The City's rule
From the City's How to Get a Residential Permit page, read 23 October 2026:
| Plumbing job | Permit | Plans? |
|---|---|---|
| "water heater replacement" | Yes | No |
| "running gas lines to gas equipment" | Yes (fuel piping) | No |
| "changing electric to gas" (a gas water heater or range) | Yes (fuel piping) | No |
| New fixtures or moved drains inside a remodel | Yes, on the alteration permit with "any additional Plumbing, Mechanical and/or Electrical work" | With the alteration |
| "new water, sewer, or irrigation services" | Yes | Yes |
| Pools and spas | Yes | Yes |
The City says neither list is complete; call the Permit Helpline on 919-996-2500 for anything in between. Water and sewer connections have their own City page linked from the residential permit page.
Who can pull it
A licensed plumbing contractor. The State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler Contractors licenses anyone who contracts to "install, alter or restore plumbing", while "Minor repairs and service work to plumbing and heating systems do not require a state license" (Consumer Awareness). Check the firm on the board's search; the steps are in the Raleigh license lookup.
You, as owner. "If you are a homeowner acting as the contractor for your project, the Owner Exemption Affidavit is required." The affidavit has a Plumbing box. You commit to "personally superintend and manage all aspects" of the work, to be "personally present for all inspections", and to "occupy the building ... for twelve months after completion, during which time it may not be offered for rent, lease or sale". It is notarized, sent to the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, and false statements are a class F felony.
What it costs
From Raleigh's FY27 Development Fee Guide (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027), read 23 October 2026:
| Fee | FY27 amount |
|---|---|
| Minimum trade permit fee, per trade ("Any fee not specifically listed as an individual fee will be charged at the minimum permit fee") | $124.00 |
| Technology fee | 4% of all other fees |
| Re-review, residential, per trade per review | $139.00 |
| After-hours inspection, residential | $90.00 per hour |
| Plumbing share of a new home's fees | 34% of the building permit fee |
A residential water heater replacement on its own: $124 plus 4% is $128.96 (our arithmetic). A gas water heater replacing an electric one also involves fuel piping; ask whether that is a second trade. Check the City's fee calculator.
How to apply and track it
- Apply on the Permit and Development Portal with the plumber's details, or with your affidavit.
- Pay "when permits are ready for issuance" (card or eCheck), and schedule inspections in the portal.
- Look for Permit Finaled on your address; searching needs no account (how).
What 9,188 Raleigh plumbing permits show
| Measure | Raleigh plumbing |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 9,188 |
| Firms | 513 |
| Firms with a permit in the 12 months to September 2026 | 330 |
| Usual days from issue to final | 133 |
| Firms with a single permit | 33.1% |
| Share held by the five busiest firms | 27.4% |
| Firms with 5+ permits and none in the 12 months to September 2026 | 26 |
| Busiest / quietest month (index, 100 = average) | August (117) / December (75) |
| Raleigh trade | Usual days to final |
|---|---|
| Electrical | 91 |
| HVAC | 121 |
| Plumbing | 133 |
The busiest plumbing filer in the 12 months to September 2026 was Weather Master Heating & Air Conditioning Inc., with 269 permits; the five busiest hold 27.4% of the total. Raleigh plumbing permits carry no job value, so prices come from quotes: see plumbing labor cost and water heater replacement cost.
Check it in five minutes
- Search the plumber on the plumbing and heating board.
- After booking, find the permit on the portal by address and check it names that firm.
- Compare plumbers on the Raleigh plumber list.
Other cities' rules: plumbing repairs, water heaters and sewer lines.
See every Raleigh plumber by days to final →
What this does not tell you
Repairs that need no permit leave no record. Plumbing filed on a remodel or new-home permit is counted under that trade. We show no finished share or license status for Raleigh. The fee figures are the City's FY27 guide; the calculator is final. More: Raleigh permit statistics.
How we know this
Permit rules are quoted from the City of Raleigh's How to Get a Residential Permit page, owner rules from its Owner Exemption Affidavit, and fees from its FY27 Development Fee Guide, read 23 October 2026; the licensing rule is from the NC plumbing and heating board, read 22 October 2026. Our counts are City of Raleigh plumbing permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026; days to final run from the City's issue date to its final date.
Numbers come from City of Raleigh building permits, data through October 12, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Raleigh?
Yes. The City lists 'water heater replacement' among residential projects that need a permit but no plans. A new water, sewer or irrigation service needs plans.
- How much is a plumbing permit in Raleigh?
Raleigh's FY27 Development Fee Guide charges the minimum trade permit fee of $124 per trade for any fee not specifically listed, and its stand-alone plumbing items are commercial. With the 4% technology fee, a residential plumbing permit on its own is $128.96 by our arithmetic; the City's fee calculator is final.
- Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit in Raleigh?
Yes, with the City's notarized Owner Exemption Affidavit ticking Plumbing. You must personally manage the work, attend all required inspections and occupy the house for 12 months after completion without offering it for rent, lease or sale.
- How long does a plumbing permit take in Raleigh?
The usual Raleigh plumbing permit reached final 133 days after issue, the longest of the City's three trade permits in our file.
- Does a plumbing repair need a licensed plumber in North Carolina?
Not always. The state plumbing and heating board says minor repairs and service work do not require a state license; installing, altering or restoring a plumbing system does.
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 Somerville, MA? Yes, pulled by a licensed plumber, and many stay open
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Sugar Land? Which express permit fits your job, and who may pull it
For one city
- How to Get a Residential Permit — City of Raleigh (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Owner Exemption Affidavit (G.S. 87-14(a)(1)) — City of Raleigh Inspection Department (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Development Fee Guide, July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 — City of Raleigh (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Development Fee Guide and Calculator — City of Raleigh (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Consumer Awareness — NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler Contractors (2026-10-22)
- Verify License Search — NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler Contractors (2026-10-22)