Minneapolis plumbing in numbers
| What we measured | Minneapolis |
|---|---|
| Plumbing permits, three years | 20,012 |
| Firms | 497 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months | 371 |
| Firms matched to an active DLI license | 74.0% |
| Usual days from permit to close | 113 |
| Closed (permits a year or more old) | 70.6% |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 61.4% / 91.9% |
| Firms under 70% closed | 37 of 227 |
| Firms with 10 or more permits | 238 |
Plumbing is steady through the year: the filing index peaks in April (108) and bottoms in December (90). With no job values on the permits, price has to come from written quotes; see plumber vs handyman for what needs a licensed plumber at all.
Which license a Minneapolis plumber needs
Minnesota's Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) licenses plumbing contractors, and its iMS system shows license status, enforcement actions and plumbing bond holders. The City adds its own check: it keeps a list of companies approved for plumbing work in Minneapolis (City of Minneapolis, read 22 October 2026).
The five-minute check:
- On DLI's license lookup, choose "Continue as guest", enter the license number from the quote, and read the status, the bond and any enforcement actions.
- Find the company on the City's plumbing contractor list, or call Business Licenses on 612-673-2080.
More in the Minneapolis contractor license lookup.
The permit rule for plumbing in Minneapolis
The City exempts repairs of "Broken drain, waste and vent pipes" and "Leaking fixtures and water pipes", and replacing sink faucets and toilets when the supply line and piping are not altered. Work that alters or replaces "the existing water supply line or plumbing piping system" needs a permit (City of Minneapolis, read 23 October 2026). So a leak fix usually needs none; a repipe or a moved fixture does. Water heaters have their own rules: do I need a permit for a water heater. The rules in 13 cities are in do I need a permit for plumbing repairs.
After booking, search your address on the City's property information search: the plumbing permit should name your plumber, and after inspection show as closed.
Red flags in the Minneapolis record
- A license that is no longer active. 59 plumbing firms on Minneapolis permits (11.9%) matched a DLI license that is now expired, suspended or otherwise not active.
- A closed share under 61.4%. That is the 10th-percentile line among the 227 plumbers with 10 or more permits; 37 close under 70%, several of the busiest among them. An open plumbing permit is work no inspector has signed.
- Days to close far above 113. Ask who calls for the final and when.
- A firm that went quiet. 27 plumbing firms with 5 or more permits filed none in the last 12 months.
- Not on the City list. A DLI license alone does not put a company on the City's approved plumbing list.
The busiest Minneapolis plumbers in the last 12 months
Ranked by Minneapolis plumbing permits in the last 12 months of the window. Volume, not quality: a firm can be busy on one kind of job, so ask what most of its permits were for.
| Firm | Permits, last 12 months | Permits, three years |
|---|---|---|
| Warners Stellian Co Inc | 790 | 2,472 |
| Urban Pine Plumbing and Mechanical Inc | 386 | 1,202 |
| MN Plumbing & Home Services Inc | 314 | 1,097 |
| Acs Logistics Holdings LLC | 305 | 329 |
| Bonfes Plumbing Heating and Air Service Inc | 214 | 514 |
The closed shares of these five run from 22.8% to 79.1%, mostly below the city's 70.6%. Sort the compare list by closed share and the order changes a lot.
See every Minneapolis plumber by permits filed and closed →
What the Minneapolis record does not tell you
A closed permit means the City's inspector signed off; it says nothing about the price, which Minneapolis plumbing permits do not record. We match firms to DLI by business name, so 14.1% had no match; unmatched is not unlicensed. We do not match the City's approved list. Exempt repairs leave no record. For Saint Paul, check the Saint Paul contractor license lookup. The national checklist is in hiring a plumber, and state rules in how to check a contractor's license in Minnesota.
How we know this
Permits are City of Minneapolis plumbing permits (CCS), 2023-10 to 2026-09. "Closed" uses permits a year or more old; days to close is the median from issue. Percentile and under-70% figures use plumbing firms with 10 or more permits. The busiest-firm table ranks by permits in the last 12 months. License status is our business-name match to Minnesota DLI's plumbing contractor file. Rules are quoted from DLI (read 22 October 2026) and City of Minneapolis pages (read 22 and 23 October 2026).
Numbers come from City of Minneapolis construction permits (CCS), data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I choose a plumber in Minneapolis?
Check the Minnesota DLI plumbing contractor license and bond on iMS, find the company on the City's list of approved plumbing contractors, and read its Minneapolis record: 70.6% of plumbing permits a year or more old had closed, and the 10th-percentile busy plumber closed 61.4%.
- Does a plumber need a license in Minneapolis?
Yes. Minnesota DLI licenses plumbing contractors, and its iMS lookup shows the license status and plumbing bond holders. The City also keeps a list of companies approved to do plumbing work in Minneapolis.
- Do I need a permit for plumbing repairs in Minneapolis?
Not to repair broken drain, waste and vent pipes or leaking fixtures and water pipes, which the City lists as exempt. Work that alters or replaces the existing water supply line or plumbing piping needs a permit.
- How long does a Minneapolis plumbing permit take to close?
The usual Minneapolis plumbing permit took 113 days from issue to close, and 70.6% of those a year or more old had closed. Ask the plumber when it will call for the final inspection.
- Who are the biggest plumbing companies in Minneapolis?
By permits in the last 12 months, Warners Stellian Co Inc led with 790, then Urban Pine Plumbing and Mechanical Inc with 386. Their closed shares were 47.8% and 57.2%, below the city's 70.6%.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Hiring a plumber: 5 red flags and 10 questions, checked against plumbing permits in 43 cities
- Hiring a plumber in Arlington, VA: the DPOR class and plumbing specialty, the permit, and what 6,400 plumbing permits show
- Hiring a plumber in Nashville: the master plumber's certificate, the permit, and what 27,000 plumbing permits show
- How to check a contractor's license in Minnesota
For one city
- License and registration lookup — Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (2026-10-22)
- Plumbing Contractors — City of Minneapolis (2026-10-22)
- Construction work exempt from permit — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Property information search — City of Minneapolis (2026-10-22)