Skilled Trades & Labour

Canadian Resume Example for Plumbers

Plumbing contractors hire licensed people who pass inspection the first time and leave customers happy. Put your licences, your type of work and your inspection record up front.

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Updated 2026-09-27

What does a plumber resume need in Canada?

A plumber resume for a Canadian employer should fit on 1 to 2 pages. Open with a short summary, then put your plumbing licence and Red Seal near the top, along with any gas or backflow tickets. Follow with your work experience, newest first, with numbers wherever you have them. Use the job posting's own words for your skills, and list the ones it asks for first. Leave out your photo, date of birth, marital status and SIN.

• Length: 1 to 2 pages
• Put first: Plumbing licence
• Layout: Single column
• File type: PDF

A sample plumber resume

A sample plumber resume in Canadian format. The person and employers are made up.

Anthony Russo
Markham, ON · (905) 555-0193 · anthony.russo@email.com
306A and Red Seal, G2 gas licence

Summary

Licensed plumber (306A, Red Seal) and G2 gas technician with 8 years in residential service in the Greater Toronto Area. Handles 6 to 8 service calls a day, from drain and water line repairs to water heater and tankless installs, with a 4.9-star average from customer reviews and a backflow tester certificate.

Experience

Service Plumber, Clearflow Plumbing and Drains, Markham, ON, May 2021 to Present

• Completed 6 to 8 residential service calls a day, earning a 4.9-star average across 300+ customer reviews
• Installed 150+ water heaters and tankless units, each set up to code and passing inspection the first time
• Tested and certified 80+ backflow prevention devices a year for commercial clients
• Used camera inspection to find root intrusion and collapsed lines, saving customers unnecessary digging

Apprentice Plumber, Northbridge Mechanical, Toronto, ON, Aug 2018 to Apr 2021

• Ran rough-in and finish plumbing for a 150-bed care home, coordinating with mechanical and electrical trades

Certifications

• 306A Plumber with Red Seal
• G2 Gas Technician
• Backflow Prevention Tester, 2025

Education

Plumbing Techniques pre-apprenticeship, 2018

How to write a plumber resume in Canada

Plumbing is a compulsory trade in most of Canada, so a contractor's first question is whether you are licensed. Put your certificate of qualification at the top, such as the 306A in Ontario, along with your Red Seal, or your apprenticeship level if you are still training. If you also hold a gas licence, like a TSSA G2 or G3 in Ontario or a Class B gas fitter certificate in BC, list it right beside your plumbing licence. Many service jobs need both.

Then say what kind of plumbing you do. New residential construction, commercial and institutional work, and service and repair are different jobs with different skills. Service plumbers should show call volume, the problems they solve and customer reviews. New construction plumbers should show the size of the projects, the rough-in and finish work they did and their inspection pass rate.

Name the systems and the code. Copper, PEX and ABS or PVC piping, water heaters and tankless units, backflow prevention, sump pumps and camera inspection are all worth listing. Knowledge of the National Plumbing Code and your provincial code, like Part 7 of the Ontario Building Code, shows you do work that passes. Add Working at Heights or confined space training if your work needs it.

The layout rules that apply to every job are in our Canadian resume format guide. If you would rather start from a blank page that already follows them, use a free Canadian resume template.

Plumber professional summary examples

Your summary is the first thing a recruiter reads. Pick the one closest to your own background and change every detail so it describes you.

• Licensed plumber (306A, Red Seal) and G2 gas technician with 8 years in residential service in the Greater Toronto Area. Handles 6 to 8 service calls a day, from drain and water line repairs to water heater and tankless installs, with a 4.9-star average from customer reviews and a backflow tester certificate.
• Red Seal plumber with 6 years on commercial and institutional projects in Calgary, including schools and a 150-bed care home. Experienced in rough-in and finish, large-diameter drainage, domestic water systems and medical gas coordination, with every inspection passed on the first visit in the last 3 years.
• Third-year plumbing apprentice with 3 years on new residential construction in Saskatoon, doing rough-in, venting and finish work in PEX, copper and ABS. Completed Saskatchewan technical training levels 1 to 3, owns a full tool set and is looking for a service apprenticeship to finish the trade.

Skills to put on a plumber resume

List the hard skills first, because they are what screening software and hiring managers search for. Keep soft skills to the ones a bullet point further down can back up.

Hard skills

• Rough-in and finish plumbing
• Drain, waste and vent (DWV) systems
• Copper, PEX and ABS/PVC piping
• Water heaters and tankless systems
• Gas piping and appliance hookups
• Backflow prevention and testing
• Drain camera inspection and clearing
• Blueprint and isometric reading
• National Plumbing Code and provincial codes
• Fixture installation and repair

Soft skills

• Problem solving
• Customer service
• Attention to detail
• Reliability
• Time management
• Clean work habits

Words to mirror from the job posting

Employers and their screening software look for the words they used in the ad. When one of these appears in a posting and it is true for you, use the same wording on your resume.

• plumber
• 306A
• Red Seal
• gas fitter
• service plumbing
• rough-in
• backflow prevention
• plumbing code

Work experience bullet examples

Each one starts with what you did and ends with a result. Keep the shape and put your own numbers in.

1. Completed 6 to 8 residential service calls a day, earning a 4.9-star average across 300+ customer reviews
2. Installed 150+ water heaters and tankless units, each set up to code and passing inspection the first time
3. Ran rough-in and finish plumbing for a 150-bed care home, coordinating with mechanical and electrical trades
4. Tested and certified 80+ backflow prevention devices a year for commercial clients
5. Used camera inspection to find root intrusion and collapsed lines, saving customers unnecessary digging
6. Passed every municipal plumbing inspection on the first visit for 3 straight years
7. Trained 2 apprentices on rough-in layout, soldering and code requirements

Certifications and licences that help

Write each one out in full with the issuing body and the date. An employer should never have to guess what an acronym means or whether it has expired.

• 306A Plumber (or your province's certificate): Required to work in the trade in compulsory-trade provinces. Give the number and year.
• Red Seal Plumber: The interprovincial endorsement. It lets you work across Canada.
• Gas licence (TSSA G3 or G2, BC Class B): Needed for gas piping and appliances. List the class and the regulator.
• Backflow prevention tester: A certification many municipalities require to test and certify backflow devices.

What recruiters wish you knew

Stack your licences at the top

Plumbing licence, Red Seal, gas licence and backflow tester certificate all belong in the first few lines. Together they tell a contractor exactly what jobs you can do alone.

Pick service or construction

Service contractors want call volume and customer ratings. Construction contractors want project size and inspections passed. Lead with the work that matches the job you want.

Show you pass inspection

A first-time inspection pass rate is proof of code knowledge and clean work. If yours is strong, put it in a bullet.

The section order for a plumber resume

Top to bottom, in the order a hiring manager in this field wants to read it.

1. Contact details. City, phone and email, plus your driver's licence class if the job involves driving.
2. Professional summary. Your trade, years on the job and your most useful ticket.
3. Licences and tickets. Trade certificate, Red Seal, WHMIS, Working at Heights or forklift, each with a date.
4. Work experience. Employer, the type and size of the work, and your safety record.
5. Skills and equipment. Tools, machines and processes you can run without supervision.
6. Education and training. Apprenticeship level or hours, trade school and safety courses.

What recruiters check first

Your trade ticket or Red Seal, WHMIS and Working at Heights, and the equipment you can run. Where to put it: A licences and tickets section near the top.

Common mistakes on plumber resumes

These come up again and again, and each one is quick to fix.

Listing the trade, not the work

Service, new construction and commercial plumbing need different skills. Say which you do most, and the systems you install and repair.

Leaving gas and backflow tickets for the end

A gas licence or a backflow tester certificate can widen the calls you can take. Put them near the top, where a service manager will see them.

Ignoring customer reviews

In residential service, how you treat people in their home matters as much as the repair. A strong review average or repeat customers are worth a line.

Before you send it

Six quick checks. Each takes less than a minute.

• The job title in your summary matches the one in the posting.
• Every certification is written out in full, with the issuing body and the expiry date.
• At least half of your bullets include a number.
• There is no photo, date of birth, marital status or SIN.
• It is saved as a PDF, unless the posting asks for a Word file.
• You ran it through the free resume check and fixed what it found.

Plumber resume FAQ

What should a plumber resume include in Canada?

Your plumbing licence and Red Seal, any gas and backflow certifications, whether you do service or construction, the systems and materials you work with, and your inspection and customer results. Add your apprenticeship level if you are still training.

Do plumbers need a licence in Canada?

In most provinces plumbing is a compulsory trade, so you need a certificate of qualification or a registered apprenticeship to do the work. Gas work needs a separate licence, such as a TSSA G3 or G2 in Ontario or a gas fitter certificate in BC. Check your province's rules.

What skills should a plumber put on a resume?

Rough-in and finish plumbing, DWV systems, water heaters, gas piping, backflow testing, drain inspection and code knowledge. For soft skills, choose problem solving, customer service, attention to detail and clean work habits.

How do I write a plumber resume as an apprentice?

List your apprenticeship level, hours and technical training, then describe the work you do on site: rough-in, venting, finish, service calls. Mention the materials and tools you know and say what you want to learn next.

Can I work as a plumber in Canada with foreign experience?

Yes, usually by having your hours and experience assessed and then challenging the certificate exam through your provincial apprenticeship body. Until you are licensed, you may work as a registered apprentice. Describe your experience in hours and say where you are in the process.

What is a good objective for a plumber resume?

One or two lines on your licences and type of work. For example: Licensed plumber and G2 gas technician with six years in residential service, looking for a senior service role with a company that values customer care.

Related resume examples

• Electrician resume example: Lead with your trade licence, Red Seal, and code knowledge for Canadian contractors.
• Carpenter resume example: Show your carpentry type, the projects you built and your safety tickets.
• Welder resume example: Lead with CWB tickets, welding processes, and blueprint reading for Canadian shops.
• Construction Worker resume example: Put safety tickets, trade skills, and site experience where foremen look first.

Further reading

• Writing an Entry-Level Resume With No Experience
• Getting a Job in Canada With No Canadian Experience
• How to Write a Cover Letter for a Canadian Resume
• Translating Foreign Job Titles and Credentials for Canada
• The Best Job Search Sites in Canada

Keep building your Canadian resume

• Canadian Resume Format Guide: What to include, what to leave out, and how to structure every section.
• Canadian Resume Template: A free, ATS-safe template with the right sections in the right order.
• ATS Resume Checker Canada: Score your resume against Canadian ATS screening and see exactly what to fix. Free.
• Resume Builder Canada: Build an ATS-ready Canadian resume with the right format and keywords.
• AI Resume Builder Canada: Draft and tailor resumes to each Canadian job posting you paste in.
• Free CV Builder Canada: Turn an international CV into the Canadian format employers expect.

Turn this example into your own resume.

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