De Pere, WI Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- Wis. Stats. ch. 145; SPS 381-387
- Permit required for
- Any plumbing work or sewer connection
- Homeowner exemption
- Owner's own occupied residence, not sewer taps
- Permit expiration
- 60 days of no work, or job completion
- Annual registration
- Every plumber registers each January
Summary
De Pere adopts Wis. Stats. ch. 145 and the state plumbing code, Wis. Admin. Code chs. SPS 381-387, under City Code § 66-2, and section 66-7 requires a plumbing permit and fee before any plumbing work begins. Permits go only to licensed, bonded plumbers or an owner doing work on their own occupied residence.
Wis. Stats. ch. 145 and Wis. Admin. Code chs. SPS 381—387, together with all amendments, are adopted and by reference made a part of this chapter with the same force and effect as though set out in this section in full. Failure to comply with any of the provisions of the statutes or administrative rules, regulations and bulletins, shall constitute a violation of this chapter, punishable according to the penalties provided. ... (a)Required. No person shall engage in any plumbing work in any building, make any connection with any building, sewer or drains, or do any other plumbing work required by this chapter or any state administrative code without first making application and paying the requisite fee for a plumbing permit under this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 9).
Full Breakdown
Section 66-2 of the De Pere Code of Ordinances adopts Wisconsin Statutes chapter 145 and the state plumbing code at Wis. Admin. Code chs. SPS 381 through 387 by reference, and makes any failure to comply with those state provisions a violation of the city's own plumbing chapter, punishable under the chapter's penalties. Section 66-7 layers a local permit requirement on top: no one may do plumbing work, connect to a building sewer or drain, or perform any other plumbing work covered by the chapter without first applying and paying the required fee to the plumbing inspector, who may demand plans and specifications before approving the work.
No permit issues until the applicant has also secured a permit to connect to the public sewer system, and the plumbing inspector can deny a permit to anyone unlicensed, unbonded, delinquent on a prior license or bond renewal, or currently under an unresolved compliance order. A permit automatically expires if work stops for 60 days without good cause, and again once the permitted work is finished. Section 66-8 requires every plumber working in the city, master, journeyman or apprentice, to register annually with the plumbing inspector each January, though section 66-8(b) lets a property owner do plumbing in their own occupied residence without a license, apart from connections to municipal sewer or water mains.
Violations & Fines
Plumbing work performed without the required permit, or in violation of the adopted state plumbing code, is punishable under the penalties tied to Wis. Stats. ch. 145 and chapter 66's local provisions. The plumbing inspector can withhold future permits from a plumber who fails to correct defective work after notice, and bad faith or unreasonable delay in completing work is treated as grounds for withholding permits under section 66-7(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in De Pere?
Can I do my own plumbing work in De Pere?
What plumbing code applies in De Pere?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in De Pere
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