What needs a permit, and what doesn't
From the Department of Buildings' plumbing exemption list and the express permit page (read 23 October 2026):
| Job | Permit in Chicago? |
|---|---|
| Stopping a leak in a water, drain, soil, waste or vent pipe | No |
| Clearing a stoppage, repairing a leak without replacing a valve, pipe or fixture | No |
| Removing and reinstalling a toilet | No |
| Repairing or replacing a water heater in kind, home up to 4 stories | No |
| Removing and replacing pipe or a concealed trap with new material | Yes |
| Repairing or replacing an existing fixture, piping or riser inside the building | Yes (express) |
| Altering, reconfiguring or extending the plumbing system | Yes, not express; limited alterations may go as a Nonstructural Interior Alteration |
| Work more than 5 feet outside the foundation, or on the water meter | Yes, not express |
"In kind" means "new materials, objects, or elements of the same type, size, and shape". A new fixture must meet the Chicago Plumbing Code's minimum water efficiency, or it is not eligible for the express permit. Work involving lead paint may need a Lead-based Paint Renovation, Repair, and Painting Form filed with the Chicago Department of Public Health first.
Who can pull it
A licensed and bonded plumbing contractor, per the City's page Does my project require a licensed plumbing contractor?. There is "one exception": the "owner, occupant, or lessee of a detached single-family residence" may "personally install, alter, or repair the plumbing system of his or her residence", and the work is still inspected. The City adds that it "does not allow an owner, occupant, or lessee to hire anyone other than a licensed plumbing contractor". So the exception is for doing it yourself, in a detached house; a two-flat or a condo unit does not qualify.
For an owner-plumber application, the express permit asks for an owner-as-contractor form (Form 401) and government ID showing you live at the address. Every plumbing application needs at least one photo of the existing condition and an energy and water efficiency compliance form; a riser replacement needs a piping diagram from the plumbing contractor; a condo needs an association approval letter.
Check a plumber under Plumbing on Licensed Trade Contractors; the site also shows recently expired licenses.
How to apply, and what it costs
Apply online through the Express Permit Program, which takes payment and shows inspection results online. Have the property PIN (from the Cook County Assessor), the owner's details, an emergency contact and the plumber's exact name or Chicago license number ready. The fee is set by section 14A-12-1204.2 (stand-alone permit fees); the City's Calculate the Cost of a Building Permit page links the 2026 Amended fee tables (effective 6 January 2026). We could not open the tables, so no amount is quoted here.
What 6,680 Chicago plumbing permits show
| Measure | Chicago plumbing |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 6,680 |
| Firms (including owners filing as their own plumber) | 645 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months | 438 |
| Usual filed value | $6,350 |
| Share of permits with a filed value | 14.7% |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $3,307 to $10,000 |
| Marked complete (permits a year or more old) | 26.9% |
| Estimated usual days to completion | 705 |
| Busiest / quietest month | April (index 118) / December (78) |
Only 14.7% of Chicago plumbing permits carry a job value, so the usual value rests on a minority of permits. The completion share is the lowest of Chicago's big trades: 26.9%, against 38.4% for electrical. Among the 166 plumbers with 10 or more permits, the 10th-percentile firm had 11.9% marked complete and the 90th 43.2%. The market is spread out: the five busiest firms hold 13.4% of permits.
See every Chicago plumber by permits marked complete →
Related
Other cities' rules: do I need a permit for plumbing repairs, for a water heater and for a sewer line. Prices: plumbing labor cost and water heater replacement cost. Choosing a plumber: hiring a plumber. Chicago counts by year and month: Chicago permit statistics. Licenses: Chicago contractor license lookup.
What this does not tell you
Exempt work, such as an in-kind water heater swap, never appears in the permit file, so these counts undercount plumbing jobs. Chicago records no completion date, so days to completion is estimated. We do not match Chicago plumbers to the City's license list.
How we know this
Permit rules and the owner exception are quoted from the City of Chicago Department of Buildings' plumbing exemption, licensed-plumber and Express Permit Program pages, and fee references from its Calculate the Cost of a Building Permit page, all read 23 October 2026. Counts are City of Chicago building permits on homes classified as plumbing, October 2023 to September 2026. "Marked complete" uses permits a year or more old; usual days is an estimate because Chicago records no completion date.
Numbers come from City of Chicago building permits (Chicago Data Portal), data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Chicago?
Not in a home up to 4 stories if it is an in-kind replacement, which the City defines as new material 'of the same type, size, and shape'. Changing type, such as tank to tankless, is not in kind, and water heater replacement is then an Express Permit Program plumbing subtype.
- Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit in Chicago?
Only for a detached single-family house. The City lets the owner, occupant or lessee of a detached single-family residence personally install, alter or repair its plumbing, subject to inspection; the application needs Form 401 and ID showing you live there. You cannot hire an unlicensed plumber under that exception, and it does not cover two-flats or condos.
- Do I need a permit to fix a leak in Chicago?
No. Stopping a leak, clearing a stoppage and removing and reinstalling a toilet are exempt. Removing and replacing a section of water, drain, soil, waste or vent pipe with new material does need a permit.
- How much is a plumbing permit in Chicago?
The fee comes from section 14A-12-1204.2 of the Chicago Construction Codes (stand-alone permit fees), with tables linked from the City's Calculate the Cost of a Building Permit page. Chicago plumbing permits in our file were usually filed at a job value of $6,350.
- How long does a plumbing permit take to close in Chicago?
Long. Our estimate of the usual time to completion is 705 days, and only 26.9% of plumbing permits a year or more old were marked complete. Chicago records no completion date, so the days figure is rough.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Arlington, VA? The like-for-like rule, gas, and timing
- Austin building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Austin? What is exempt, who can pull it, and the fees
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Bellevue, WA? Fixtures, showers, water heaters and the homeowner rule
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Colorado Springs? Water heaters, repairs and PPRBD's fees
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Columbus, Ohio? What is exempt, the $140 and $275 permits, and who can pull them
For one city
- What types of work do not require a building permit? Plumbing Work — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Does my project require a licensed plumbing contractor? — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Express Permit Program: Plumbing Work — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Express Permit Program — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Calculate the Cost of a Building Permit — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Licensed Trade Contractors — City of Chicago (2026-10-22)