Durham, NC Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issued by
- Durham Inspections Department
- Trigger
- Plumbing system work regulated by the North Carolina Building Code
- Exemption
- Only where the state code excuses a permit, e.g. G.S. 160A-117 work costing $5,000.00 or less
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, plus any other remedy available in the Code
- Fee amounts
- Set from time to time by the City Council
- Refund if work never happens
- Permit fee minus a 15 percent service charge
- Refund deadline
- Within six months of issuance, with the permit attached
Summary
Durham requires an owner or authorized agent to apply to the Durham Inspections Department and obtain a permit before erecting, installing, altering, repairing, removing, converting or replacing a plumbing system that the North Carolina Building Code regulates. Skipping the permit is a misdemeanor. The City Council sets the fees, and a permit for work that never happens is refundable minus 15 percent.
erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing system, when such work is regulated by the North Carolina Building Code, as such code may be amended from time to time, an owner or authorized agent shall first make application to the Durham Inspections Department and obtain the required permit. Such permit shall not be required if the North Carolina Building Code specifically excuses obtaining a permit for such work. (See e.g., G.S. 160A-117 regarding exemptions for certain specified work on single family residences or farm buildings that costs $5,000.00 or less.) [...] In addition to any other remedy available in the Code, violation of this section is a misdemeanor. [...] Fees for permits issued for construction which does not occur shall be refunded, minus a service charge, upon application of the person to whom the permit was issued. The service charge retained by the city shall be equal to 15 percent of the permit fee. Application for refund of a permit fee must be made within six months of the date of issuance of the permit and must be accompanied by the permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 36).
Full Breakdown
Section 10-48 of the Durham City Code sets the permit trigger for all trade work. Before anyone erects, installs, enlarges, alters, repairs, removes, converts or replaces an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system that the North Carolina Building Code regulates, the owner or an authorized agent must apply to the Durham Inspections Department and obtain the required permit. The same section covers the building itself: constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a building or structure, or changing its occupancy.
The permit requirement follows the state Building Code. If that code specifically excuses a permit for the work, Durham does not require one, and the City Code cites G.S. 160A-117 as an example: certain specified work on single family residences or farm buildings that costs $5,000.00 or less. Durham then narrows the opening. Provisions in the state code that allow a local government to exempt categories of work are not treated as exemptions unless Chapter 10 clearly grants one, and Section 10-48 overrides any conflicting provision in the chapter. A homeowner needs an exemption the state code grants outright or one Chapter 10 grants expressly.
The plumbing fee schedule sits in Section 10-202. Subsection (a) says the schedule of plumbing code fees is set from time to time by the council, so the chapter prints no dollar figure and the fee for a given permit is whatever the council schedule says on the day of application.
Subsection (b) governs refunds. When the permitted construction does not occur, the person to whom the permit was issued can apply for a refund. The city keeps a service charge equal to 15 percent of the permit fee. The application must be made within six months of the date the permit was issued and must be accompanied by the permit itself.
Payment is handled in Section 10-203. Fees are paid in cash or by credit card, and an applicant can elect a city charge account, under which a bill first mailed by mid-month is due by the last day of that month and a bill mailed after mid-month is due by the last day of the following month.
Violations & Fines
Doing plumbing work that the North Carolina Building Code regulates without first obtaining the permit from the Durham Inspections Department violates Section 10-48. The section states that, in addition to any other remedy available in the Code, a violation is a misdemeanor. That makes unpermitted plumbing a criminal matter for the owner or agent who skipped the application. Fees add a separate cost: a permit holder who builds nothing loses 15 percent of the permit fee even when the refund is granted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to replace plumbing in Durham?
Is there an exemption for small plumbing jobs?
How much does a Durham plumbing permit cost?
Can I get a refund if the plumbing work never happens?
What is the penalty for plumbing work without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Durham
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