Wicomico County, MD Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Wicomico County's Plumbing Code, adopted under the Annotated Code of Maryland and Chapter 22 of the county code, applies to plumbing installations, alterations, repairs and appurtenances outside incorporated towns and cities, except where a town's own charter has no plumbing provisions of its own. The permit rule sits in Article II: plumbing work shall not be commenced until a permit for such work has been issued by the Plumbing Official. The chapter carves out a narrow repair exception: repairs involving only the working parts of a faucet or valve, clearing stoppages, or repairing or replacing defective faucets or valves may be done without a permit, provided no alterations are made to existing piping or fixtures.

Applications go on forms the Plumbing Official prepares, must be made by the owner or an authorized agent, and must describe the fixtures, location, and intended use and occupancy of the building; the Plumbing Official can also require detailed plans and specifications, including a plan view and riser diagram, before issuing the permit. An application is deemed abandoned six months after filing unless diligently prosecuted or a permit issued, though the Plumbing Official may grant extensions of up to 90 days at a time for reasonable cause.

Fees must be paid before a permit issues, and if plumbing work is commenced before a permit is obtained, the permit fee is doubled. The State Health Department and the Wicomico County Department of Health are designated jointly as the Plumbing Official for enforcement purposes. Violations are civil infractions punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, with the Plumbing Official authorized to issue citations and each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense; a related stop-work order violation carries its own fine of $100 to $500.