What plumbing work needs a permit in Phoenix?

The exempt list is in Section 105.2 of the 2024 Phoenix Building Construction Code (Ordinance G-7397, in force since August 1, 2025). The six plumbing items are:

1. 1Stopping leaks in drain, water, waste or vent pipe. If a concealed pipe has to be cut out and replaced, that counts as new work and needs a permit.
2. 2Clearing stoppages or repairing leaks in pipes, valves or fixtures, and pulling and resetting a toilet, as long as nothing is replaced or rearranged.
3. 3Replacing toilets, valves or fixtures with new ones that meet the code's water conservation rules. Relocating any valve, pipe or fixture needs a permit.
4. 4Repairing or replacing appliances that connect to the water, drain or gas piping by approved means, such as a dishwasher. Gas works the same way: swapping a gas dryer onto an existing valve is not permit work, but running a new line to one is. See gas dryer hookups.
5. 5Replacing a water heater in kind in a one- or two-family home when a licensed contractor does the work. The code doesn't define "in kind"; the common reading is the same fuel, type and location.
6. 6Repairing or replacing an existing secondary backflow assembly that is 2 inches or smaller, with a test report from a certified backflow tester submitted at the time of the work.

• Kitchen faucet in Encanto, same spot. Replacing a faucet with a new water-conserving one where the old one was is item 3. No permit. The same faucet moved to a new island is a relocation, and that needs one.
• Slab leak found under a Phoenix living room. Stopping a leak on exposed pipe is exempt. If the pipe is concealed and must be cut out and replaced, item 1 sends it back to permit territory.
• Water heater in a duplex. A licensed contractor's in-kind swap is exempt. The same swap in a fourplex isn't, because item 5 stops at one- and two-family dwellings. Our page on the water heater permit in Phoenix covers it.

• "Every water heater replacement needs a permit." Item 5 exempts a licensed contractor's in-kind swap in a house or duplex.
• "If it's exempt, the code doesn't apply." Section 105.2 says 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."
• "Any leak repair is exempt." Item 1 stops at concealed pipe that must be replaced.
• "A gas line is just another pipe." New gas piping has to pass a pressure test before it is connected; our guide to how a gas line pressure test works covers the test.
• "Backflow assemblies never need a permit" or "always do." The City's own documents disagree, as explained next.

Two City documents disagree. The code's item 6 exempts repair or replacement of an existing secondary backflow assembly that is 2 inches or smaller. The City's backflow guideline (TRT 00634, revised July 2025) says installing, altering or replacing all backflow prevention assemblies requires a plumbing permit. The safe route is to ask the City which applies to your assembly before you start, and to have a certified tester file the test report either way. If you plan to do the install yourself, whether a homeowner can install a backflow preventer covers the owner-occupant rules. The model-code and City Code background is in UPC 603, cross-connection control and Phoenix City Code chapter 37, cross-connection.

For replacement equipment that serves an occupied part of the building, Phoenix's code allows it to run as long as an inspection request is filed within 72 hours after the work is completed and before anything is concealed (Section 110.3.10.1). Residential inspection requests go through the SHAPE PHX portal or by phone at 602-495-0800.

Three Valley cities word it differently (checked 2026-09-29):

Check the city where the work happens. The same swap can need a permit in Scottsdale and none in Chandler. For what the code expects of you whether or not a permit is pulled, see why plumbing code matters for homeowners.

1. 1Find your job in the exempt list above. If it isn't there, plan on a permit.
2. 2Apply through SHAPE PHX. The City's portal handles residential permits and inspection requests (shapephx.phoenix.gov). For help in person, the Development Center at 200 W Washington Street, 2nd floor, is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 602-262-3111.
3. 3Hire a licensed contractor and check the license first on the ROC license search. Ask who will file the permit before work starts.
4. 4Request each inspection through SHAPE PHX or at 602-495-0800.

HQ is licensed and insured, and gives free estimates and upfront pricing before work starts.

Other Valley cities write their own lists. See Scottsdale's Minimum Plumbing Permit jobs, how a Scottsdale permit expires, Mesa's rule for plumbed sheds and casitas and Mesa's rule for emergency repairs.

In short, the permit shifts risk off the homeowner. For gas work in particular, the stakes are high enough that Arizona requires a licensed contractor; see our page on who can install a gas line and the permit rules in Arizona.

Examples of new-fixture jobs that fall on the permit side include adding a laundry room sink and converting a tub to a shower.

Phoenix makes routine plumbing permits straightforward. Many are over-the-counter (OTC) permits, meaning no full plan review is needed and you can often get one the same day.

A typical path looks like this:

1. 1Identify the work. Decide whether your job is on the permit-required side (repipe, water heater, gas, service line, added fixture, backflow) or the exempt side (like-for-like swap, clog, simple repair).
2. 2Use a licensed contractor. A licensed plumber or gas contractor usually pulls the permit as part of the job. Confirm the contractor's status and classification on the Arizona ROC license search before you hire. Plumbing falls under classifications such as C-37 (commercial) and R-37 (residential); sewer, drain, and pipe-laying work is the A-12 classification.
3. 3Apply over the counter or online. For OTC-eligible work, you apply through PDD with the job details. Homeowners may be able to pull an owner-builder permit for a primary residence.
4. 4Schedule inspection. After the work, the City inspects it and closes the permit. Gas piping includes a required pressure test before connection.

To confirm whether your specific job needs a permit, check the current list with the City of Phoenix PDD through its Work Exempt from Permit document and its Over-the-Counter Permit guideline, or call PDD directly. The City updates these lists, so the published guidance is the authority, not a generic rule of thumb.

If you want to verify a contractor before they pull anything in your name, our guide on how to verify a plumber's ROC license in Arizona walks through the free public search step by step.

Finally, remember that permit rules are local and they change. The categories above reflect Phoenix practice and the adopted codes at the time of writing, but the City of Phoenix Planning & Development Department maintains the official, current list of permit-required and exempt work. Before you start a project, confirm the current requirements directly with City of Phoenix PDD and use a licensed, ROC-verified contractor. For health, safety, and resale reasons, when in doubt, pull the permit.

The exempt list is Section 105.2, Plumbing, items 1 to 6, and Section 110.3.10.1, item 4, in the City of Phoenix Amendment to the 2024 International Building Code, Chapter 1, part of the 2024 Phoenix Building Construction Code (Ordinance G-7397, approved June 18, 2025, effective August 1, 2025). Which codes Phoenix adopted is explained in which building and plumbing codes Phoenix enforces; the permit-exempt work for businesses has its own page on annual permits for plumbing alterations. Read the rule at the City's chapter 1 amendment PDF. This page explains it, and the official text governs.

For commercial buildings, see when a commercial repair needs a permit in Phoenix and who can pull a commercial plumbing permit in Arizona.

For a homeowner's view of the same line, see which plumbing repairs are safe to DIY and which are not.

For related details, see whether commercial plumbing work in the street needs a right-of-way permit, and what an encroachment permit is.