Chesapeake, VA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Department of building and permits
- Who can tap lines
- Only persons authorized by public utilities
- Prerequisite
- Fees paid or payment agreement executed
- Default penalty
- Class 1 misdemeanor: up to $2,500 fine, 12 months jail
- Related sections
- Secs. 78-52, 78-58, 78-86, 14-31, 14-33(b)
Summary
Chesapeake requires a plumbing permit before anyone taps, uncovers or connects to the city's water or sewer lines. The permit comes from the department of building and permits, and prerequisite connection fees or a signed payment agreement must be in place first under City Code Sec. 78-57.
It shall be unlawful for any person, except those duly authorized by the department of public utilities, to uncover, tap or make any connection with any city water and/or sewer lines, unless a plumbing permit has first been obtained from the department of building and permits for purposes of extending water and sewer service to premises for which all prerequisite fees have been collected or for which a payment agreement has been fully executed in accordance with sections 78-52 and 78-86 of this chapter.
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 78-57 makes it unlawful for anyone except those authorized by the department of public utilities to uncover, tap or connect to any city water and/or sewer line unless a plumbing permit has first been issued by the department of building and permits. The permit exists specifically to extend water and sewer service to a property, and it cannot be issued until all prerequisite connection fees under Sec. 78-52 have been collected, or until a payment agreement under Sec. 78-86 has been fully executed.
The ordinance traces back to a 1969 water/sewer ordinance, was recodified in the 1970 Code as Sec. 28-16, and was last amended by Ord. No. 15-O-130 on October 27, 2015. Separately, general plumbing work inside buildings falls under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, adopted and incorporated by reference for the city under Sec. 14-31, with the department of development and permits serving as the local building department and the director of development and permits as the appointing authority of the building official. Fee amounts for permits under this chapter, including plumbing fees cross-referenced at Sec.
14-33(b), are set annually by city council as part of the budget ordinance rather than fixed in the code text itself. Anyone other than a city-authorized agent is also barred from uncovering public water or sewer lines or operating a public fire hydrant without department of public utilities approval, per the companion protection provision at Sec. 78-58.
Violations & Fines
Section 78-57 does not set its own penalty, so it falls under the citywide default in Sec. 1-10(d): any act declared unlawful in the Code without a specified penalty is a class 1 misdemeanor. That carries confinement in jail for up to 12 months and a fine of up to $2,500.00, either or both, under Sec. 1-10(b)(1). The city can also pursue collection of unpaid connection fees or costs tied to unauthorized taps through the department of public utilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to connect my home to Chesapeake's water or sewer lines?
Which department issues Chesapeake plumbing permits for utility connections?
What is the penalty for tapping a city water or sewer line without a permit in Chesapeake?
Does Chesapeake have its own building or plumbing code, or does it use the state code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chesapeake
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