This is the City of Eugene. Springfield and unincorporated Lane County issue their own permits.
The rule
Oregon's Building Codes Division (Oregon permits, read 24 October 2026) draws the line for one- and two-family homes:
| Job | Permit? |
|---|---|
| "Alter piping inside a wall, ceiling or under a floor" | Yes |
| New or moved fixtures, water service or sewer line | Yes (each is a City fee line) |
| Water heater replacement | Yes; a contractor may use a state minor label permit |
| "Resurface shower walls or regrout tile" | No |
BCD adds that work not meeting every condition of an exemption needs a local permit, so ask the City if unsure.
Who can pull it
A contractor, with a CCB license number and a BCD license number on the plumbing permit form, or the owner. The owner statement says the installation is on "residential or farm property owned by me or a member of my immediate family", exempt under OAR 918-695-0020. The City's combo form adds "This property is not intended for sale, exchange, lease, or rent." A house going on the market is a plumber's job.
What it costs
From the City's plumbing permit form (F-305, updated September 2026):
| Fee item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Each fixture, appurtenance and piping | $29.20 |
| Residential water heater replacement | $72.00 (minimum fee does not apply) |
| Water service, first 100 ft / each additional 100 ft | $141.25 / $76.70 |
| Sanitary or storm service, first 100 ft / each additional 100 ft | $176.00 / $76.70 |
| Minimum permit fee | $114.50 |
| Plan review, where required | 35% of the permit fee |
| New house, 1 bath and 1 kitchen / 2 baths / 3 baths | $585.75 / $782.50 / $878.00 |
The City adds a 9% administrative fee and a 2% technology fee, and the State a 12% surcharge on the permit fee plus the administrative fee. By our arithmetic, a water heater swap comes to about $89 all in, and a bathroom with three fixtures pays the $114.50 minimum, about $142.
How to apply
- Apply in the City's eBuild Permit System or on the plumbing form. If the same job has electrical or mechanical work and one licensed contractor (or you) does it all, use the residential combo form.
- Eugene files each trade as its own permit under one log number, so a remodel shows separate building, plumbing and electrical permits.
- Schedule inspections online in the City's Schedule Inspections tool. The permit must be kept on site, and BCD says it "expires if work is not started within 180 days from its issuance."
What 2,926 Eugene plumbing permits show
From Eugene plumbing permits, October 2024 to September 2026:
| Measure | Eugene plumbing |
|---|---|
| Issued | 2,926 (16% of all permits) |
| Last 12 months / 12 months before | 1,451 / 1,475 (about the same) |
| Filed as Plumbing / as Mechanical | 2,612 / 314 |
| Busiest / quietest month (index) | October (112) / November (78) |
| Fewest in one month | 79, November 2025 |
Plumbing is steady in Eugene: no month runs more than 12% above average, and the only real dip is November. 314 permits the City filed under its mechanical type are grouped with plumbing on our page. Year and month counts are on Eugene permit statistics and the rows on browse Eugene permits.
Before you hire
Search past permits by address or by contractor in the City's Permit Search, using the Eugene building permit search guide, and check the plumber with how to check a contractor's license in Oregon. Rules elsewhere: plumbing repairs and a water heater. Costs: plumbing labor cost and water heater replacement cost.
What this does not tell you
The City's report has no permit status or completion date, so we show no finished share or time to final; trade permits carry no value, so no costs; and there is no ZIP code, so no ZIP pages. Counts include businesses as well as homes.
How we know this
The permit and exemption rules and the minor label note are from the Oregon Building Codes Division's Oregon permits page; fees and the owner statement from the City of Eugene's Plumbing Permit Application (F-305, September 2026) and Residential Combo Permit Application (F-315, April 2026), all read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the City's Issued Building Permits report, read 19 October 2026: plumbing permits issued October 2024 to September 2026.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Eugene?
Yes. The City's plumbing permit form has a residential water heater replacement line at $72.00, and the minimum permit fee does not apply to it. Oregon's Building Codes Division says a plumbing contractor may use a minor label permit for a water heater replacement.
- Can a homeowner do their own plumbing in Eugene?
On their own home, yes. The City's plumbing form has an owner statement that the installation is on residential or farm property owned by you or an immediate family member, citing OAR 918-695-0020; the combo form adds that the property is not intended for sale, exchange, lease or rent.
- Do I need a plumbing permit to regrout a shower in Eugene?
No. Oregon's Building Codes Division lists resurfacing shower walls or regrouting tile as not needing a permit, but altering piping inside a wall, ceiling or under a floor does.
- How much is a plumbing permit in Eugene?
The September 2026 form charges $29.20 per fixture, appurtenance and piping, with a $114.50 minimum; water service is $141.25 for the first 100 feet and sewer service $176.00. The City adds 9% and 2% fees and the State a 12% surcharge.
- How many plumbing permits does Eugene issue?
2,926 from October 2024 to September 2026, about 1,463 a year: 1,451 in the latest 12 months against 1,475 the year before. October is the busiest month and November the quietest.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
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- Plumbing Permit Application, Form F-305 (updated Sept 2026) — City of Eugene (2026-10-24)
- Residential Combo Permit Application, Form F-315 (updated April 2026) — City of Eugene (2026-10-24)
- Oregon permits — Oregon Building Codes Division (2026-10-24)
- Building Activity Reports: Issued Building Permits — City of Eugene (2026-10-19)