Do I need a permit for plumbing fixture or repiping in City of Pittsburgh?
Yes. In Pennsylvania, plumbing fixture or repiping generally requires a permit, and City of Pittsburgh is no exception.
Under the Pennsylvania UCC altering or extending a plumbing system requires a permit, so re-piping a home's water-supply or drain lines is permitted work, while simply repairing a leak is an ordinary repair. Opening walls for the re-pipe usually adds a cover inspection before you close them up. Confirm the required inspections with your local code office or third-party agency. The City of Pittsburgh states that plumbing not associated with sprinkler systems is regulated by the Allegheny County Health Department Plumbing Division, so a whole-house repipe is permitted and inspected by the county, not by PLI. PLI does not consider adding to, altering, replacing, or relocating water supply, sewer, drainage, soil, waste, or vent piping to be an ordinary repair, so this work is not exempt. PermitRoadmap is an independent informational service, not the City of Pittsburgh or Allegheny County; confirm the plumbing permit and licensed-plumber requirement with the Allegheny County Health Department.
Documents you may need
- Plumbing permit applicationrequired
- Description or plan of the re-pipe scopeSometimes required
- Licensed or qualified plumber informationSometimes required
- Allegheny County Health Department plumbing permit for the repipe of water supply and drainage pipingrequired
- Licensed plumber to perform and file for the plumbing workrequired
- PLI Building and Development Application only if walls are opened structurally beyond the piping workSometimes required
Possible inspections
- Rough plumbing inspection with pressure test
- Cover inspection before closing walls
- Final inspection
- Plumbing inspection by the Allegheny County Health Department, including rough-in while piping is exposed
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a permit for plumbing fixture or repiping in City of Pittsburgh?
- Yes. In Pennsylvania, plumbing fixture or repiping generally requires a permit, and City of Pittsburgh is no exception. Under the Pennsylvania UCC altering or extending a plumbing system requires a permit, so re-piping a home's water-supply or drain lines is permitted work, while simply repairing a leak is an ordinary repair. Opening walls for the re-pipe usually adds a cover inspection before you close them up. Confirm the required inspections with your local code office or third-party agency. The City of Pittsburgh states that plumbing not associated with sprinkler systems is regulated by the Allegheny County Health Department Plumbing Division, so a whole-house repipe is permitted and inspected by the county, not by PLI. PLI does not consider adding to, altering, replacing, or relocating water supply, sewer, drainage, soil, waste, or vent piping to be an ordinary repair, so this work is not exempt. PermitRoadmap is an independent informational service, not the City of Pittsburgh or Allegheny County; confirm the plumbing permit and licensed-plumber requirement with the Allegheny County Health Department.
- Who issues the permit in City of Pittsburgh?
- The local building department for City of Pittsburgh handles permitting. This page lists its contact details and online portal. Your mailing city is not always the permitting authority, so confirm the jurisdiction before you apply.
- How do I find out the exact requirements for my project?
- Run the free PermitRoadmap check for your specific project and answers. It returns the likely permits, documents, inspections, and next steps, each linked to its official source.
PermitRoadmap is an independent informational service and is not affiliated with any city, county, state agency, or permitting authority. Results are informational and do not replace confirming requirements with the local permitting authority.