Licensing guide · Nova Scotia

How to Become a Pump Installer in Nova Scotia

Last checked 1 source checked

Do you need a licence?

Licence required

You must be registered with Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change to work as a pump installer in Nova Scotia or to use a protected title.

Protected titles
water well pump installer (Class I or Class II)
Show the source
“Anyone who wants to hold themselves out as water well pump installer (Class I or Class II), install a pump, repair a pump, modify pumping equipment, or modify a well during the installation of a pump, on any property in Nova Scotia, which they themselves do not own or lease.”

From novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp, checked October 10, 2026.

At a glance

Licence status
Licence required See the source
Routes
Annual fees
Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change

Your roadmap

Every route is listed. Follow the one that matches where you trained.

Trained in Canada

  • 4 steps without a listed fee
  • Listed time: 0.2 to 0.3 months (only 1 of 4 steps state a time)

  1. Applicants contact the Nova Scotia Groundwater Association to arrange the required exam, and oral exams and study materials are available through that association.

    Source
    “Applicants contact Nova Scotia Groundwater Association (NSGWA) to arrange the required exam. Oral exams are available for those who may require it, and study materials are available through NSGWA.”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

  2. Applicants must pass the required exam with a mark of at least 70 percent, and if they fail they must wait at least 90 days before rewriting a different exam.

    Source
    “Applicants successfully complete the required exam. The pass mark for the exam is 70%. If you do not pass the exam, you must wait a minimum of 90 days to re-write the exam. The re-write is not the same as the original exam.”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

  3. After passing the exam, NSECC contacts applicants and provides the required forms, which can also be obtained from the website or a Regional Office.

    Source
    “NSECC will contact applicants following successful completion of the required exam and provide all required forms. Applicants can also obtain the forms on our website or by contacting the Regional Office as listed above.”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

  4. NSECC issues the certificate once all submitted items are complete, and applicants typically receive a response within 5-10 business days.

    Time: 5 to 10 days
    Time source
    “Applicants will typically receive a response from NSECC within 5-10 business days.”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp
    Source
    “NSECC will issue a certificate of qualification after all items are submitted and determined to be complete. Applicants will typically receive a response from NSECC within 5-10 business days.”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change

4 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Licensed in another province

  • 2 steps without a listed fee

  1. Applicants holding a pump installer certificate from another province or country contact NSECC to determine their eligibility and requirements.

    Source
    “If you have a well pump installer certificate of qualification from another province or country, contact NSECC to determine eligibility and requirements.”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

  2. Applicants may be required to successfully complete the written exam and provide documentation of work experience to become certified in Nova Scotia.

    Source
    “You may be required to successfully complete the written exam and provide documentation of work experience to become certified in Nova Scotia.”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change

2 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Requirements

Conditions the regulator sets on top of the roadmap steps.

Experience

  • For a Class II Certificate, applicants must have at least 3,000 hours of work experience supervised by a certified well pump installer installing well pumps up to 1 ½ horsepower or single-phase motor driven.

    Source
    “Class II Certificate - have at least 3,000 hours of work experience, supervised by a certified well pump installer, installing well pumps up to 1 ½ horsepower or single-phase motor driven”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

  • For a Class I Certificate, applicants must have at least 1,000 hours of supervised work experience installing well pumps over 1½ horsepower while holding a Class II well pump installer certificate.

    Source
    “Class I Certificate – have at least 1,000 hours of work experience, supervised by a certified Class I well pump installer, installing well pumps over 1½ horsepower, single or multi-phase motor driven, while holding a Class II well pump installer certificate”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

Insurance

Other

  • Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

    Source
    “be 18 years of age or older”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

  • Applicants must successfully complete a written or verbal test of competence in pump installation and demonstrate a working knowledge of Nova Scotia's Well Construction Regulations.

    Source
    “successfully complete a written or verbal test of competence in pump installation and demonstrate a working knowledge of Nova Scotia’s Well Construction Regulations”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

  • Applicants must submit an application with the required documentation and fee.

    Source
    “submit an application with the required documentation and fee”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

Already licensed in another province?

Extra steps

Applicants with a pump installer certificate from another province or country must contact NSECC to determine eligibility and may be required to complete the written exam and provide documentation of work experience.

Source
“If you have a well pump installer certificate of qualification from another province or country, contact NSECC to determine eligibility and requirements. You may be required to successfully complete the written exam and provide documentation of work experience to become certified in Nova Scotia.”
novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

  1. Contact NSECC

    Source
    “If you have a well pump installer certificate of qualification from another province or country, contact NSECC to determine eligibility and requirements.”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

  2. Complete exam and documentation

    Source
    “You may be required to successfully complete the written exam and provide documentation of work experience to become certified in Nova Scotia.”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change

Check a move between two provinces

Credential assessment

Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change

Exams

  • written or verbal test of competence in pump installation

    Source
    “successfully complete a written or verbal test of competence in pump installation and demonstrate a working knowledge of Nova Scotia’s Well Construction Regulations”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

  • written exam

    Source
    “You may be required to successfully complete the written exam and provide documentation of work experience to become certified in Nova Scotia.”
    novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp

Language tests

Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change

Compare scores across provinces and professions

Canadian experience

Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change

Supervised practice

Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change

Demand and pay

No Job Bank wage or outlook data for this occupation yet.

Pump installers in other provinces and territories

Regulated in 0 of the other 12 jurisdictions checked so far. The rules differ from one place to the next.

  • British Columbia Not confirmed yet
  • Alberta Not confirmed yet
  • Saskatchewan Not confirmed yet
  • Manitoba Not confirmed yet
  • Ontario Not confirmed yet
  • Quebec Not confirmed yet
  • New Brunswick Not confirmed yet
  • Prince Edward Island Not confirmed yet
  • Newfoundland and Labrador Not confirmed yet
  • Yukon Not confirmed yet
  • Northwest Territories Not confirmed yet
  • Nunavut Not confirmed yet

Compare pump installer licensing across Canada

Sources checked

Pages read on October 10, 2026.

  1. Nova Scotia Permits Directory-Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change-Pump Installer's Certificate of Qualification novascotia.ca/sns/paal/nse/paal433.asp · fetched October 10, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as a pump installer in Nova Scotia?

Yes. Registration with Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change is required to practise in Nova Scotia, and to use the title water well pump installer (Class I or Class II).

Which exams are required?

written or verbal test of competence in pump installation, written exam.

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