Plumbers in Philadelphia: city licenses, permits and the pipes you own
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What is different about hiring a plumber in Philadelphia?
Three things. The city licenses plumbers itself, so the plumber you hire must hold a Philadelphia trade license. Most plumbing work needs a city permit overseen by a licensed master plumber. And you, not the city, own the water and sewer pipes between your house and the mains in the street. The rest of this guide takes each in turn, along with the help the Philadelphia Water Department offers.
How does the city license plumbers?
The city says plumbers, electricians, fire suppression contractors and complete demolition contractors must have a Philadelphia trade license, and that its online lookup lists every actively licensed contractor with any licensing violations. A list of revoked and suspended licenses sits on the same page.
There are two levels. A journeyman works under a master plumber and may not run a business. A master plumber must have spent at least a year as a Philadelphia journeyman, passed the city's exam, and filed insurance of $500,000 per occurrence in general liability with workers' compensation, and must renew every year. When a master plumber deactivates the license, the city says all business operations and advertising must stop. If a plumber's advertising is up but the lookup shows no active master license, ask why.
Which jobs need a Plumbing Permit?
Most of them. The city requires a permit to install, alter, renew, replace or repair plumbing, and lists the exceptions: minor repairs with the same material, such as faucets, valves and parts; taking a toilet up and resetting it when no pipe moves; and stopping leaks and clearing stoppages.
Common household jobs, such as pipe repair, replacing fixtures with the same kind, a new water service or house drain, sealing a lateral or installing a backflow device, qualify for an EZ permit without plans. For a one- or two-family home the fees are modest: a $100 filing fee credited to the permit, then, for example, $31 for a water heater and $37 a pipe for waste or water lines, plus surcharges of $3 and $4.50. A licensed master plumber must oversee the work, the inspections listed on the permit must be passed, and the city issues a Certificate of Approval at the end. Connections to the main or sewer, and water meters, need separate Water Department permits.
Which pipes are yours to fix?
More than many owners expect. The city says it maintains the water mains, inlets and sewers, while the owner is responsible for the pipes that bring water from the main into the home, including those under the sidewalk or roadway. When an exterior pipe threatens water quality or safety, the Water Department issues a Notice of Plumbing Defect, the repair usually has to be made right away, and the water may be shut off until it is.
The city also cautions that ordinary homeowner's insurance may not cover these defects. You can hire a licensed plumber yourself, or, if you own the property, apply for the Water Department's Homeowner Emergency Loan Program: a zero-interest loan under which a department contractor makes the exterior repair and you repay over five years.
What about basement backups during storms?
If wastewater comes up through basement fixtures in heavy rain, the city's Basement Backup Protection Program may install a backwater valve free of charge, with a one-year warranty, after which upkeep is yours. The water bill must be current and the pipe to the sewer in good condition; a broken lateral has to be fixed first, by your plumber or through the loan program. While a backup is happening, the department asks you to call (215) 685-4901 and take video if you can.
Should Philadelphia homeowners worry about lead?
Check rather than worry. The Water Department says the city never used lead for its mains, but service lines to homes may contain lead, and that if lead is found in water it comes from a property's plumbing. Philadelphia's housing is old: the Census Bureau counts 39.9 percent of the county's 748,270 homes as first built in 1939 or earlier, about four in ten.
The department publishes a service line map, offers free water quality tests to customers with concerns, and replaces a lead line from the main to the meter at no charge when it replaces the main on your block. A pilot in North and West Philadelphia budgets about 1,000 more replacements. Otherwise, a licensed and insured plumber can inspect your pipes and quote a replacement.
What does the cold do to Philadelphia pipes?
The department's advice is to act when the forecast is below 32 degrees for two days or more, keep the meter area above 40 degrees, and know where the house-side shut-off valve by the meter is. It is explicit that it will not fix customer pipes, even outside the home: a licensed plumber must make repairs.
Does the state registration apply in the city?
The state's home improvement law covers master plumbers working on private homes, according to the Attorney General's office, including its written-contract and three-day cancellation rules for jobs over $500. With 48.2 percent of the city's occupied homes rented, many of these decisions fall to landlords; the city says its repair loan is only for property owners. The Pennsylvania rules guide covers the state law, and licensed plumbers who serve the city are on the Philadelphia plumbers page.
Sources
- Find a licensed contractor and contractor information, City of Philadelphia
- Get a Master Plumber's License, City of Philadelphia
- Get a Plumbing Permit, City of Philadelphia
- Follow these tips to get ready for pipe repairs, City of Philadelphia, Department of Revenue
- Financial Assistance, Philadelphia Water Department
- Lead Plumbing & Water Quality, Philadelphia Water Department
- Basement Backup Protection Program, City of Philadelphia
- All About Frozen Pipes, Philadelphia Water Department
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General