The District's rule
DOB's How to Get a Permit page (read 24 October 2026) lists "New plumbing fixtures" and "New and replacement gas appliances" among work that needs a permit, and says "Only licensed DC contractors for the specific trade may apply for these permits." Its no-permit list is finish work (painting, tiling, countertops, cabinets) and in-kind exterior repairs; it contains no plumbing item. DOB's trade permit submission rules say the work is performed "by a licensed electrician, plumber, gas-fitter", and anyone filing on the licensee's behalf needs a typed authorization letter with the original signature and a copy of the master license.
Instant permits for plumbing and gas
From DOB's instant permits page, both issued "only to licensed contractors":
| Instant permit | Covers | Stops at |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | "Installing or replacing not more than one new plumbing fixture"; repairs and minor alterations with no more than one new fixture; one backflow preventer; one sewer or water line cut; pressure testing one water system | "changing the piping layout serving more than three fixtures, including domestic water, sewer, or venting systems" |
| Gas Fitting | "Replacing not more than one gas appliance"; repairs or minor alterations adding no more than one gas appliance; testing one gas line | changing fuel gas piping serving more than two appliances |
DOB says instant permit fees "average $36.30". A bathroom or kitchen with a new layout, a second bath, or a gas line to several appliances needs a standard permit, usually as a supplement to the building permit for the remodel (DC remodel permit).
How it works
- The licensed plumber or gasfitter applies and pays online through the "Apply for a Permit" link on DOB's instant permits page; work tied to a renovation needs a copy of the building permit.
- An instant permit issues online once paid.
- When the work is finished, schedule the DOB inspection.
What 26,820 DC plumbing permits show
From Washington, DC plumbing permits, October 2024 to September 2026:
| Measure | DC plumbing and gas permits |
|---|---|
| Issued | 26,820 (29% of all DC permits) |
| Last 12 months / 12 months before | 13,850 / 12,970 (+7%) |
| Filed as Plumbing And Gas / Plumbing / Gas Fitting | 20,468 / 3,955 / 542 |
| Busiest / quietest month (index) | April (109) / December (91) |
| ZIPs with the most | 20002 (3,597), 20011 (3,213), 20001 (1,956) |
Plumbing permits rose 7% in the last year and are the steadiest kind of work across the calendar; there is no slow season to wait for. 20002 and 20011 together hold a quarter of them. Year and month counts for every kind of work are on DC permit statistics, and the rows on browse DC permits.
Before you hire
Search the address in Scout to see what is already permitted, using the Washington, DC building permit search guide, and ask the plumber for the master license number. Rules elsewhere: plumbing repairs, a water heater, a gas line, a sewer line. Costs elsewhere: plumbing labor cost.
What this does not tell you
The District's file names no contractor and carries only fees paid, so we show no firm lists and no costs. DOB seldom updates a permit's status after the work, and there are no final dates, so we show no finished share or time to final. A renovation can carry several supplemental permits, so counts are permits, not jobs.
How we know this
Rules are quoted from DOB's Instant Permits for Simple Scopes of Work and How to Get a Permit pages and its Submission Requirements for Trade Permits, read 24 October 2026. Our counts are DOB's building permit file on DC GIS, read 19 October 2026: plumbing and gas 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 toilet or a water heater in DC?
DOB lists new plumbing fixtures and new and replacement gas appliances as permit work. Replacing one fixture fits the Plumbing instant permit, and replacing one gas water heater fits the Gas Fitting instant permit; both are issued online to licensed contractors.
- Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit in Washington, DC?
No. DOB says the plumbing and gas fitting instant permits are issued only to licensed contractors, and that only licensed DC contractors for the trade may apply for trade permits.
- How much is a plumbing permit in DC?
DOB says its instant permits average $36.30. Larger jobs are priced on the DOB invoice; we could not find a published plumbing fee table to quote.
- When does a DC plumbing job need more than an instant permit?
When it changes the piping layout serving more than three fixtures, adds more than one fixture, or for gas, changes piping serving more than two appliances. Then it goes through standard review, usually with a building permit.
- How many plumbing permits does DC issue?
26,820 from October 2024 to September 2026, more than any other kind of work in the District; 13,850 of them in the last 12 months.
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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- Instant Permits for Simple Scopes of Work — DC Department of Buildings (2026-10-24)
- How to Get a Permit — DC Department of Buildings (2026-10-24)
- DOB Submission Requirements for Trade Permits (V 10-1-22) — DC Department of Buildings (2026-10-24)
- DCRA FeatureServer (building permits) — DC GIS (2026-10-19)