San Antonio, TX Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted plumbing code
- 2024 International Plumbing Code
- Grease interceptor minimum size
- 500 gallons, 60/40 split
- Rough-in test pressure
- 15" mercury or 10 psi, 15 min
- Homeowner self-permit allowed
- Own homestead only, no helpers
- Governing sections
- SAMC Sec. 10-81, Sec. 10-82
Summary
San Antonio enforces the 2024 International Plumbing Code, Chapters 2 through 15 plus Appendices B through E, as its plumbing standard under Sec. 10-81, layered with local amendments in Sec. 10-82. Plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs need a Development Services Department permit, and only licensed master plumbers, resident homeowners, or specially licensed installers may pull one.
Sec. 10-81. - Adoption of International Plumbing Code(2024). The 2024 edition of the International Plumbing Code, Chapters 2 through 15 and Appendices B through E, promulgated by the International Code Council, is adopted, and incorporated in this article by reference as if fully set forth, except as it is amended by the following provisions of section 10-82. Provisions of this article are in addition to the provisions of the International Plumbing Code.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 10-81 of the San Antonio Code of Ordinances adopts "the 2024 edition of the International Plumbing Code, Chapters 2 through 15 and Appendices B through E, promulgated by the International Code Council," incorporating it by reference except as amended by Sec. 10-82. Those local amendments touch definitions and testing standards alike: the definition of a gravity grease interceptor is rewritten to require a minimum 500-gallon capacity, a double compartment split 60/40, and a minimum 20-inch manhole access to each compartment, and Sec. 301.9 sets a minimum horizontal separation between plumbing or gas piping and electrical lines in a ditch of 36 inches for commercial work and 12 inches for residential work.
Section 406.4's rough-in test requires pressure equal to a 15-inch column of mercury or a 10 psi air test, held for at least 15 minutes (30 minutes for welded piping or gas systems above 14 inches water column), and the final inspection requires a 6-inch mercury column or 5 psi air test with appliance shutoffs attached.
Only certain people may pull the plumbing permit: a duly licensed Responsible Master Plumber registered with a company, a homeowner performing work personally on his or her own homestead without outside help, TCEQ-licensed irrigators installing backflow devices for irrigation, Class III TCEQ-licensed water softener companies, and licensed fire line contractors for fire-line backflow devices.
Violations & Fines
Plumbing work performed without a permit, or by someone not on the authorized list in Sec. 10-6(j), such as an unlicensed installer standing in for a Responsible Master Plumber, is unpermitted work subject to correction and re-inspection by the Development Services Department. Concealed defective piping that must be removed and replaced is treated as new work under Sec. 10-6(e)(5)a, requiring its own permit and inspection rather than qualifying as an exempt repair.
Frequently Asked Questions
What plumbing code applies in San Antonio?
Can a homeowner pull their own plumbing permit?
What test pressure does San Antonio require for new gas or water piping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Antonio
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Plumbing Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Bexar County handle plumbing permits.