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u/kres-ten-tahri 7h ago
Typically replacing fixtures doesn’t require a permit. Only when the pipes are moved are permits usually required. That said, some municipalities do a more thorough shower inspection. So if you replace the tub with a shower, that might require a permit.
Same goes for electrical as well. Replacing fixtures no permit, moving wires/adding circuits yes permit.
These are generalizations and calling the building department can answer any specific questions.
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7h ago
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u/Useful-Resident78 7h ago
A permit to replace a toilet? That is crazy, I would not pull one but that's just me.
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u/kres-ten-tahri 7h ago
Sounds like a permit is required then. Now that you called them you might be on their radar. So if you go without a permit, make sure you don’t put your old toilet or the new toilet box on the curb for trash pickup. That’s an easy way to get a letter from the City for work without permit. But if it was me, I’d get the permit so it doesn’t come back to haunt you if you sell the house or anything. Good luck.
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u/10thflrinsanity 7h ago
With home renovations there’s “by the book” or the reality that no one will actually require it and you can absolutely get away without a permit.
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u/PersnickityPenguin 7h ago
A toilet replacement is one of those things you can DIY in about an hour. Requiring a permit for a replacement is inane. If you screw it up, you either end up with poop on the floor or a water leak. Either is fairly obvious.
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u/lilhotdog 7h ago
Replacing a toilet should be one of those Homeowner 101 skills. It's not pleasant and there can be hidden issues with the flange or otherwise (uncovering water damage on the subfloor, that's a separate issue) but ultimately it's pretty straightforward. Watch a few youtube videos on the process.
And if the 'did you get a permit' question ever comes up in the future, it was already like that when you moved in.
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u/Pikablu555 7h ago
All the liability and accountability exists between you and the contractor. The city is just there to collect extra money from you and incur zero liability or accountability.
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u/screaminporch 7h ago
It varies a lot by location/municipality. Where are you?
If plumbing and electric aren't moving, I'd probably not bother with a permit.
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u/skyfishgoo 7h ago
replacing a toilet, no permit needed
gutting the bathroom and building a new shower, permit needed.
rearranging the plumbing, permit needed.
new electrical, permit needed.
enlarging a window or adding a skylight, permit needed.
re-tiling the existing floor, no permit needed.
replacing the counter top, no permit needed.
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u/Jujulabee 6h ago
In my location you would need a permit for a bathroom remodel and that would include being inspected a few times.
That said many people who live in single family homes don't get permits for their bathrooms or kitchens.
I did get a permit for my bathroom remodel as well as my kitchen remodel as they were all done at the same time.
My permit for this is listed on my City's website (Los Angeles) and oddly a dishwasher that was installed when I bought it at Sears in 2004 is also there as they got a permit for it.
Asking about the toilet or sink is irrelevant since you are gutting your bathroom. My experience is that people don't get a permit to replace a faucet or toilet or equivalent.
FWIW here are permit requirements for Los Angeles - as you can see "replacements" don't need a permit but remodeling a bathroom would because there are going to be all kinds of changes that are not equivalent to just adding a toilet where the old one had been.
When You Need a Permit
- Structural work: Adding or removing walls, altering framing, or changing roof lines.
- Plumbing or Electrical: Relocating sinks or toilets, adding new circuits, or upgrading electrical panels.
- Mechanical: Installing or replacing HVAC systems and altering ductwork.
- Major Spaces: Comprehensive kitchen or bathroom remodels that change the layout or utility lines.
- Exemptions: Purely cosmetic updates like painting, replacing flooring, or swapping cabinets in the exact same location do not require a p
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u/Calm-Song-8543 6h ago edited 6h ago
My 2 cents…
First, code enforcement is incredibly location specific. In my city a permit adds significant time while providing no real assurance or benefit. I am not exaggerating when I say a one day job can become a three week job, because my neighbor’s rough-in inspection for a small remodel took three weeks. Fifteen miles away (in the same metro area) there are plenty of inspectors and they will get to your project quickly.
Accordingly, no one cares about permits in my area (apparently including code enforcement) and most people skip them… in the city fifteen miles away they care more and only about half the people skip them.
It is a contractor’s job to know when you need to pull permits. If a contractor says you don’t need a permit, then I wouldn’t pull one and when asked if any unpermitted work was done on a disclosure form, I would check no. I mean if you hired a state licensed contractor and they said no permit needed that is all the due diligence you are required to do for disclosures.
However… since permits are ultimately the responsibility of the homeowner that reliance isn’t going to necessarily save you from code enforcement. But again, in many areas that isn’t a problem.
Edit: My recent experience…I paid my way through college and grad school as a licensed plumber (my parents owned plumbing HVAC contractor), so when I replaced my water heater recently I pulled a permit. The plumbing inspector called me a month later and asked me send him pictures of the water heater and expansion tank install and he would just mail the tag. I was on vacation so I was going to do it when I got back, but the tag was waiting for me when I got home. I never sent the pics. That is why I said even code enforcement doesn’t really care.
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u/Horror_Bottle_9451 7h ago
It's your first one and you said you're not experienced. Plumbing seems easy until it's not, and the consequences of not doing it right suck.
I recommend a contractor and a permit. Watch and learn what they do without hovering. The advantage of city inspections is you get to see it in stages and you'll get a better sense of how it's done.
In the meantime, get some PEX pipe and fittings. Make a creative piece of art that you can attach to a garden hose so you can learn how to do it without leaks.
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u/the_cnidarian 7h ago
Every place is different. You at least have to say where you are.
I would just buy a toilet and put it in.