Plumbing Permit in Cleveland, Ohio
It depends
Sometimes, depending on the project
Before installing, altering, removing, replacing or repairing any drainage, plumbing or water supply system or part of one, before connecting any fixture, appliance or water connected equipment, and for new or replaced water heaters, new or extended gas or water service, and power assisted sewer cleaning.
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
Cleveland requires a separate plumbing permit, with a codified exemption for minor repairs only. Codified Ordinance 3133.02 defines minor repairs narrowly: repairing an existing fixture, replacing faucets or valves or their parts with like material, clearing stoppages, stopping leaks and relieving frozen pipes, provided no other change is made to the piping, drainage, vent or water supply system, the stoppage can be cleared without power driven equipment or cutting into piping, and the leak can be stopped without replacing drainage or vent piping. That is why the city's Plumbing Permits page says a permit is required for power assisted sewer cleaning. There is a second jurisdiction to clear: plumbing, sewer and gas piping systems may also require water permits from the Division of Water at 1201 Lakeside Avenue, second floor, Permits and Sales, 216.664.2444 ext. 7513, filed separately, though Building and Housing relays the plans to speed the review. Plumbing contractors need a master plumber or sewer builder bond and must be licensed and insured with the State and registered with the City; do it yourselfers do not have to be registered.
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
When a permit is usually needed
Before installing, altering, removing, replacing or repairing any drainage, plumbing or water supply system or part of one, before connecting any fixture, appliance or water connected equipment, and for new or replaced water heaters, new or extended gas or water service, and power assisted sewer cleaning.
What a plumbing permit costs in Cleveland
How Cleveland compares in Ohio
No Ohio jurisdiction we have verified sets a size threshold for this permit, so what actually differs between them is the fee.
| Jurisdiction | Permit needed? | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | Permit required | Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026, "PLUMBING FEES" table: $68.00 to replace... |
| Clevelandthis page | It depends | Plumbing Fixtures, Appliance and Piping fee schedule effective January 2... |
| Columbus | Permit required | Plumbing falls under the combined trade line, $275 standard with 2 inspections... |
| Franklin County | Permit required | Franklin County Public Health publishes no figure on its plumbing page beyond... |
How to apply in Cleveland
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:
- 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).
- 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. City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing, Division of Construction Permitting sets the exact checklist for Cleveland.
Where to apply in Cleveland:
City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing, Division of Construction Permitting
- Department of Building and Housing, Division of Construction Permitting, Cleveland City Hall, 601 Lakeside Ave., Room 505, Cleveland, OH 44114
- Phone: 216.664.2910
- Email: BHpermits@clevelandohio.gov
Inspections and closing out your permit
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.
- 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).
- 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).
- 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).
- 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).
- 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).
- 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).
- 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 Cleveland permit portal or by phone at 216.664.2910.
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 Cleveland
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Usually needed: Before installing, altering, removing, replacing or repairing any drainage, plumbing or water supply system or part of one, before connecting any fixture, appliance or water connected equipment, and for new or replaced water heaters, new or extended gas or water service, and power assisted sewer cleaning.
- Budget the fee. Plumbing Fixtures, Appliance and Piping fee schedule effective January 2, 2014: "The minimum fee for any permit shall be: $50.00". Each plumbing fixture, appliance or device, including water closets, bathtubs, showers, sinks, dishwashers, clothes washers, floor drains, hot water heating devices and sump pumps, is $8.00. Piping is $13.00 for each 100 lineal feet or fraction thereof for gas piping, storm or foundation drains, sanitary drains and sewers, and water distribution piping. Repairs to existing plumbing fixtures and/or systems are $50.00. Add the 1 percent State of Ohio surcharge for 1, 2 and 3 family dwelling units. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. 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 Cleveland permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing, Division of Construction Permitting. Phone: 216.664.2910. Address: Department of Building and Housing, Division of Construction Permitting, Cleveland City Hall, 601 Lakeside Ave., Room 505, Cleveland, OH 44114.
- Plan for inspections. 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 .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a plumbing permit in Cleveland?
- Cleveland requires a separate plumbing permit, with a codified exemption for minor repairs only. Codified Ordinance 3133.02 defines minor repairs narrowly: repairing an existing fixture, replacing faucets or valves or their parts with like material, clearing stoppages, stopping leaks and relieving frozen pipes, provided no other change is made to the piping, drainage, vent or water supply system, the stoppage can be cleared without power driven equipment or cutting into piping, and the leak can be stopped without replacing drainage or vent piping. That is why the city's Plumbing Permits page says a permit is required for power assisted sewer cleaning. There is a second jurisdiction to clear: plumbing, sewer and gas piping systems may also require water permits from the Division of Water at 1201 Lakeside Avenue, second floor, Permits and Sales, 216.664.2444 ext. 7513, filed separately, though Building and Housing relays the plans to speed the review. Plumbing contractors need a master plumber or sewer builder bond and must be licensed and insured with the State and registered with the City; do it yourselfers do not have to be registered. Always confirm with the City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing, Division of Construction Permitting before starting.
- How much does a plumbing permit cost in Cleveland?
- Plumbing Fixtures, Appliance and Piping fee schedule effective January 2, 2014: "The minimum fee for any permit shall be: $50.00". Each plumbing fixture, appliance or device, including water closets, bathtubs, showers, sinks, dishwashers, clothes washers, floor drains, hot water heating devices and sump pumps, is $8.00. Piping is $13.00 for each 100 lineal feet or fraction thereof for gas piping, storm or foundation drains, sanitary drains and sewers, and water distribution piping. Repairs to existing plumbing fixtures and/or systems are $50.00. Add the 1 percent State of Ohio surcharge for 1, 2 and 3 family dwelling units. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a plumbing permit in Cleveland?
- You can apply through the Cleveland permit portal or contact the City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing, Division of Construction Permitting directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit themselves in Cleveland?
- Under Ohio law (OAC 4101:8-1-01 Section 105.1; R.C. 3791.04(A)(1)(b); R.C. Chapter 4740): Ohio has no statewide general contractor license, so the Residential Code of Ohio names the property owner directly as an authorized permit applicant: an owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, alter, repair, or change the occupancy of a residential building must first make application to the local certified building department and obtain approval, meaning a homeowner may pull their own permit and act as their own contractor. Certain specialty trades, HVAC, refrigeration, and hydronics contractors, are separately licensed statewide under R.C. Chapter 4740, and no homeowner exemption from that licensing requirement could be found in the chapter's text. In a county, township, or municipality with no residential building department certified by the state Board of Building Standards, R.C. 3791.04(A)(1)(b) and the Residential Code of Ohio's administrative rule both say the owner is not required to submit construction documents, seek approval, request inspections, or obtain a certificate of occupancy at all, which removes the state permitting framework, and with it the owner-builder question, in those jurisdictions. Confirm how Cleveland applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Cleveland
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 | The General Fee Schedule effective January 2, 2014 has no deck line item. |
| Electrical Permit | It depends | Not specified | Electrical Wiring and Equipment fee schedule effective January 2, 2014: "the minimum fee... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | share of an existing fence repaired or replaced within any twelve month period, where foundations and footers are unchanged | General Fee Schedule effective January 2, 2014, item C(2) "Fences, guardrails, or... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | HVAC permit fee schedule effective January 2, 2014: "One, two and three family... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | water capacity of a private swimming pool; a depth of more than two feet also triggers the permit | General Fee Schedule effective January 2, 2014, item C(4) "Swimming pools... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | share of the roof whose shingles are replaced, where the replacement is in the same material | The General Fee Schedule effective January 2, 2014 has no roofing line item. |
| Shed Permit | Permit required | Not specified | General Fee Schedule effective January 2, 2014, item C(1) "Private garages, tool sheds... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Cleveland's Solar Panel Guide publishes a residential table: residential building permit... |
Plumbing Permit in other Ohio localities
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Cleveland documents; the office above sets the local rules.
Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing, Division of Construction Permitting. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page
Permit office
City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing, Division of Construction Permitting
216.664.2910Permit portalCompare
Plumbing Permit across Ohio