Q.Who issues plumbing permits where we live: WSSC Water or the county?

A.A WSSC plumbing permit is what you need in Montgomery and Prince George's counties. Everywhere else in the area, including Baltimore City, the county or city permit office issues it.

It comes down to your address. In Montgomery and Prince George's, WSSC Water is both the water utility and the plumbing code office: it licenses plumbers, writes the code and inspects.

Cross into Howard, Anne Arundel, Frederick or Baltimore County, or Baltimore City, and a local office takes over, each with its own rules on who may apply.

How does a WSSC plumbing permit work?

WSSC's own code governs plumbing and gas in the two counties. The current edition, the 2024 WSSC code, took effect December 1, 2025, and adopts the 2024 International Plumbing Code with WSSC's own amendments.

WSSC's information for homeowners says a WSSC-licensed plumber or gasfitter has to handle most plumbing projects in the two counties, and that every permit application now goes through its online ePermitting system. Paper forms are no longer taken. All gas work, from a furnace to a gas water heater swap, is licensed-only.

One wrinkle: WSSC hands the storm drainage sections of the model code, including the ones on sumps and pumping, to the county building official. And in Montgomery County, tying a sump pump line into the street drainage system takes a separate permit from the Department of Permitting Services. More on that in our answer on sump pump discharge.

Can a homeowner get a WSSC permit?

Sometimes. Section 105.9 of the WSSC code allows a homeowner permit for a one- or two-family home you own and live in, not one being built or remodeled for sale or rent, with a signed affidavit. You must pass an open-book exam with 70% or better, with one retake allowed.

The same section sets limits. No gasfitting of any kind, no below-grade piping deeper than 4 feet (that includes water or sewer service repairs), and no project with seven or more fixtures that need a permit. If your home has no containment backflow device, you'll also have to add a dual check valve. A full basement bathroom can bump into the fixture limit quickly, so count before you apply.

Who issues plumbing permits outside the WSSC area?

Here's the county-by-county picture, plus Baltimore City.

Baltimore County's plumbing permit page is the strictest of the group: every plumbing or gas job needs a permit, and only a county-licensed contractor can apply.

Anne Arundel County requires a permit to add or relocate fixtures and piping. Frederick County's office covers everything except two towns, and a county notice says an owner-occupied home can have a like-for-like water heater swapped without a permit, but only by a licensed plumber, and any gas appliance needs a permit and inspections. In Baltimore City's building code, a plumbing permit can go only to a master plumber or master gas fitter licensed to work in the City.

Why do licenses differ from county to county?

Because Maryland has at least three main licensing systems, and some places add local rules. The Maryland State Board of Plumbing covers most Maryland plumbers and gas fitters, but Baltimore County and the WSSC area issue their own licenses and keep their own plumbing codes. Our page on checking a plumber's license walks through each lookup.

How do you find out which office covers your street?

Find your permit office

1. Look at your water and sewer bill: a WSSC Water bill means WSSC handles plumbing permits.
2. If you're on a well or another utility, check your county from the property tax record.
3. In Frederick County, confirm whether the house sits in the City of Frederick or Mt. Airy.
4. Ask the plumber which office will issue the permit, and get the permit number in writing.
5. Keep the final inspection record with your house papers.

A backwater valve, an ejector pit or a gas water heater all need an inspector's sign-off, and a future buyer may ask to see it.

The bottom line

If WSSC Water sends your water bill, WSSC issues your plumbing permit and enforces its 2024 code. In Howard, Anne Arundel, Frederick and Baltimore counties, and in Baltimore City, the local permit office does. Either way, gas work stays with a licensed pro and a permit.

Readers also ask

Does WSSC issue permits in Howard County?

No. WSSC's plumbing code applies in Montgomery and Prince George's counties. Howard County's Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits handles plumbing permits there.

Can a Baltimore County homeowner pull a plumbing permit?

The county's permit page says only a Baltimore County licensed plumber or gasfitter contractor may apply, and that a permit is needed for all plumbing and gas work.

Does replacing an electric water heater need a WSSC permit?

WSSC's code exempts replacing residential appliances, electric water heaters included, as long as the hidden piping stays as it was. Swapping a gas water heater takes a WSSC-licensed pro who pulls the permit and calls for inspection.

Which code does Baltimore County use?

Its plumbing inspections bureau enforces the 2021 International Plumbing Code along with the Plumbing and Gasfitting Code of Baltimore County.

Who handles plumbing permits inside the City of Frederick?

Not Frederick County's office, which excludes the City of Frederick and Mt. Airy. Check with the city or town directly.