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Springfield, IL Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Adopted code
Illinois State Plumbing Code, current ed.
Enforcing dept.
Building and Zoning, Plumbing Inspectors
Minimum permit fee
$20 plus per-fixture fees
Permit expiration
1 year, or void if unstarted after 6 mo.
No-permit fine
$100 or 2x permit fee
General penalty
$50-$500 per day

Summary

Springfield adopts the current edition of the Illinois State Plumbing Code by reference under City Code § 171.10.03, using its home-rule authority, though any stricter city ordinance still controls over the state code. No plumbing work can be built, installed, repaired, removed or remodeled without a permit from the Department of Building and Zoning under § 171.10.07, and permits run a minimum of $20 plus itemized per-fixture fees.

(a) The Illinois State Plumbing Code (ISPC), current edition, promulgated pursuant to authority granted by the Illinois Plumbing Licensing Law, (225 ILCS 320/0.01 et seq.), and any future amendments thereto are hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference pursuant to the authority of the Illinois Compiled Laws, 65 ILCS 5/1-3-1 through 5/1-3-6 inclusive and pursuant to the power granted to the city by the Home Rule Provisions of the Illinois Constitution of 1970. In the event any of the provisions of the Illinois State Plumbing Code are in conflict with any ordinances of the city which ordinances are more restrictive, those ordinances shall prevail.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 82).

Full Breakdown

03 adopts the Illinois State Plumbing Code, current edition, and all future amendments by reference, relying on the state's Plumbing Licensing Law (225 ILCS 320) and the city's home-rule power under the 1970 Illinois Constitution. Where a city ordinance is more restrictive than the ISPC, the city ordinance still governs. 07 requires a permit from the department of building and zoning before any plumbing work, construction, installation, repair, removal or remodeling, can begin anywhere in the city. Applications must come from a registered plumbing contractor or, for a single-family home, from an owner who currently lives in or intends to live in the residence for at least a year after the work is done; failing that residency requirement bars the applicant from getting another permit for three years.

08 are void if work doesn't start within six months, and every permit expires one year after issuance regardless. 13 start with a $20 minimum permit fee, then add $5 per fixture, $5 per waste opening, $5 per new water or waste line, $5 for a floor drain, $5 for an inside downspout opening, $5 for a drinking fountain, $50 for a new hydronic boiler installation ($30 to replace one), $3 per gas piping outlet, and a $20 reinspection fee. Starting work without a permit first triggers a fine of $100 or twice the permit fee, whichever is greater, on top of any other penalty.

Violations & Fines

Working without a required plumbing permit under § 171.10.07 draws a fine of $100 or twice the applicable permit fee, whichever is more, in addition to any other penalty. General violations of the plumbing chapter carry the standard penalty in § 171.10.999: $50 to $500 per day, with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense, plus any other statutory or common-law remedy the department chooses to pursue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Springfield use its own plumbing code or the state's?
The state's. Section 171.10.03 adopts the current edition of the Illinois State Plumbing Code by reference, along with any future amendments, using the city's home-rule authority. If a Springfield ordinance is stricter than the state code on a given point, the stricter city rule controls instead.
Who can apply for a Springfield plumbing permit?
A registered plumbing contractor performing the work, or, for a single-family home, the owner personally, as long as that owner currently lives in or plans to move into the residence and stays at least one year after the plumbing work is finished. An owner who doesn't meet that residency condition is barred from getting another permit for three years.
What does a Springfield plumbing permit cost?
A $20 minimum permit fee under § 171.10.13, plus itemized charges such as $5 per fixture, $5 per waste opening or new water/waste line, $50 for a new hydronic boiler ($30 to replace one), $3 per gas piping outlet, and a $20 reinspection fee if a job needs a third inspection.
What happens if I start plumbing work without a permit?
Springfield fines you $100 or twice the permit fee, whichever is greater, on top of any other penalty, under § 171.10.07's permitting requirement. General violations of the plumbing chapter also carry a separate $50 to $500 per day penalty under § 171.10.999, with each day counted separately.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Springfield

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