Pasco, WA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- State-adopted UPC via WAC 51-56
- Minimum plumbing permit fee
- $50.00
- Gas appliance/piping permit fee
- $50.00
- Max fine per violation
- $500.00
- Continuing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
- Basement requirement
- Floor drain plus backflow preventer
- Appeals body
- Mid-Columbia Building Appeals Commission
Summary
Pasco enforces the state-adopted Uniform Plumbing Code under PMC 16.20, requiring a permit for plumbing work with a $50.00 minimum permit fee. Violators face fines up to $500.00 per offense, with each day of continuing violation counted separately.
The most current state-adopted Uniform Plumbing Code published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, as amended by the Washington State Building Code Council and published as Chapter 51-56 WAC, is adopted as the plumbing code of the City except as hereinafter amended.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4837, passed May 4, 2026).
Full Breakdown
The City of Pasco adopts "the most current state-adopted Uniform Plumbing Code published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, as amended by the Washington State Building Code Council and published as Chapter 51-56 WAC" as its plumbing code under PMC 16.20.010, and separately adopts Chapter 7, Part II of the UPC (the state-deleted section) under PMC 16.20.020. Rather than use the UPC's own fee table, Pasco repeals Table 1-1 of UPC Chapter 1 and substitutes its own schedule: PMC 16.20.030 states the fee schedule "as set forth in PMC 16.05.080 is adopted in its place," and the City's consolidated permit fee table lists a plumbing minimum permit fee of $50.00 under that same section.
Gas appliance and piping installation carries its own $50.00 permit fee under PMC 16.25.080, and any restoration of a cut surface plus one year of maintenance is billed at cost under PMC 16.25.180. Appeals of decisions under the plumbing code do not go to a generic hearing officer: PMC 16.20.040 repeals UPC Section 20.14 and substitutes the Board of Appeals set up under PMC 16.05.040, the seven-member Mid-Columbia Building Appeals Commission jointly appointed with Franklin and Benton Counties, whose members include a civil engineer, an architect, a general contractor, a specialty contractor and a fire specialist, each serving five-year terms.
PMC 16.20.050 requires every building to have sanitary facilities under the adopted plumbing and building codes and mandates that every basement include at least one floor drain with a backflow preventer, located in the utility room, bathroom, or furnace room. Enforcement runs through the Building Official, and PMC 16.20.070 makes it unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to violate any provision of the chapter.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of PMC Chapter 16.20 is punishable by a fine of not more than $500.00 per offense for an individual, and not more than $500.00 for a firm or corporation. Continuing violations are treated as a separate offense for each day they persist, so unpermitted plumbing work left uncorrected can accumulate daily fines under PMC 16.20.070.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for plumbing work in Pasco?
What happens if I do plumbing work without a permit in Pasco?
Is a floor drain required in a Pasco basement?
Where do I appeal a plumbing permit decision in Pasco?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco
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