Amarillo, TX Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Sec. 4-5-2 requires a permit from the Department of Building Safety, issued under Chapter 4-1's Fees, Permits, and Contractor Registrations rules, before any plumbing installation, alteration, repair or replacement work on water, sewer, gas, drainage, water treatment or water-heating systems. A separate permit is required for every building, structure or premises, and anyone installing or swapping residential water treatment equipment must also pull a permit first. Sec. 4-5-21 adopts the International Plumbing Code (titled locally as "the International Plumbing Code of City of Amarillo") and amends its administrative sections: permit fees follow the schedule in Chapter 4-1 rather than the model code's own fee table, and starting plumbing work before a permit issues subjects the violator to fees under Chapter 4-1, Article I, Division 1, Secs.

4-1-1 through 4-1-4, in addition to the required permit fee. 5 lets the code official issue a written stop-work order whenever plumbing work is being done contrary to the code or in a dangerous manner; continuing work after being served that order is a separate violation. The city struck the model code's appeal section and substituted its own Section 114, sending appeals of a code official's decision to the Construction Advisory and Appeals Commission established by municipal ordinance. Sec. 4-5-1 separately requires a City Engineer/Utilities Director permit before opening a street or alley to tap the city sewer, and reserves sewer-main taps to the City Utilities Division alone.