Sorry, another one from me. A customer in Manville asked us to swap a 40-gallon gas water heater, same spot, same venting. My boss said "we'll pull a permit" and she acted like we were trying to pad the bill. Her last plumber never pulled one.
Is a straight swap actually permit work in NJ, or does it count as maintenance? And if it's a permit, who inspects it, the plumbing inspector or someone for the gas? I want to be able to explain it next time instead of just standing there.
Electrical inspector (former contractor) · 26 years · Ocean County, NJ
Mentor✓ Accepted answer
Not legal advice, and plumbing isn't my subcode, but I can tell you how the UCC generally works. Ordinary maintenance is a short, specific list, and as far as I know replacing a water heater isn't on it. Many construction offices treat a water heater swap as permit work, sometimes under a quicker category where you can start right away and the inspection follows. The gas connection and the venting are part of what gets looked at.
Call the town's construction office for how they handle it. And your boss is right.
HVAC contractor, owner · 25 years · Middlesex County, NJ
Mentor
Same on the HVAC side with furnace swaps. How I explain it to customers:
- The permit is about the gas and the venting, not the tank
- A bad vent on a gas water heater is a carbon monoxide problem
- It's its own line on the invoice so nobody thinks it's padding