Do I Need a Permit for Plumbing Work?

Plumbing permits cause more confusion than most because the work ranges from a five-minute faucet cartridge swap to trenching a new sewer line across the yard. Building codes deal with this by exempting a short list of repairs and treating almost everything else as permit work. The reason is health, not paperwork: a bad drain connection or a missing backflow device can contaminate drinking water or let sewer gas into a house.

Most states and cities start from the plumbing chapters of the International Residential Code (IRC) or from a state plumbing code. Then they add their own exemptions and licensing rules. Use this guide to understand the typical lines, then confirm with your local building department.

What the model code exempts

IRC Section R105.2 lists plumbing work that needs no permit. In full, the exemption covers:

• Stopping leaks in drains, water, soil, waste or vent pipe. If a concealed trap, drainpipe, water, soil, waste or vent pipe is defective and has to be removed and replaced with new material, that “shall be considered as new work,” and a permit and inspection are required.
• Clearing stoppages, repairing leaks in pipes, valves or fixtures, and removing and reinstalling toilets (water closets). This holds only as long as the repairs “do not involve or require the replacement or rearrangement of valves, pipes or fixtures.”

The ordinary-repairs section (R105.2.2) points the same way. Repairs that need no notice to the building official do not include “addition to, alteration of, replacement or relocation of any water supply, sewer, drainage, drain leader, gas, soil, waste, vent or similar piping.”

Under the model code, then, replacing a fixture, valve or section of pipe is permit work. Many jurisdictions loosen that for simple fixture swaps, as the city examples below show.

When you usually need a permit

Expect to need a plumbing permit for:

• Adding or extending any water supply or drain line, including for a new sink, laundry, wet bar, ice maker line or outdoor hose bib.
• Moving a fixture to a new location, as most kitchen and bathroom remodels do.
• Replacing a shower, tub or shower valve.
• Replacing concealed drain, waste, vent or supply piping, including repiping a house.
• Replacing or repairing the building sewer (the lateral from the house to the public sewer) or the water service line from the meter or curb stop.
• Installing a backflow preventer, water softener, sewage ejector or grinder pump.
• Replacing a water heater, which most jurisdictions treat as permit work. See do I need a permit to replace a water heater.

Work that is often exempt

• Clearing a clogged drain or toilet.
• Fixing a leak without replacing pipe, such as tightening a fitting or replacing a washer.
• Pulling and resetting the same toilet, for example to replace the wax ring.
• Replacing internal parts of a toilet, faucet or valve.
• In many places, swapping a faucet, sink or toilet in the same location without changing the piping. Check first, because the model IRC does not exempt this.

How the rules differ by city

• Austin, Texas. Austin goes beyond the IRC. It exempts work “to repair or replace fixtures and to replace exposed traps, continuous waste piping, fixture supply valves, or faucets” when no other trade inspections are involved. It says outright that installing or replacing a shower, tub or tub-and-shower combination is not exempt. Owners can do trade work on their own home under a Homestead Permit if they have a homestead exemption on file with the county appraisal district. That permit does not cover liquefied petroleum (propane) plumbing systems or auxiliary water systems. A separate Plumbing Service Line permit lets a non-licensed plumber install or repair water and sewer service lines on private property, from the right-of-way to no closer than 5 feet from the building.
• Texas (statewide). The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners says state law “permits property owners to perform plumbing repairs on their own homestead without a license.” It adds that local governments often require permits and inspections anyway.
• Minneapolis. In one- and two-family homes, the city lists plumbing work that may not need a permit, provided you don’t alter or replace the existing water supply line or piping system. The list includes replacing sink faucets and toilets, dishwashers and garbage disposals, and internal working parts. It also covers repairing broken drain, waste and vent pipes and leaking fixtures and water pipes, and installing a new garbage disposal. Owners who live in a single-family home can do their own plumbing and mechanical work, but not work on gas-fired heating equipment. Minnesota requires individual plumbers to be licensed or registered with the state. A “certified pipelayer” credential covers water service and building sewer pipe outside the building only.
• Virginia (statewide). The Uniform Statewide Building Code treats “replacement of plumbing fixtures and well pumps” as an ordinary repair that needs no permit, as long as the water supply, drainage and vent systems aren’t altered.
• Philadelphia. Plumbing can be permitted as an EZ permit without plans. However, the city says a contractor with a specific license is “always required” for plumbing work, even on an owner-occupied one- or two-family home. Fees effective October 1, 2026 for a one- or two-family home are:
  • $31 for fixture replacement with no piping work, for a water heater, or for house drains and traps.
  • $37 to repair or replace water lines, waste lines or stacks.
  • $126 to replace the water distribution line from the curb stop into the building.
  • $50 for the first seven fixtures in alterations, plus $22.50 for each additional fixture.
  • The EZ permit page adds $3 city and $4.50 state surcharges.
• Denver. Denver issues plumbing quick permits without plan review for single-family and duplex homes. The list includes water service, showers, tubs and sinks, toilets, dishwashers, garbage disposals, floor drains, water heaters, water softeners, backflow preventers and gas piping outlets.

Sewer laterals and water service lines

The building sewer and water service are where plumbing permits and city utility rules overlap. Typically:

• The pipe on your property is private plumbing and needs a plumbing permit. Some places, like Austin and Minnesota, let a specially credentialed non-plumber do this outdoor work.
• The connection at the public main, and any digging in the street or sidewalk, usually needs a separate utility or right-of-way permit. Austin, for example, has a separate Plumbing Utility Connection permit for outside, underground water and wastewater connections.
• The model IRC (P2503.4) tests a new building sewer by plugging it where it meets the public sewer and filling it to at least a 10-foot head of water. The pressure has to hold for at least 15 minutes.

Before you excavate, call 811 to have buried utilities marked.

What inspectors check

Plumbing inspections are built around tests. Under IRC Section P2503:

• Nothing gets covered first (P2503.2). No plumbing may be covered, concealed or put into use until it has been tested, inspected and approved.
• Drain, waste and vent rough-in (P2503.5.1). One option is a water test: fill each section to at least 10 feet above its highest fitting and hold for 15 minutes with no leaks.
• Water supply (P2503.7). Test at no less than the system’s working pressure, or with at least 50 psi of air for piping other than plastic. Either way, hold for 15 minutes.
• Shower liners (P2503.6). Plug the drain and flood the pan to at least 2 inches at the threshold for 15 minutes.
• Who supplies the test (P2503.3). The permit holder supplies the test equipment and labor.

A final inspection then checks fixtures, traps, venting, water heater safety items and backflow protection.

What to have ready

• Scope of work: which fixtures are being added, replaced or moved, and whether any concealed piping changes.
• A simple sketch or isometric for new drain and vent runs, if your department asks for one.
• Ownership and homestead proof if you are applying as an owner. Austin, for example, requires a homestead exemption on file.
• Plumber’s license number if you are hiring one. Verify it with the state board.
• Utility or right-of-way permits for sewer or water service work at the street.
• Access for testing: leave walls and trenches open until the rough-in inspection passes.

Questions to ask your building department

• Can I replace a toilet, faucet or sink in the same spot without a permit?
• Can I pull a plumbing permit as the homeowner, or must a licensed plumber?
• Who handles the sewer lateral and water service, the building department or the utility?
• Which inspections and tests are required, and do I supply the test equipment?
• Is a backflow device or expansion tank required where I’m making changes?

If plumbing was done without a permit, see our guide to unpermitted work. For remodel-specific rules, see the bathroom remodel and kitchen remodel guides.