Plumbing Permits in Newmarket: What Needs One

Topic

plumbing permit Newmarket

For

Newmarket homeowners

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(365) 990-3021

The reason it counts

In Ontario, the Building Code Act and the Ontario Building Code govern plumbing work in houses, and municipalities issue the permits and carry out inspections. In Newmarket that is the Town's building services department. A permit means an inspector checks drains, vents and supply lines before they are covered, which catches mistakes while they are still easy to fix.

Unpermitted work can cause trouble later. Insurers may question a claim involving work that was never inspected, and buyers' lawyers and home inspectors increasingly ask about permits during a sale. Correcting work after walls are finished is far more disruptive than having it inspected at the right time.

Jobs that typically need a permit

• Adding a new bathroom, kitchen or laundry with new drains.
• Relocating fixtures, or changing how drains and vents run.
• Fitting a backwater valve to the main drain.
• Replacing the water service or building sewer.
• Major repiping of supply or drain systems.

Jobs that often do not

• Replacing a faucet, toilet or sink in the same spot with the same connections.
• Clearing a blocked drain.
• Repairing a leak on existing pipe.
• Swapping a water heater for a similar unit, though gas and venting rules still apply and a licensed gas fitter may be required.

Steps, in order

1. Describe the project clearly. Note which fixtures are being added, moved or replaced.
2. Contact building services. Ask whether a permit is needed and what drawings they expect.
3. Prepare drawings. Simple projects may need only a floor plan and plumbing layout; larger work may need more.
4. Book inspections at the right stages. Typically there is an inspection of underground or rough-in piping before it is covered, and a final inspection.
5. Keep the records. File the permit and inspection results with your house documents for insurers and future buyers.

Who pulls the permit

Homeowners can often apply themselves, though many hire the contractor to do it. Either way, make sure someone takes responsibility, and that the person doing the work is properly qualified. For a sense of how a basement project unfolds, read our circular on renovation plumbing planning. Kitchen projects bring their own drain concerns, discussed in grease and kitchen drains.

Ringing for help

We work with homeowners on permitted projects throughout Newmarket and Queensville, from shower valve replacement during a bathroom renovation to softener installation in a new utility room. Ask us early, and we will tell you which parts of your plan are likely to need a permit and inspection.