MABCD is the joint City of Wichita and Sedgwick County building office; its rules also cover unincorporated Sedgwick County and several small cities, but our counts are the City of Wichita only.
The rule and the exceptions
MABCD's Do I Need a Permit? page (read 24 October 2026) says "You must get a permit" and lets only finish work (paint, carpeting, cabinets, countertops) go without one. Its plumbing fee table, Table H, adds one shortcut: plumbing "done in conjunction with a building project covered by a building permit for a one- or two-family dwelling new construction, repair, remodel or addition is covered and permitted under the authority granted by the building permit and does not require a separate plumbing permit", unless the plumbing begins more than 180 days after the building permit was issued.
What it costs
Fees are per item on Form 3, from Table H (Rev. 5/9/2019):
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Permit issuance (every permit) | $25.00 |
| Waste opening (each fixture drain) | $4.50 |
| Water heater, new or replacement | $9.00 |
| Gas opening / pressure test | $9.00 |
| Water service, new or replacement | $5.00 |
| Backflow device | $5.00 |
| Lawn sprinklers | $10.00 |
| Water conditioning | $4.50 |
| Sewer permit (MABCD permits page) | $60.00 |
A water heater swap is $34.00; a bathroom with a toilet, sink and tub on its own permit is $25.00 + 3 x $4.50 = $38.50. A permit expires if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days, and MABCD may refund up to 80% of the fee when no work was done.
Who can pull it
A licensed plumbing contractor, whose license number goes on Form 3, or you. The Do I Need a Permit? page sets the homeowner terms:
| Homeowner question | MABCD answer |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | "You must own and occupy the home" |
| Own but don't live there | "you MUST use a licensed contractor" |
| Plumbing exam | 30 multiple-choice questions, 75% to pass |
| Water heater exam | 20 multiple-choice questions, 75% to pass |
| Fail or skip the exam | A licensed contractor must do that trade work |
| Inspections | The permit holder schedules and must pass them all |
The page also calls it "a red flag" when a contractor asks the homeowner to pull the permit; check a plumber's license under Lookup Contractor License in the MABCD Online LookUp.
How to apply
- List the items (openings, water heater, gas outlets, water service) on Form 3, or file through the MABCD Portal; MABCD says trade permits "can be obtained online at MABCD Portal or in-person" at 271 W. 3rd St. N., Suite 101.
- A homeowner schedules the plumbing or water heater exam first, or names a licensed sub-contractor.
- Pay the issuance fee plus items.
- Schedule and pass the inspections; the record shows Closed when MABCD closes it.
What 11,195 Wichita plumbing permits show
| Measure | City of Wichita plumbing and sewer, October 2024 to September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Permits issued | 11,195 (21% of all permits) |
| October 2024 to September 2025 / October 2025 to September 2026 | 5,158 / 6,037 (+17%) |
| Finished, permits issued October 2024 to September 2025 | 99.9% |
| Busiest / quietest month (index, 100 = average) | March (122) / November (72) |
| Plumbing repair / new sewer / sewer replacement | 4,130 / 3,267 / 1,121 |
| ZIPs with the most | 67212 (756), 67203 (693), 67235 (624), 67206 (616), 67210 (613) |
Sewer permits (new, replace, repair, cleanout and seal-off) are 5,534 of the 11,195, about half; plumbing repairs are the single biggest type at 37%. Almost every permit closes: 99.9% of the first year's did. March is the busy month, so a planned repipe or water heater upgrade is easier to book in November. The spread across ZIPs is even: no ZIP has more than 7%. Monthly counts are on Wichita plumbing permits, all categories on Wichita permit statistics, and rows on Wichita permits.
Related
Find earlier permits on the house with the Wichita building permit search. Rules elsewhere: do I need a permit for plumbing repairs, a water heater and a sewer line; prices in plumbing labor cost and water heater replacement cost.
What this does not tell you
The file names no contractor, carries no job value on plumbing permits and has no final inspection date, so we show no costs or time to final. Plumbing done under a building permit is not counted here.
How we know this
Rules, fees and homeowner terms are quoted from MABCD's Permits and Do I Need a Permit? pages, its Table H fee table (Rev. 5/9/2019) and Form 3, read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the City of Wichita's MABCD Permits SDE layer, read 19 October 2026: plumbing and sewer permits on City of Wichita property applied for October 2024 to September 2026 that were issued.
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 Wichita?
Yes. MABCD's plumbing fee table has a line for 'Water Heater New or Replacement' at $9.00, on top of the $25.00 permit issuance fee, so a straight swap is $34 before any other items. MABCD also gives a separate homeowner exam for water heaters.
- Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit in Wichita?
Only if you own and live in the house. MABCD's Do I Need a Permit? page says you must pass its homeowner plumbing exam (30 multiple-choice questions, 75% to pass) or designate a licensed plumber. If you own the home but do not live there, a licensed contractor must do the work.
- How much is a plumbing permit in Wichita?
MABCD's Table H charges a $25.00 issuance fee plus per item: $4.50 per waste opening, $9.00 per water heater, $9.00 per gas opening, $5.00 for a new or replacement water service and $5.00 per backflow device. Sewer permits are listed at $60.00 on MABCD's permits page.
- How many plumbing permits does Wichita issue?
MABCD issued 11,195 plumbing and sewer permits on City of Wichita property from October 2024 to September 2026: 5,158 in the first year and 6,037 in the second (+17%). Sewer permits were 49% of them.
- Does a bathroom remodel in Wichita need a separate plumbing permit?
Not on a one- or two-family home with a building permit. MABCD's Table H says plumbing done with a building permit for a new home, repair, remodel or addition is covered by that permit, unless the plumbing starts more than 180 days after the building permit was issued.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
Related guides
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Building a casita in Albuquerque: the 750 sq ft limit, rear-yard rule, parking, free plans, and who builds them
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Albuquerque? GB-2 or homeowner, the plan set and the fee
- Do I need a solar permit in Albuquerque? Building and electrical permits, the engineer triggers and the fee
- Permits — MABCD, Sedgwick County (2026-10-24)
- Uniform Plumbing Code Fees, Table H (Rev. 5/9/2019) — MABCD (2026-10-24)
- MABCD Form #3 Plumbing Permit Application (2026-10-24)
- Do I Need a Permit? — MABCD, Sedgwick County (2026-10-24)
- MABCD Permits SDE — City of Wichita GIS (MISC/MABCD MapServer layer 1) (2026-10-19)