Do you need a permit to replace a water heater in Peoria? Section 105.2 and the list of exempt plumbing work

Peoria adopts the 2018 International Building Code with its own amendments in Section 18-21, and its Section 105.2 lists work that needs no permit. Before the list, it adds a warning: exemptions "shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this code or any other codes, laws, or ordinances of this jurisdiction." The seven plumbing items:

1. 1Leaks. Stopping leaks in drains, water, soil, waste or vent pipe. If a concealed trap or pipe becomes defective and has to be removed and replaced with new material, "such work shall be considered as new work and a permit shall be obtained and inspection made."
2. 2Stoppages and repairs. Clearing stoppages, repairing leaks in pipes, valves or fixtures, and removing and reinstalling water closets, as long as the repairs do not involve or require replacing or rearranging valves, pipes or fixtures.
3. 3Fixture swaps. Replacing water closets, valves or fixtures with new ones that comply with the code's water conservation requirements and the 2010 Accessibility Standards, "except that a permit shall be required for the relocation of any valves, pipes, or fixtures."
4. 4Appliances. Repair or replacement of portable or built-in appliances not regulated as building service equipment that connect to the building's water, drain or gas piping by approved means.
5. 5Water heaters. "Replacement, in kind, of an existing water heater in one- and two-family dwellings when the work is performed by a licensed contractor."
6. 6Hot water recirculators.
7. 7Water softeners and soft water loops.

• In kind. The code does not define it. The usual reading is the same type, fuel and capacity class in the same place, and that is a reading, not a quote.
• Licensed contractor. The code does not define it in this section.
• One- and two-family dwellings. A single house or a duplex. Apartments, a business and other buildings are not named in item 5.

Owners, tenants and contractors doing plumbing work in Peoria. Where a permit is needed, the application under 105.3 must "Be signed by the owner, or the owner's authorized agent," and must identify the work, describe the land, state the valuation and carry the construction documents the city requires.

This does not apply if the building is not a one- or two-family dwelling, if the person doing the work is not a licensed contractor, or if the job moves pipes, valves or fixtures. Item 5 is the water heater line, and it carries all three limits.

A leaking tank in a Peoria house. A licensed contractor replaces a tank heater with the same type in the same closet. Item 5 applies and no permit is needed. The exemption does not excuse a violation of the code, so the install still has to meet it.

The same swap by the owner. The owner buys the heater and installs it. Item 5 does not name owners, so the swap is not on the exemption list.

The edge case, where the answer flips. A tank is replaced with a different type, or the heater moves to the garage. Item 5 says "in kind" and the relocation rule in item 3 speaks of moving pipes, valves or fixtures, so a permit is the safe path. The Gas exemptions in the same section cover only portable heating appliances and minor parts. They do not mention water heaters, so ask the city whether a gas connection on a swap is covered before you assume it is.

1. 1Compare your job with the seven items. Check the building type, who is doing the work and whether anything moves.
2. 2If it is exempt, still build it to code. The exemption does not authorize work in violation of any code.
3. 3If it needs a permit, apply through the City of Peoria Development Services Portal at devservices.peoriaaz.gov, where the portal says users can view permits and schedule inspections online.
4. 4Have the application signed by the owner or the owner's authorized agent, and state the project valuation. Fee Table 27-6 lists a Minimum Permit Fee of $87.00 for zero valuation items.
5. 5Start the work within 180 days of issuance and keep inspections moving. Under 105.5, a permit expires 24 months after issuance, or becomes invalid if work is not started within 180 days or is suspended or abandoned for 180 days.

• Myth: any water heater swap is exempt. Item 5 is limited to in-kind replacement, one- and two-family dwellings and a licensed contractor.
• Myth: an exemption means no inspection of any kind. Section 105.2 says the exemption does not authorize work in violation of the code.
• Myth: replacing old concealed pipe is a repair. Item 1 treats it as new work that needs a permit and inspection.
• Myth: Glendale's wording is Peoria's rule. Glendale's city Q and A is a short answer: no permit if a licensed contractor installs it, residential only. Peoria's is a code list that adds in-kind and one- and two-family conditions.

Section 114.4.1 says anyone who starts plumbing work without a necessary permit pays an investigation fee in addition to the permit fee, and that "The permit fee for work commenced without permits shall be twice the published permit fees." Fee Table 27-6 lists the Investigation of Work Without Valid Permit at $460.00 (amount or permit fee, whichever is greater). The department may waive the investigation fee or the additional permit fee where it can be shown a previous owner did the unpermitted work.

The text is on American Legal under Section 18-21, and the fee table is Table 27-6 in Chapter 27. This page explains them and the official text governs.