Maricopa County, AZ Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Local code name
- Plumbing Code of Maricopa County (§[A]101.1)
- Governing document
- Local Additions and Addenda, TA2022001 (2022)
- Permit-free plumbing work
- Only 2 exceptions under §105.2
- Permit expiration
- 180 days if work not started/continued
- Late-start penalty
- Building permit fee doubled (§114.4)
Summary
Unincorporated Maricopa County regulates plumbing under the locally titled "Plumbing Code of Maricopa County," its amended version of the International Plumbing Code. Almost all plumbing installation, alteration, repair or replacement needs a county permit; the Local Additions and Addenda carve out only two narrow exceptions.
[A] 105.2 Work exempt from permit. Exemptions from permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction. Permits shall not be required for the following:
Plumbing:
1. Replacement of water closets, valves or fixtures with new valves or fixtures complying with the water conservation requirements of this code.
2. Replacement in kind of an existing storage tank water heater in one-and-two family dwellings when the work is performed by a licensed contractor. This exception does not apply to instant-hot on-demand type water heaters of any size.
[A]101.1 Title. These regulations shall be known as the Plumbing Code of Maricopa County, hereinafter referred to as "this code."
Full Breakdown
3 that the International Plumbing Code governs "the installation, alteration, repair and replacement of plumbing systems, including equipment, appliances, fixtures, fittings and appurtenances," plus connected water and sewage systems, medical gas systems, and private sewage disposal systems under the companion code. 2 lists everything exempt from a permit, and for plumbing that list runs to exactly two items: replacing a water closet, valve or fixture with a water-conservation-compliant unit, and replacing an existing storage tank water heater in a one- or two-family dwelling in kind, by a licensed contractor (that exception excludes tankless, instant-hot units of any size). 3, needs a permit from the Planning and Development Department's Building Official. 5. 4, on top of the normal fee.
Violations & Fines
Work commencing before permit issuance draws a fee equal to the building permit fee doubled, in addition to the standard permit fee, under Local Addenda §114.4. That section also subjects anyone who violates the plumbing code, or who installs, alters or repairs plumbing systems contrary to approved plans or a Building Official directive, to further penalties "as prescribed by law."
Frequently Asked Questions
What plumbing work in unincorporated Maricopa County doesn't need a permit?
How long is a Maricopa County plumbing permit good for?
What code applies to plumbing in unincorporated Maricopa County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Maricopa County
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