What needs a permit in Minneapolis, and what does not
The City's Plumbing Permits page lists the permit work, and its Work Exempt from Permit page the exemptions for one- and two-family dwellings (both read 23 October 2026):
| Needs a plumbing permit | Exempt in a one- or two-family home |
|---|---|
| "Replace or install fixtures, like sinks, showers and tubs" | Replacing "Sink faucets and water closets" |
| "Replace or install water piping" | Replacing "Dishwashers and garbage disposals", and installing a new disposal |
| "Replace or install a water heater" | Replacing "Internal working parts of existing water closets, faucets or valves" |
| "Install a non-testable backflow preventer device" | Repairing "Broken drain, waste and vent pipes" and "Leaking fixtures and water pipes" |
| "Connect gas appliances like stoves, dryers or fireplaces to gas piping" | Reconnecting a supply line to a similar replacement appliance |
The exemptions hold only if "You do not alter or replace the existing water supply line or plumbing piping system". Moving a sink six feet is new piping, so it is permit work. The application adds one Minneapolis quirk: a gas generator on a one- or two-family home goes on the plumbing permit, while on bigger buildings it needs a mechanical permit.
Who can pull it
A licensed plumbing contractor, or you. The City's Permit Applicants page says "Individuals who own and live in the home can do their own plumbing or mechanical work" in an attached or detached single-family home, and the application says homeowners using the license exemption in Minneapolis Code 85.80 must "own and currently occupy the dwelling". A corporation, LLC or partnership cannot apply as an owner. For a contractor, the City keeps a list of companies approved for plumbing work; the state license is checked on DLI (Minneapolis contractor license lookup).
How to apply
- Homeowner or one-off job: fill in the fillable Plumbing Permit Application, tick "Residential, 1 to 2 dwelling units only" (no plans needed), count the fixtures and gas appliances on page 2, and email it to Development@minneapolismn.gov with no other attachments. Staff call the payment contact; card details cannot be emailed.
- Contractors that the City has pre-approved can use express permits for plumbing fixtures, gas fixtures, gas meters and water heaters on an existing one- or two-family home.
- Inspection. The application warns that if asbestos is disturbed, "no inspections will occur until any required abatement has been completed". Questions go to Minneapolis Development Review on 612-673-3000.
What it costs
From the City's plumbing fee schedule (page updated 27 February 2026):
| Fee line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Minimum fee, residential and commercial | $85.20 (includes the $1.00 state surcharge) |
| Full fixture, fixture set only, or waste and vent only | $41.40 each |
| Replacing or extending water piping, each 100 feet | $41.40 |
| Gas appliance not exceeding 399,999 Btu | $73.30 |
| Gas piping only | 1.99% of the value, or the minimum fee |
A two-fixture bathroom is two fixture lines, $82.80, so it pays the $85.20 minimum. A whole-bath rough-in with a tub, toilet, sink and shower valve runs past it.
What 20,012 Minneapolis plumbing permits show
| Measure | Minneapolis plumbing |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 20,012 |
| Firms that pulled them | 497 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months of the window | 371 |
| Closed (permits a year or more old) | 70.6% |
| Usual days from issue to close | 113 |
| Closed share, 10th / 90th percentile firm (firms with 10+ permits) | 61.4% / 91.9% |
| Firms matched to an active DLI license | 74.0% |
| Busiest month / quietest month | April (index 108) / December (90) |
Plumbing work barely moves with the seasons here, which leaves the closing rate as the number to watch: 37 of the 227 busiest plumbing firms closed fewer than 70% of their permits. A permit still open well past 113 days usually means the final inspection never happened. Minneapolis plumbing permits carry no job value, so the file cannot price the work; national figures are in plumbing labor cost. Year-by-year counts are on Minneapolis permit statistics.
See every Minneapolis plumber by permits closed →
Before you hire
Find the plumber on the Minneapolis plumber list for its closed share, then check its DLI license. The hiring checklist is in hiring a plumber in Minneapolis, other cities' rules in do I need a permit for plumbing repairs and do I need a permit for a water heater, and old permits on your address in Minneapolis building permit search.
What this does not tell you
Our numbers cover permits the City issued; unpermitted work is invisible. A closed permit means the City closed it after inspection, not what the job cost. Fees change on City Council action, so the invoice is the final figure.
How we know this
Permit rules, exemptions and the homeowner exemption are quoted from City of Minneapolis Plumbing Permits, Work Exempt from Permit and Permit Applicants pages and the Plumbing Permit Application, read 23 October 2026; fees from the City's plumbing fee schedule as published on 23 October 2026. Permit counts are City of Minneapolis CCS permits classified as plumbing, October 2023 to September 2026; closed share uses permits a year or more old, and days to close is the median from issue to completion date.
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
- Do I need a permit to replace a toilet or faucet in Minneapolis?
No, in a one- or two-family home, as long as you do not alter or replace the water supply line or the piping. The City's exempt list covers replacing sink faucets and water closets, dishwashers and garbage disposals, and the internal parts of toilets, faucets and valves. A new tub, shower or sink in a new spot needs a permit.
- Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Minneapolis?
Yes. The City's plumbing permit page lists 'Replace or install a water heater' as permit work. A gas water heater goes on the application as a gas appliance; an electric one is listed with the fixtures.
- Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit in Minneapolis?
Yes, for a single-family home you own and currently live in, under the license exemption in Minneapolis Code 85.80. You do the work yourself. Corporations, LLCs and partnerships cannot use it, and gas piping for heating appliances has to be done by a licensed gas installer.
- How much is a plumbing permit in Minneapolis?
The City's plumbing fee schedule sets a minimum fee of $85.20, which includes the $1.00 state surcharge, and $41.40 per full fixture. A gas appliance under 399,999 Btu is $73.30. Small jobs pay the minimum.
- How long does a Minneapolis plumbing permit take to close?
In our file the usual Minneapolis plumbing permit closed 113 days after it was issued, and 70.6% of permits a year or more old were closed.
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 permit for plumbing repairs or a repipe? The rule in 13 cities
- Minneapolis building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- What can a homeowner do without a permit? Exempt work in 7 cities, and when you can pull your own
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Arlington, VA? The like-for-like rule, gas, and timing
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Sacramento County? Sewer lines, water services, gas lines and repipes: rules and inspections
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Saint Paul? Who can pull it, fees and inspections
For one city
- Plumbing Permits — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Work Exempt from Permit — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Permit Applicants — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Plumbing Permit Application (updated 9 October 2025) — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Plumbing fee schedule — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Express Limited Permits for Contractors — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)