The County chart
New Hanover County Building Safety issues building and trade permits for homes inside the City of Wilmington. Its residential Do I Need a Permit? chart (read 26 October 2026) marks these plumbing jobs:
| Job | Plumbing permit | Other permits or notes on the chart |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing changeout | Yes | "Changing plumbing lines, sink, shower, toilet, tub" |
| New fixture (sink, toilet) "where one did not exist previously" | Yes | |
| Piping in wall | Yes | Plan review; "Additional CFPUA fees may apply" |
| Connecting to CFPUA water or sewer | Yes | Plan review; CFPUA fees, 910-332-6560 |
| Sewer replacement or install | Yes | |
| Boiler | Yes | Plus electrical and mechanical |
| Water heater replacement | No, "IF INSTALLED BY LICENSED CONTRATOR" [sic] | "Homeowner (DYI) installations required an electrical/gas & plumbing permit" |
On this chart a like-for-like toilet or faucet changeout still needs a permit here, but a water heater swap by a licensed plumber does not. If you are unsure, the chart gives 910-798-7308.
Who can pull it
A licensed plumbing contractor. The state plumbing, heating and fire sprinkler board licenses "Anyone who contracts to install, alter or restore plumbing, heating (includes air conditioning) or fire sprinkler systems", while "Minor repairs and service work ... do not require a state license" (Consumer Awareness). Search the firm on the board's license search.
You, as owner-builder, within the County's limits from its FAQ: "Generally intended for owners who will occupy the home as their primary residence for at least 12 consecutive months", and it "May not apply to" LLC-owned, investment, resale or rental properties.
What it costs
From the County's Permit Cost page, read 26 October 2026:
| Residential fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plumbing permit | $60 |
| Electrical permit (a DIY electric water heater) | $60 |
| Prior cut-on, electrical or gas | $60 |
| Minor alteration or repair, one building inspection | $60 |
| Major alteration or remodel, two or more inspections, all trade permits included | $0.221 per sq ft, $400 minimum |
| Excessive inspections (after 2 failed) | $50 |
| Starting work or working without a permit | $100 |
| Failure to obtain final inspection when job complete | $100 |
So a homeowner swapping an electric water heater pays $120 for the plumbing and electrical permits (our arithmetic). Plumbing done as part of a major remodel is covered by the remodel's per-square-foot fee. CFPUA charges its own fees for new water or sewer connections. Cancelled permits are refunded minus a 25% service fee or $60, whichever is greater.
Applying and inspections
- Apply in COAST, the County's portal; questions to coast@nhcgov.com.
- Request inspections in COAST before 3:30 p.m. for the next business day. The County sequences inspections in COAST per the NC Department of Insurance, so a final cannot be booked ahead of the rough-in (how to read COAST).
- Expiry. A permit expires in six months if work does not start, or after 12 months of stopped work (G.S. 160D-1111, quoted on the County FAQ).
What 967 Wilmington plumbing permits show
| Measure | Wilmington plumbing |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 967 |
| Firms | 246 |
| Firms with one permit only | 134 (54.5%) |
| Firms with a permit in the 12 months to September 2026 | 116 |
| Permits carrying a filed value | 61.4% |
| Usual filed value | $20,458 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value (3+ permits) | $6,900 to $77,203 |
| Completed (permits a year or more old) | 82.4% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 78 |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 71.3% / 95.0% |
| Busiest / quietest month (index, 100 = average) | October (120) / September (73) |
Wilmington's plumbing permits mix repair work with plumbing for whole houses and remodels, which is why the usual filed value is $20,458 and firms' usual jobs range from $6,900 to $77,203. Compare a plumber's usual job with yours before reading too much into its count. Wilmington plumbers close their permits: 82.4% overall, and the 10th-percentile busy firm reached 71.3%, so here the record that separates firms is job size and recency more than completion. The busiest in the 12 months to September 2026 was Milam Plumbing Inc, with 21 permits.
See every Wilmington plumber by permits completed →
Related
Compare plumbers on the Wilmington plumbing list; counts by month on Wilmington permit statistics. License steps: Wilmington contractor license lookup. The other trade permits: Wilmington HVAC permit and Wilmington electrical permit. Other places: do I need a permit for plumbing repairs and for a water heater. National rates: plumbing labor cost; what to ask: hiring a plumber.
What this does not tell you
Our Wilmington view is homes inside the City limits; beach towns and unincorporated New Hanover County are not in it. The County names the contractor on only about half of recent trade permits, and a plumbing permit pulled by a house's builder is counted under the builder. Only 61.4% of plumbing permits carry a value. North Carolina publishes no bulk license file, so we show no license status.
How we know this
The permit chart, fees and penalties are quoted from New Hanover County's Do I Need a Permit? chart and Permit Cost page, read 26 October 2026; owner-builder limits, inspection scheduling and expiry from its Building Safety FAQ, read 23 October 2026; the licensing rule from the NC plumbing, heating and fire sprinkler board, read 22 October 2026. Counts are New Hanover County plumbing permits on homes inside the City of Wilmington, October 2023 to September 2026; "completed" uses permits a year or more old and days are the median from issue to final.
Numbers come from New Hanover County Building Safety permits on homes inside the City of Wilmington (the County issues the City's building permits), data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Wilmington, NC?
Not if a licensed contractor installs it. New Hanover County's permit chart says 'NO PERMIT REQUIRED - IF INSTALLED BY LICENSED CONTRATOR' [sic], while a homeowner (DIY) installation needs an electrical or gas permit and a plumbing permit.
- How much is a plumbing permit in Wilmington, NC?
$60 on New Hanover County's residential fee schedule. Penalties are $100 for starting work without a permit and $100 for not getting a final inspection when the job is complete, and an excessive-inspections fee of $50 applies after two failed inspections.
- Do I need a permit to replace a toilet or sink in Wilmington?
Yes. The County's chart lists 'Plumbing - Changeout', described as changing plumbing lines, sink, shower, toilet or tub, as needing a plumbing permit, and a new fixture where none existed also needs one.
- Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit in Wilmington?
New Hanover County's owner-builder exemption is generally meant for owners who will live in the home as their primary residence for at least 12 consecutive months, and may not apply to LLC-owned, investment, resale or rental properties. Otherwise a contractor licensed by the state plumbing board pulls it.
- How long does a plumbing permit take to final in Wilmington?
The usual Wilmington plumbing permit in our file passed final 78 days after issue, and 82.4% of permits a year or more old were completed.
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
For one city
- Wilmington, NC contractor license lookup: which state board, the County's COAST portal and the permits
- Wilmington, NC building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need an electrical permit in Wilmington, NC? Outlets, lights, service changes and generators: the County chart, the $60 fee, inspections
- Do I Need a Permit? (residential permit chart) — New Hanover County (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Permit Cost — New Hanover County (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Building Safety Frequently Asked Questions — New Hanover County (accessed 2026-10-23)
- COAST (Customer Online Application & Services Tool) — New Hanover County (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)