Cecil County, MD Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Cecil County Code § 270-12 requires a permit before any plumbing work commences in the County, and that permit must be issued by the Division of Permits and Inspections to a licensed master plumber. Applications go on forms the Office of Permits and Inspections provides and must be accompanied by the required fee, set under § 270-4 by resolution of the Cecil County Council. Subsection C carves out a limited exception: repairs involving only the working parts of a faucet or valve, clearance of stoppages, repair of leaks, or replacement of defective faucets or valves can be done without a permit, but only if no alterations are made to the existing piping serving the fixtures.

Homeowners get a separate path under § 270-15: a homeowner who wants to do plumbing work in his or her own dwelling must pass a test and submit a drawing of all drainage and water lines, and can be issued a permit after scoring 75 or better, but that self-permit for new construction is limited to once every five years. Section 270-13 governs what happens when work goes wrong: bad-faith delays or failure to respond to official communications are grounds to rescind or withhold permits, and the Division of Permits and Inspections can suspend, withdraw or deny permits to anyone found working in violation of the code until the violation is corrected.

Every licensed master plumber working in the county must also hold a state master plumber's certificate from the Maryland State Board of Plumbing plus a County license under § 270-17, and licenses cannot be sold, lent or transferred under § 270-19.