Do you need a permit to repipe a house in Chandler?

The manual does not use the word repipe. It does draw a line between ordinary repairs and everything else, in its Work Exempt from Permit section. It says "a permit is not required for ordinary repairs to structures, replacement of lamps, or the connection of approved portable electrical equipment to approved permanently installed receptacles." Then it limits that: "Ordinary repairs shall not include addition to, alteration of, replacement or relocation of any standpipe," That sentence runs onto the next page of the manual: "water supply, sewer, drainage, drain leader, gas, soil, waste, vent or similar piping, electric wiring or mechanical or other work affecting public health or general safety."

That sentence carries the answer. Water supply, drain, waste, vent and gas piping are all on the list, and replacement is one of the listed acts. Our reading: a whole-house repipe replaces water supply piping, so it sits outside "ordinary repairs" and needs a permit. The manual itself never says repipe or whole house, and it does not describe a small pipe repair.

The manual also warns that "Exemption from the permit requirements of the code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction." Even exempt work has to meet code.

• Ordinary repair: the manual's phrase for work that needs no permit. It does not define it beyond the exclusions above.
• Water supply piping: the lines that carry water to your fixtures. Our reading, since the manual does not define it.
• Work exempt from permit: the manual's numbered list of jobs, such as "Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, counter tops and similar finish work."

It covers work on a Chandler house under the Homeowner Building Permit Manual, whether the owner or a contractor does it. It does not cover the like-for-like appliance swaps the manual exempts. Item 10 exempts "Like for like replacement of residential water heaters and water softeners," and our page on the Chandler water heater permit covers that in detail. Commercial buildings follow the commercial process, not this manual.

The whole-house repipe. A 1990s Chandler house has pinhole leaks in its copper lines. The owner hires a licensed plumber to replace the supply piping. Under our reading, the plumber pulls a permit first, the water piping is inspected while it is exposed, and the walls get closed afterward.

The like-for-like swap. The same owner's water heater fails the same month. Replacing it with the same kind of unit is on the manual's exempt list, so that piece of the job needs no permit even when the repipe next to it does.

The edge case: moving fixtures. An owner repipes and also moves the kitchen sink to the other wall. Relocation of drain and water lines is named in the manual, and the manual's room addition section asks for a water meter worksheet "if you are adding plumbing fixtures." A repipe that adds fixtures raises more questions with the city than a straight replacement. The permit owner or contractor page explains who may apply.

1. 1Call the Plan Reviewer of the Day at 480-782-3078, or email prod@chandleraz.gov. The manual sends "questions regarding if a permit is required or not" there. Describe the scope: which lines, and whether any fixture moves.
2. 2Decide who applies. The manual says "Any construction requiring a permit also requires that a licensed contractor do the work unless the owner-applicant performs the work."
3. 3Apply through Chandler Development Services with the plumbing plans the manual asks for where they apply. Plan review fees are due when you submit.
4. 4Expect a fee based on project valuation, with a $60.00 minimum. The fee schedule's line for "Miscellaneous minor residential work" with "1-6 plbg. openings" is $100.00. It does not say which line a repipe falls under.
5. 5Book inspections before anything is covered. The manual's list includes water piping (groundwork) and rough plumbing, "installed and under pressure test, but not covered." Our page on Chandler plumbing inspections walks through the stages.

For the job itself, see how long a whole-house repipe takes and what to ask before hiring someone to repipe.

• Thinking it is just a repair. The manual's exemption is for ordinary repairs, and it excludes replacement of water supply, drain and gas piping.
• Leaving the permit for the plumber to sort out later. The manual says a project "under construction or completed without a permit may be charged a double permit fee."
• Treating exempt as anything goes. The manual says exemption does not authorize work in violation of the code.
• Assuming every city treats it the same. Scottsdale lists "Replace water lines for single family residence" by name. Phoenix's rule turns on concealed pipe being removed and replaced. Chandler's rule is the general one above.

This page explains Chandler's published manual; the city decides your scope.