Portland, ME Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Section 6-92(a)(2), part of Chapter 6, Article II, Division 1 (Ord. 18-17/18, 8-21-2017), lists plumbing work as its own enumerated permit trigger, separate from general construction: no person may commence installing, removing, or altering plumbing or plumbing fixtures, or subsurface waste water disposal systems or components, without first obtaining a permit from the building authority, the Permitting and Inspections Department Director. As with all permits under this article, fees follow the fee schedule the City Council adopts under § 6-92(b), and the Department can adjust the fee under § 6-92(c) if a submitted project cost understates what national cost standards indicate for the work.

A plumbing permit obtained after the work has already started costs double the scheduled fee under § 6-92(d). The Department Director must also adopt a policy for refunding fees where appropriate, under § 6-92(e). Plumbing installations are inspected as part of the building authority's broader Code enforcement, which the ordinance ties to MUBEC administration under § 6-98(b) and to the Certificate of Occupancy requirement of § 6-93, no building may be occupied while any part of it, plumbing included, remains out of Code compliance.