Plumbing Permit in Clark County, Nevada
Permit required
Yes, a permit is required
For all plumbing installations or modifications including water heater replacement
Issued byClark County Department of Building and Fire Prevention
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
- Permit fee
- $54
- from the published schedule
Quick answer
A plumbing permit is required for residential plumbing work in Clark County. Water heater replacement and re-piping qualify as Simple Online Permits through the Citizen Access Portal (one item per permit). More complex plumbing projects require plan submittal. Applications are submitted through the Citizen Access Portal.
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When a permit is usually needed
For all plumbing installations or modifications including water heater replacement
What a plumbing permit costs in Clark County
How to apply in Clark County
In Clark County, you apply for a residential plumbing permit at your local building department by filing an application that describes the scope of work and site, along with construction documents, before any regulated plumbing installation, alteration, or repair begins. Minor repairs that do not touch piping or fixtures are generally exempt, and once issued the permit only stays valid if work is started within its time limit.
What most plumbing permit applications include:
- For Clark County, a permit is required before any owner or authorized agent constructs, alters, repairs, removes, converts, or replaces a plumbing system regulated by the code (IRC R105.1).
- For Clark County, the application must identify and describe the work, describe the site, state the intended use and occupancy, and be signed by the applicant or an authorized agent (IRC R105.3).
- Two or more sets of construction documents must accompany the application, drawn with enough clarity to show the location, nature, and extent of the proposed plumbing work and how it will conform to code (IRC R106.1, R106.1.1).
- Minor plumbing repairs, such as clearing a stoppage or removing and resetting a water closet without rearranging pipes or fixtures, are exempt from permit (IRC R105.2).
- Once issued, a permit is only valid for a limited window, commonly 180 days, and becomes invalid if the work is not started or is abandoned within that time, though extensions can be requested (IRC R105.3.2, R105.5).
General submittal guidance from 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), Chapter 1 Scope and Administration, Sections R105 Permits and R106 Construction Documents. Source. Clark County Department of Building and Fire Prevention sets the exact checklist for Clark County.
Where to apply in Clark County:
Clark County Department of Building and Fire Prevention
- 4701 West Russell Road, Las Vegas, NV 89118
- Phone: (702) 455-3000
- Email: pacenter@clarkcountynv.gov
Plumbing Permit in Clark County compared with nearby Nevada localities
| Locality | Permit needed? | Threshold | What each Nevada schedule says | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County | Permit required | Not specified | $54 permit issuance fee under Table 3-D, with flat online simple permit fees of $56.57... | |
| Henderson | Permit required | Not specified | No single flat plumbing fee, charged per fixture group: $189 per each 10 fixtures... |
Inspections and closing out your permit
In Clark County, plumbing inspections are timed to whatever is about to hide the pipe: underground and under-slab piping is checked before concrete covers it, rough-in piping is pressure or water tested before walls close up, and a final inspection checks every fixture and backflow protection once the work is complete.
- In Clark County: piping and equipment placed under a slab or floor must be in place and inspected before any concrete is poured or floor sheathing is installed over it (IRC R109.1.1.1).
- In Clark County: rough plumbing, along with the mechanical, gas, and electrical rough-in, must be inspected prior to covering or concealment and before fixtures or appliances are set (IRC R109.1.2).
- In Clark County: rough drain, waste, and vent (DWV) piping is tested with water, air, or (for plastic piping) a vacuum, and must show no evidence of leakage before it is closed in (IRC P2503.5.1).
- In Clark County: the water-distribution piping is tested and must hold tight under the system's working pressure, or under a 50 psi air test for non-plastic piping, before it is concealed (IRC P2503.7).
- In Clark County: the framing inspection cannot proceed until the plumbing rough inspection, along with the mechanical and electrical rough inspections, has been approved (IRC R109.1.4).
- In Clark County: at the final drainage test, each fixture is filled and then drained, and its traps and fixture connections must prove watertight by visual inspection (IRC P2503.5.2).
- In Clark County: final inspection is made after all work required by the permit is complete, and includes confirming backflow protection, such as vacuum breakers on hose bibbs, is installed (IRC R109.1.6, P2902.4.3).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Clark County permit portal or by phone at (702) 455-3000.
Inspection sequence from 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), Section R109 Inspections and Section P2503 Inspection and Tests. Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Plumbing Permit checklist for Clark County
- Confirm the requirement. Yes, a permit is required. Usually needed: For all plumbing installations or modifications including water heater replacement.
- Budget the fee. $54 permit issuance fee under Table 3-D, with flat online simple permit fees of $56.57 for items like a water heater, reverse osmosis unit, or water softener; other scope bills via Table 3-A valuation, per the county Building Administrative Code Ch. 22.02. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. In Clark County, you apply for a residential plumbing permit at your local building department by filing an application that describes the scope of work and site, along with construction documents, before any regulated plumbing installation, alteration, or repair begins. Minor repairs that do not touch piping or fixtures are generally exempt, and once issued the permit only stays valid if work is started within its time limit. Start at the Clark County permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. Clark County Department of Building and Fire Prevention. Phone: (702) 455-3000. Address: 4701 West Russell Road, Las Vegas, NV 89118.
- Plan for inspections. In Clark County, plumbing inspections are timed to whatever is about to hide the pipe: underground and under-slab piping is checked before concrete covers it, rough-in piping is pressure or water tested before walls close up, and a final inspection checks every fixture and backflow protection once the work is complete.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Permitting activity in Clark County
In 2024, Clark County authorized permits for 14,754 new residential housing units (12,277 single-family, 2,477 in multi-family buildings), valued at $3.7B, up from 13,073 the year before. That works out to about 6.2 permits per 1,000 residents.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual data · population 2,398,871.
About Clark County
Clark County has about 935,960 housing units. The median home is valued at $400,800, against a median household income of $73,845. About 57% of homes are owner-occupied, and the typical home was built around 1997.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year.
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a plumbing permit in Clark County?
- A plumbing permit is required for residential plumbing work in Clark County. Water heater replacement and re-piping qualify as Simple Online Permits through the Citizen Access Portal (one item per permit). More complex plumbing projects require plan submittal. Applications are submitted through the Citizen Access Portal. Always confirm with the Clark County Department of Building and Fire Prevention before starting.
- How much does a plumbing permit cost in Clark County?
- $54 permit issuance fee under Table 3-D, with flat online simple permit fees of $56.57 for items like a water heater, reverse osmosis unit, or water softener; other scope bills via Table 3-A valuation, per the county Building Administrative Code Ch. 22.02. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a plumbing permit in Clark County?
- You can apply through the Clark County permit portal or contact the Clark County Department of Building and Fire Prevention directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit themselves in Clark County?
- Under Nevada law (NRS 624.031(5), 624.031(6); NRS 278.610): Nevada licenses general contractors and the specialty trades together under one Contractors Board license in NRS chapter 624, and NRS 624.031(5) exempts an owner of property who is building or improving a residential structure on the property for the owner's own occupancy and not intended for sale or lease. Because Nevada does not license electricians and plumbers under separate chapters the way some states do, this same owner-occupant exemption also covers trade work done on the project, as long as it is for the owner's own home rather than resale. Selling or leasing the newly built structure, or even just offering it for sale or lease, within 1 year after completion creates a rebuttable presumption that the owner never intended to occupy it and built it to sell instead, which can defeat the exemption. An owner who wants to use the exemption must apply to the Contractors Board, which sets the requirements for granting it by regulation. The exemption only reaches the state contractor license requirement; it does not excuse the owner from the local building permit itself, which NRS 278.610 still requires from whichever city or county building official has jurisdiction. A separate, unrelated exemption in NRS 624.031(6) lets anyone, owner or not, do minor repair or maintenance work worth less than $1,000 without a license, unless a building permit is required for the work or the work is plumbing, electrical, refrigeration, heating, or air conditioning work. Confirm how Clark County applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Clark County
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Billed as a valuation-based building permit under Table 3-A starting at $54 for the... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Not specified | $54 permit issuance fee under Table 3-B, with flat online simple permit fees of $61.88... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | fences over 6 feet in height require a building permit; all fences require a Fence/Wall Permit (Form BPA-005) regardless of height | Type A fencing 6 feet or under that is not a pool barrier needs no permit |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | $54 permit issuance fee under Table 3-C, with flat online simple permit fees of $61.88... |
| Patio Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Patio covers bill as a valuation-based building permit under Table 3-A starting at $54... |
| Pool Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Pool and spa permits add a flat $110 equipment and plumbing fee on top of the estimated... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Replacing no more than 64 sq ft of non-tile roof sheathing with no structural repairs... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | sheds over 200 sq ft require a building permit; storage sheds 200 sq ft or under may be exempt under Building Administrative Code Section 22.02.190 | A detached storage shed of 200 sq ft or less with no mechanical or plumbing needs no... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | No dedicated solar fee table |
Plumbing Permit in other Nevada localities
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Clark County documents; the office above sets the local rules.
How this plumbing permit page for Clark County was verified. 2 official sources: clarkcountynv.gov, clarkcountynv.gov; fee schedule: official document. Last checked by Mario Bailey, not confirmed with Clark County Department of Building and Fire Prevention. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page
Compare Plumbing Permit requirements across Nevada localities