Codes & SafetyQuestion 103 of 120
A homeowner hires a plumbing company to replace a water heater and reroute the gas line to it. A journeyman employed by that company will perform the installation. Under a typical adopted plumbing code, who is authorized to apply for and hold the permit?
a.Any journeyman on the crew, because the journeyman is the person who performs and signs off on the installation
b.The licensed plumbing contractor responsible for the work, or the owner of a single-family dwelling where the jurisdiction allows an owner-builder exemption
c.The plumbing inspector, who issues the permit and holds it on the owner's behalf until the final approval
d.No one, because replacing an existing water heater is a like-for-like repair that never requires a permit
Explanation
A permit is issued to the party who is legally responsible for the work, which is the licensed contractor, and many jurisdictions also allow an owner occupying a single-family home to pull a permit for work on that home. A journeyman performs the work under the contractor's license but is not the permit holder. The inspector enforces the code and approves the work; issuing a permit to himself would defeat that separation. Water heater replacement and any change to gas or water piping is permitted work, while truly minor items such as clearing a stoppage or swapping a faucet are the usual exemptions.
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