Grand Rapids, MI Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Code enforced
- Michigan Plumbing Code
- Contractor registration
- State license registered with City
- Administered by
- Building Official
- No-permit consequence
- Stop Work order
Summary
Grand Rapids enforces the Michigan Plumbing Code locally, and every plumbing contractor working in the city must register their state license with the Building Inspections Department.
All plumbing contractors doing work within the City of Grand Rapids shall register their State Plumbing Contractors License with the Department. No licensed master plumber may register his license as the licensed representative of more than one organization, firm, or corporation at the same time. This registration is valid until the expiration date of the State Plumbing Contractors License.
(Ord. No. 2004-43, § 1, 8-10-04; Ord. No. 2009-60, § 2, 11-10-09)
Editor's note— Section 4 of Ord. No. 2009-60, adopted November 10, 2009, provides for an effective date of 12-1-09.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 70).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 8.26 sets the Michigan Plumbing Code as the applicable code for plumbing permits and enforcement in Grand Rapids, administered by the Building Official (§ 8.28). Section 8.29 requires every plumbing contractor doing work in the city to register their State Plumbing Contractors License with the Department before working -- a master plumber can't register as the licensed representative of more than one firm at a time. As with the building code, § 8.32(5) lets the City issue a Stop Work order for plumbing work done without a permit.
Violations & Fines
Working without registering a State Plumbing Contractors License, or plumbing without a permit, is a municipal civil infraction under § 8.32; a fourth violation is a misdemeanor with up to a $500 fine and 90 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do plumbers need to register with Grand Rapids?
What plumbing code applies in Grand Rapids?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Rapids
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How other cities in Kent County handle plumbing permits.