What happens if you do plumbing work without a permit in Chandler?

The manual's Working Without a Permit box opens with two items: "The City of Chandler can issue a Legal Notice or an Order to Comply." and "There is an increased cost for obtaining a permit. Permit fees are doubled for building without a permit." The Fees section says the same thing more softly: "Any project under construction or completed without a permit may be charged a double permit fee."

Read the two together. The Chandler manual's Working Without a Permit box states the fee is doubled. The Fees section says a project "may be charged" a double fee. Our reading: budget for the double fee, and treat the exact amount as the city's call on your file.

The rest of the box covers safety and consequences:

• "There are potential hazards, such as fire danger and drinking water contamination."
• "The City of Chandler can order the removal of non-compliant work, such as a room addition, and all costs are the responsibility of the homeowner."
• "Issues often arise when you go to sell your house/ County Assessor records do not match, FHA will not provide a loan."
• "In some cases, your homeowners’ insurance may not cover issues that occur because of the non-permitted construction."

The code text behind the Legal Notice, the stop work order and the criminal penalty is covered on our page about City Code 29-1.3.

• Legal Notice: the manual does not define it. Our reading: a written notice from the city about the violation.
• Order to Comply: the manual does not define it or list steps or a deadline. Our reading: a city order to correct the problem.
• Doubled permit fee: the normal permit fee, times two. Permit fees follow the project's valuation, with a $60.00 minimum for a valuation of $500.00 or less.
• Non-permitted construction: work that needed a permit and did not have one.

The manual is written for homeowners, and its list applies to a house you own. It also says "It is the responsibility of the homeowner or the contractor to obtain a building permit," so a contractor who skips the permit is not off the hook, and a landlord must use a licensed contractor to obtain the permit. It does not apply to work the manual lists as exempt, for example "Like for like replacement of residential water heaters and water softeners, furnaces, pool or spa heating equipment, evaporative coolers, water treatment systems". The manual adds 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."

The DIY bathroom. An owner-occupant moves a shower valve and adds a drain, and never applies. The manual says an owner can do the work as owner-applicant, and the permit was the only step missing. When they apply later, the manual says the fee "may be charged" at double. Nothing in it suggests the work itself is barred, but the city decides what it needs to see.

The buyer. A couple offers on a house with a new-looking bathroom addition. The manual tells buyers how to see a home's permit history: enter the address on the Development Services tab of the CLICS portal. If nothing shows and the work looks new, that is a question to ask the seller before closing, since the manual warns about county records not matching and about FHA loans.

The edge case: the water heater. A homeowner swaps a tank water heater for the same type in the same spot and skips the permit. That job is on the manual's exempt list, so there is no violation to legalize. Change the fuel type or move the unit, and it is no longer like for like, which is our reading of "like for like".

1. 1Check whether the work was exempt. The manual has a Work Exempt from Permit list. The Plan Reviewer of the Day (480-782-3078, prod@chandleraz.gov) answers permit-or-not questions, including how the city will handle the fee and inspections for work already in place.
2. 2Look up the address's permit history. Use https://developmentpermits.chandleraz.gov/clics/Default.aspx, click the "Development Services" tab and enter the address or permit number. For more, the manual says "you may need to submit a records request to records.requestinfo@chandleraz.gov".
3. 3If a permit was needed, apply as you would for new work: the Development Services Construction Permit Counter is at 215 East Buffalo Street in downtown Chandler, and the manual points to the city's Building Safety, Plan Review, Permits and Inspections page for the online process. Plan review fees are due when you submit plans.
4. 4Schedule the inspections the permit card lists. The manual describes the rough plumbing inspection as when "All rough-in plumbing is installed and under pressure test, but not covered." Our reading: if pipes are already covered, the manual does not say what the city will accept.
5. 5If you get a Legal Notice or an Order to Comply, respond to the city named on it. The manual does not give a deadline, so the notice itself is your source.

• Pulling the permit later costs the same. The manual says the fee is doubled for work without a permit.
• If it works, the city will not care. The manual lists sale problems, insurance and safety hazards, not just a fine.
• If the city makes you remove work, the city pays. The manual says removal costs are the homeowner's responsibility.
• A like-for-like water heater swap needs a permit. Like-for-like replacement of residential water heaters is on the manual's exempt list.
• Skipping the permit only matters if you are caught. The manual says issues often arise when you sell, and it points buyers to the permit history.

This page describes Chandler's published homeowner guidance and other cities' fee schedules; the city's own notice controls.