Joliet, IL Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Sec. 8-325(a) adopts the Illinois Plumbing Code, 77 Ill. Administrative Code Part 890 et seq., by reference, incorporating all of its regulations, provisions, penalties, conditions and terms as amended from time to time, subject to local additions in subsection (c). A copy has been on file at city hall for the required 30 days, and the code official keeps at least one copy available for public inspection. Locally, Joliet bars three approved building drainage/vent pipe materials (ABS, PVC, and PVC with cellular core) from commercial underground installation, disallows six materials (including ABS, CPVC, poly butylene, polyethylene pipe and tubing, and PVC) for water service installation, and disallows five materials (CPVC, cross-linked polyethylene, poly butylene, polypropylene, and PVC) for water distribution piping. Because a building permit does not cover plumbing work, Sec. 8-34 still requires filing a separate written plumbing permit application with the inspector before installation or alteration begins.

Sec. 8-325(d) sets a graduated civil penalty schedule for unlicensed plumbing practice: a first offense with no code violations found draws a $1,000.00 civil penalty, rising to $3,000.00 (reducible to $1,000.00 if the unlicensed person pays a licensed plumber to fix the violations) when violations are found. A second offense runs $3,000.00 to $5,000.00 on the same reduction terms, and a third or subsequent offense is a flat $5,000.00 civil penalty plus mandatory referral to the state's attorney or attorney general. A licensed plumber who knowingly allows an unlicensed person to practice faces a $5,000.00 penalty, must pay for a licensed plumber to correct the violation, and has their license suspended on a first offense or revoked on a second.