Ocala, FL Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

The city's Growth Management and Building Safety division enforces plumbing permitting under Chapter 82 of the Code of Ordinances. Section 82-40(a) requires a permit for new construction and all additions, alterations or repairs unless a listed exemption applies, and plumbing work is folded into that general permit scheme rather than carrying its own article. Section 82-42(a)(7) lists "Plumbing permits" as one of the categories in the minimum fee schedule that City Council adopts by separate resolution and that the building department keeps on file, so the dollar amount is set administratively rather than printed in the ordinance.

Section 82-40(b) waives permitting and inspection fees entirely for single-family jobs under $5,000.00, a no-fee permit. The main carve-out from permitting itself sits in § 82-40(e): gas, mechanical and plumbing work described in Florida Building Code [A] 105.2 does not need a city permit at all. A separate, narrower exemption in § 82-40(h)(5) lets a homeowner swap a like-for-like electric or gas water heater without pulling a permit, but only if a licensed plumbing contractor operating within the city performs the install; for gas units, that contractor must also file an integrity test or turn-on affidavit with the building official within three days of the work.

Any plumbing tied to new construction, additions or alterations that falls outside these specific carve-outs still needs the standard building permit and plan submittal steps set out for the rest of Chapter 82, and it is not exempt just because a plumber is doing the labor.