Lincoln County, SD Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

As part of its International Existing Building Code amendments, Lincoln County Code § 151.18 renames the model code's plumbing reference to the ICC Plumbing Code and defines its scope at amendment section 101.4.5: it governs the installation, alteration, repair, and replacement of plumbing systems, including equipment, appliances, fixtures, fittings, and appurtenances connected to a water or sewage system, and all aspects of a medical gas system. The same sentence states plainly that the ICC Plumbing Code shall be administered by the State of South Dakota, distinguishing it from the neighboring mechanical, gas, fire, energy, and electrical code definitions in the same section, each of which carries the identical administered-by-the-state language.

Even though the state administers the plumbing code's technical content, plumbing work at a covered building or structure still falls under the general county permit requirement: R105.1 at § 151.33 requires an owner or authorized agent to apply to the county building official and obtain a permit before installing, altering, or replacing any plumbing system regulated by the adopted code. The Planning and Zoning Director, as Building Inspector under § 151.02, enforces the plumbing provisions of the adopted code and inspects the resulting work alongside other building-code inspections.