Working at home on do-it-yourself projects is at least as old as home ownership. Of course, there is a myriad of expert trades related to repairs, including the venerable plumbing trade. However, it is not always the case that you need to call a plumber when you have a home plumbing problem. In fact, the owners are often allowed by their municipalities to carry out their own home repairs and improvements if they obtain the necessary permits.
Owner’s permits
Allowed by a municipality, a homeowner to home plumbing work has to obtain a permit. Unfortunately, there are places in the country that do not allow homeowners to obtain a plumbing permit. Massachusetts, for example, does not allow landlords to obtain a plumbing permit while doing the state of New York. Also, a municipality can only allow homeowners to perform certain non-complex plumbing activities. The rules for obtaining a home plumbing permit owner vary widely throughout the country.
Exams
A large many municipalities will issue plumbing permits to the owners only after an examination. Owner of a typical house plumbing exams carried out by municipalities are questions about 10 in length, with a 70% rating needed. Some municipalities, however, have exams consisting of questions of 25 or more and more pass score requirements. Municipal plumbing owner permit exams are often based on the national standard plumbing code, state plumbing codes or a mixture of the two.
Fee
All municipal governments that require plumbing permits or any other work charge a cost matrix. King County, Washington, charges a 2011 plumbing permit fee ranging from $ 91 for the fitting of a pipe to $ 216 for the 11 fittings and $ 5 per rig after that. In addition, municipal governments require an inspection or revision of the plumbing work performed by an owner, which is an additional cost. For 2011, plumbing revision charge of King County for owner plumbing jobs is $74.
Considerations
Municipalities require owners to obtain permits to perform plumbing to ensure all work performed complies with applicable plumbing standards and codes. Homeowner’s plumbing permit exams are often required to ensure that homeowners have a basic understanding of plumbing systems. Homeowner plumbing permits and exams are typically needed for true plumbing activities, not replacing a leaky faucet or shower head. Failure to obtain a municipal permit owner usually results in fines and penalties plus license fees and fees.