Sussex County, DE Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Chapter 110's Article III, "Building Sewers and Connections," governs the plumbing permit process for any property connecting to the Unified Sussex County Sanitary Sewer District. Section 110-6 bars anyone from uncovering, connecting to, opening into, using, altering or disturbing a public sewer or its appurtenances without first obtaining a County permit, and separately requires a permit before any structure, including a manufactured home, is connected or disconnected from the system. Section 110-7 requires the application to be made in person by a duly licensed plumber, supplemented by plans and specifications when required, and signed by both the plumber and the property owner; industrial permits are signed by the entity's owner or authorized agent instead.

The County recognizes four classes of building sewer permits: residential and commercial service, disconnect permits, service permits for industrial waste producers, and partial hook-up permits backed by engineering plans. Once the work is done, § 110-12 requires the permit holder to notify the County so the Engineer can perform an open-trench visual inspection and approve the connection before it's placed in service. Separately, Chapter 71's housing standards require all dwelling-unit plumbing to be installed under the State Plumbing Code, per § 71-15A, so a Sussex County plumbing project can trigger both the state code standard and the county's own sewer connection permit.