbing and heating systems for large buildings; needs an engineering degree.
Ask yourself
- What surprised you most about what's hidden behind your walls?
- Which repair felt hardest, and what helped you finish it?
- How would you handle a burst pipe now compared with before this badge?
- What does it take to do a job right instead of just fast?
- Could you see yourself working in a trade, and what draws you to it or away from it?
Good questions to ask a licensed plumber or your counselor
- What's the most common problem you get called for, and how could people prevent it?
- How does an apprenticeship work, and how long does it take to become licensed?
- What's the strangest thing you've ever pulled out of a drain?
- Which tool would you tell a beginner to learn first?
- How has plumbing changed since you started, with new pipe types and fixtures?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Partner with a local plumber or trade school for hands-on demonstrations.
- Make sure water is turned off and an adult supervises any repair work.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- Hardware store — See pipes, fittings, and tools up close.
- Local plumber or trade school — Learn from professionals in the field.
- Public library — Books, videos, and a librarian who can help you dig deeper.
- EPA WaterSense (opens in a new tab) — How fixing leaks and choosing efficient fixtures saves water at home.
- EPA Ground Water and Drinking Water (opens in a new tab) — How drinking water is kept safe from source to tap.
- Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (opens in a new tab) — A trade group with information on plumbing careers and training.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.