Short answer: it depends on what moves, and in nearly half the cities a plain refresh needs nothing. A same-layout refresh (new tile, vanity, paint, a mirror and a same-spot faucet or shower head, with no moved fixtures, new circuits or wall changes) needs no permit in 14 of the 30 largest U.S. cities we cover: Albuquerque, Charlotte, Dallas, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Louisville, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York, San Diego, Seattle, Tucson. In nine more it needs only a plumbing permit, because the page says a same-spot fixture swap is permit work: Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Antonio, San Jose, St. Louis. In five the refresh itself needs a building permit (Long Beach, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Francisco), and Cincinnati, Jacksonville say their own documents disagree. Replacing a tub or shower in the same spot needs a permit in 17 cities and is exempt in nine, and a building permit starts at a wall, window or structure change in 22. The city's own total for a typical remodel with more than one trade runs from $110 in Kansas City to $1,320 in Seattle, with a median of $399, and an owner-occupant may pull the permits in 15 cities. We read each city's exemption list, fee schedule and licensing rule and recorded the city's own reading.
Every row links to the city page that quotes the rule, so you can read the source language yourself. The table sorts by any column.
All 30 cities
| City | Same-layout refresh | Tub or shower replacement | What turns it into a building permit | The city's own fee for a typical remodel | Rule the city cites, and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | No permit for a refresh | No plumbing permit to replace a tub in the same configuration with no valve, pipe or fixture rearranged. A tub-to-shower conversion with a new drain location is a plumbing permit, with a rough-in inspection before tiling. | Only a wall change or a closet conversion: a building permit with plan review. Moving a drain, a new circuit or a ducted fan each take their own trade permit. | About $398 for a $15,000 remodel that moves a wall: building $125.63 + plan review $81.66, plus plumbing $77, electrical $53 and mechanical $61. Each trade permit carries a $47 administrative charge. | UAC 109.2.1; UAC plumbing chapter; Table 112-A and 112-C Plumbing and electrical go to licensed contractors or an owner-occupant who passes the city's exam at 75%; ductwork needs a licensed contractor. Replacing a fan with the same type in the same place is exempt. |
| Baltimore, MD | Trade permit only ⚠ | Plumbing permit to replace the toilet, sink and tub in place: $15 + $1 tax + $25 application = $41, pulled by a master plumber. | Moving fixtures to new locations or turning a closet into a half bath: a building permit with existing and proposed floor plans, on top of the plumbing permit. | $143 for a gut remodel with 4 fixtures moved, 2 circuits and a fan ($112 in fees + $6 tax + $25 application). A same-spot toilet alone is about $31. | BFRCBC 105.2 item 7 and 109.6.3(j); DHCD category page Tile, paint and flooring need nothing. Permits go only to city-licensed master plumbers and electricians; there is no homeowner route. Work without a permit draws a surcharge of the greater of $1,000 or 50% of the fee. |
| Charlotte, NC | No permit for a refresh | No permit for a same-spot tub swap at the same size and capacity. A tub converted to a walk-in shower is a County plumbing permit even in the same location. | Moving or removing a wall, adding a bathroom or converting a half bath: a County building permit with the trades listed. A moved fixture or new circuit takes a trade permit alone. | About $138 for a tub-to-shower conversion with a new fan circuit (plumbing $71.89 + electrical $59.70 + $6). A $25,000 remodel that moves a wall is about $443.65 with four permits. | G.S. 160D-1110; Mecklenburg County no-permit list; LUESA Fee Ordinance Mecklenburg County, not the City, issues these permits. An owner-occupant may do trade work with the Homeowner Trade Work Certificate. Every bathroom needs a 3 sq ft window or a 50 cfm fan vented outside; ask RTAC whether a fan duct is mechanical scope. |
| Chicago, IL | Trade permit only ⚠ | Express plumbing permit, $75 per toilet room, to replace the tub or shower valve in the same location; replacing the piping in the walls is $150. Re-setting the same toilet is exempt. | Moving fixtures, adding a bathroom or adding circuits: an express interior alteration permit, $250 up to 500 sq ft. Moving a wall or doorway adds architect or engineer drawings. | $400 for a relayout that moves the toilet and shower and adds two circuits ($250 alteration + $150 for up to 10 circuits). Drawing-based alterations also collect a $600 deposit at submission. | DOB list of work not requiring a permit; Table 14A-12-1204.2; Express Permit Program Tile, paint, a vanity top and the same toilet re-set need no permit, but a new toilet, faucet or tub valve does. Plumbing by a licensed contractor or the owner of a detached single-family home; electrical only by a Chicago-licensed contractor. New toilets, shower heads and faucets must carry the WaterSense label. |
| Cincinnati, OH | City documents disagree ⚠ | Plumbing permit to replace the toilet, lavatory and tub in place: three replacement fixtures $134, about $149 with surcharges. Faucet and shower valve swaps need no permit. A shower pan test comes before tile. | Relocated piping needs a building permit first ($173 minimum + $49 processing), and so does moving a wall or adding a bathroom. New wiring takes an IBI electrical permit. | About $729 for a remodel that relocates three fixtures, adds a fan circuit and moves a wall with $10,000 of building work (plumbing about $181 + IBI $121.20 + building about $427). | Cincinnati Building Code 1101-17.1 and 1105-13; Plumbing Inspections section; fee schedule eff. 2026-07-01 Tile, paint, vanity cabinets and countertops need no permit. Electrical permits come from Inspection Bureau, Inc. A single-family owner-occupant may do plumbing with a notarized affidavit. |
| Dallas, TX | No permit for a refresh ⚠ | No permit to replace a tub in kind when the number of fixtures and the rough-in location stay the same, unless a utility release is needed. A tub turned into a walk-in shower with a new drain location needs a permit. | Removing a load-bearing wall or adding space: a Residential Alteration Addition Permit with plans. Moving a drain or adding a fixture is a plumbing permit. | $1,148 for a full remodel with plans and three trades ($181 + $577 plan review + $375 + $15). A plumbing-only permit to move a drain is $321. | Chapter 52 Sec. 301.2; Table B-II; fee schedule eff. 2025-07-01 Texas law bars value-based residential fees, so the base is flat. A fan replacement needs no permit; a water heater always needs a plumbing permit. Homestead owners may do their own plumbing; owner electrical only after the city's exam. |
| Fort Worth, TX | No permit for a refresh | A bathtub replacement needs a plumbing permit even in the same location, about $43.42 on a standalone permit. A shower pan always needs a permit and is inspected before tile. | Replacing 16 sq ft or more of drywall needs a building permit. Moving the toilet, adding circuits or new drywall makes a remodel permit priced by trade. | $406.95 for a gut remodel touching building, plumbing and electrical ($357 + $49.95); $525.95 with a new ducted fan as a fourth trade. | Administrative Code exemptions; Fee Ordinance 26-28781 eff. 2026-10-01; Nuts & Bolts brochure Cosmetic work and same-spot toilet, sink and vanity swaps need no permit. A fan needs a mechanical permit ($35.14 alone). Homestead owner-occupants may pull trade permits but not for the electrical service or main breaker. |
| Houston, TX | Trade permit only | Plumbing fixture permit by a registered master plumber to replace or relocate a toilet, sink, tub or shower valve: $97.56 minimum + $33.56 admin, about $131. | A change to the floor plan or moved walls: a residential remodel permit with plan review (square footage fee + 25%). Fixture work on its own is a plumbing permit. | About $256 for plumbing and electrical together; with a remodel permit for moved walls the page puts the total near $410 to $450 (the remodel permit alone is about $156 for a 100 sq ft bathroom). | Residential Permitting 101; Top 10 sheet; 2026 Building Code Enforcement fee schedule Tile, paint, vanity cabinets and countertops are exempt finish work; any repair or replacement of plumbing equipment is not. A homestead owner may pull a $116.11 plumbing permit; electrical permits go only to master electricians. |
| Indianapolis, IN | No permit for a refresh | No permit to replace a tub or shower valve in the same location. A tub-to-shower conversion with a new drain is a $153 plumbing permit. | Moving walls, enlarging the room, a new window opening or a new bathroom: a $390 structural permit. Non-bearing walls alone are exempt. | $322 for a moved drain plus a new circuit ($153 + $169); $712 for a new bathroom or full layout change with structural, plumbing and electrical permits in a house up to 1,000 sq ft. | Sec. 536-201(b) as amended; DBNS fee schedule of 2026-01-05 Replacing the bath fan or an identical water heater needs no permit. Plumbing permits go to licensed plumbers, with homeowner permits only in limited situations. An owner-occupant may pull electrical with licensing board approval, and the structural permit alone. |
| Jacksonville, FL | City documents disagree ⚠ | Not addressed for a tub by name. The page prices a new shower as plumbing at $11 per fixture with a $60 minimum, and says its pages disagree on replacing plumbing fixtures. | A gut remodel or moved or added walls: a building permit charged per $1,000 of cost. Moving one drain is a plumbing-only permit at $60; the page lists no separate building-permit trigger. | About $360 for a $15,000 remodel with a new shower, toilet and sink (building $239.63 + plumbing $60 + electrical $60). Florida's 1% and 1.5% surcharges are extra. | Ordinance Code 320.408(f) and 320.409(6); BID exempt list and FAQ Only faucets after the stop, leak stops and drain clearing are listed as exempt; tile and paint are cosmetic. An owner-builder on the deed with a homestead exemption may pull permits in person. Projects over $5,000 need a Notice of Commencement. |
| Kansas City, MO | No permit for a refresh | No plumbing permit to replace a toilet, sink or tub in place if the piping is not altered or extended. | Adding a bathroom without load-bearing wall changes needs building and trade permits with no plan review. Moving a load-bearing wall needs a building permit with plans. | $110 to move a toilet and shower drain ($58) and add a GFCI circuit ($52); about $217 for a full gut with building, plumbing and electrical permits. | KCBRC 18-16(b); 18-20(b)(2); IB100 Each permit is priced on its own value. An owner who lives in a single-family home may pull the trade permits with the IB146 affidavit. A ceiling fan is not exempt, and starting before the permit triples the fee. |
| Long Beach, CA | Building permit ⚠ | Express combination permit B4, no plans, for replacing the tub, shower or sink in the same spot; online for one- and two-family homes. | Any fixture, fan or electrical work needs a permit. Moving a fixture, adding a shower or opening a wall goes to plan review, about $992 for three fixtures moved. | About $654 to replace the toilet, sink and tub in place (combination permit at 150% on $5,000 per fixture, plus $115 processing); about $992 with plan check when they move. | IB-056; IB-058 item B4; IB-077; LBMC 18.04.020 Paint, tile up to 48 in, faucets, traps and fill valves and cabinet refacing are exempt. The fan must be ENERGY STAR on a humidistat and receptacles need a dedicated 20-amp GFCI circuit. A homeowner of a principal residence may pull it under IB-029. |
| Los Angeles, CA | Building permit | Express plumbing permit, $10 per replaced fixture, to replace a toilet, tub or lavatory in place (about $123 for three), plus the express building permit whenever the whole job is valued over $2,500. | Any job valued over $2,500 is an express building permit with no plan check. Moving a wall, enlarging a window or adding floor area goes to plan check at 90% of the permit fee. | About $763 for a $25,000 remodel with building ($466), plumbing (about $123), electrical ($108) and exhaust fan ($66) permits. The building fee alone is $250.40 on a $10,000 job. | LAMC 91.106.2; Express Permits IB P/GI 2026-003; LADBS Permit Fee Calculator; plumbing fee schedule Paint, papering and a job valued at $2,500 or less need no building permit, but fixture work still needs the plumbing permit. A new or replaced exhaust fan is an HVAC permit, $65.95. Homeowners may pull permits after 12 months of residence; cards add 2.7%. |
| Louisville, KY | No permit for a refresh ⚠ | Not addressed: state rule 815 KAR 20:050 does not address replacing a fixture in the same spot, and the page says to ask the Division of Plumbing. Pulling and re-setting the same toilet is exempt. | Moving or removing a wall: a Metro building permit, $75 minimum. Moving a toilet, sink or shower drain is a state plumbing permit and new wiring a Metro electrical permit. | $279.50 for a $15,000 remodel that moves three fixtures, adds a circuit and moves a wall (state plumbing $92 + electrical $100 + building $87.50). Moving only a toilet is $64. | KRC R105.2; 815 KAR 20:050; LMCO 150.096 (rev. 2024-02-06) Tile, vanity tops and paint pay nothing. Plumbing permits come from the state, not Metro. An owner-occupant may pull the state plumbing permit with an affidavit and wire their own home with a notarized certification. |
| Miami, FL | No permit for a refresh ⚠ | A tub-to-shower conversion is a plumbing permit, about $154 as a stand-alone permit. The page's exemption list names faucets, toilets, bidets, sinks and lavatories, not tubs; an above-ground prefabricated whirlpool tub is exempt. | Cutting a wall or partition, or removing a beam or load-bearing support: a building permit with plumbing and electrical trade permits beneath it. | About $506 for a $20,000 remodel that moves a drain and adds a circuit inside an opened wall (building $198 + plumbing $154 + electrical $154). Nothing for the exempt refresh. | City Code 10-5(b) and 10-18 (Ord. 14439); FS 489.103(7) Same-spot faucet, toilet and sink swaps are exempt when a licensed plumbing contractor does them; ask the Building Department before an owner swaps fixtures. Replacing a ventilation fan is exempt. Owner-builders may file under the state statute. |
| Milwaukee, WI | No permit for a refresh ⚠ | No permit to replace a tub or shower in the same spot if the supply, drain and vent piping are unchanged (MCO 200-24-1.5-f-2). | Moving walls, enlarging the room or changing a window: a building permit with plans, 1.6% of cost ($150 minimum) plus plan review. Moved fixtures are a plumbing permit. | $232.96 to move the toilet, add a shower and relocate the sink with a new fan, 2 outlets and 2 lights (plumbing $106.36 + electrical $126.60); $955.08 for a gut remodel that moves a wall. | MCO 200-24-1.5 and 200-33-43; DNS homeowner page; MCO 81-6 Tile, paint, flooring and vanity tops need no permit. An owner may do plumbing only in an owner-occupied single-family home; new wiring needs a state-licensed electrical contractor. A $250 assessor charge applies to building permits. |
| Minneapolis, MN | No permit for a refresh ⚠ | Plumbing permit to replace a tub or shower, one fixture at $41.40 with an $85.20 minimum, even in the same spot. The exemption covers toilets and sink faucets only. | Opening or removing a wall: a building permit priced on job value with plan review. A moved fixture, tub or lavatory is a plumbing permit; a new fan is mechanical. | $746.50 for a $15,000 remodel that opens walls and moves three fixtures (building $372 + plan review $241.80 + surcharge $7.50 + plumbing $125.20). | Minn. R. 1300.0120; Minneapolis exempt-work list; Section 85.80 A bath fan is mechanical Level 1 work, $84.20 + $1; wiring goes to the state Department of Labor and Industry. An owner of a single-family home may pull plumbing permits. |
| New York, NY | No permit for a refresh | Not addressed for tubs or showers by name. The page says direct replacement of existing fixtures such as toilets and sinks, with the hot and cold shutoff valves and trap not altered, is cosmetic work and needs no permit. | Enlarging the bathroom or moving walls beyond a partition removal of up to 50% of the wall or 45 sq ft: an alteration filed by a PE or RA. Moving a drain farther than two fixtures within 10 ft, adding a fixture or new waste or vent piping: a plumber's Limited Alteration Application. | About $195 in DOB filing fee for a $30,000 bathroom with a new layout at a 1-3 family home ($130 for the first $5,000 + $2.60 per $1,000); about $503 in apartment buildings under seven stories. The plumber, electrician and design professional charge separately. | DOB Plumbing Permits page; Admin. Code 28-105.4.4 and Table 28-112.2 (LL 128 of 2024); 1 RCNY 101-14 Table 2 A Licensed Master Plumber may relocate up to two fixtures within the same room, no more than 10 ft, as ordinary work reported monthly with no permit. Any wiring needs a Licensed Master Electrician and an electrical permit. Hired contractors need a DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license. |
| Philadelphia, PA | Trade permit only | Plumbing permit even in the same spot: $31 + $7.50 surcharges for a new toilet, sink, tub or shower with no piping changes. | Adding or enlarging a bathroom, a bathroom in a two-family building or structural changes: a building permit, $76 for the first 500 sq ft. A same-footprint one-family remodel runs on the EZ plumbing permit alone. | About $128 for a typical EZ remodel: plumbing $57.50 for fixtures with new branch piping + electrical $70.50. About $211.50 when a building permit is added. | L&I plumbing page; fee summary PG_012 (Rev 7.2026); EZ standard PB_026 Faucets, valves, parts, tile and a vanity cabinet with the same sink need no permit; a new fixture does. A licensed master plumber and a licensed electrical contractor are required, so there is no homeowner route. The EZ standard covers a dedicated exhaust fan; its wiring is separate. |
| Phoenix, AZ | Building permit | No permit to replace a tub, toilet, sink or faucet in the same location. A tub-to-shower conversion with a new drain, tile and valve is a remodel permit valued at 40%. | Bathroom and shower tile are excluded from the finish-work exemption, so even a re-tile needs a building permit. Relocating a fixture, valve or pipe adds a plumbing permit. | $243 for a 60 sq ft bathroom remodel ($4,099 valuation, Table A); $534 for a 100 sq ft bathroom with the 100% plan review fee. | 2024 PBCC 105.2; Residential Projects page; 2026 Fee Schedule Appendix A.2; TRT 00002 Paint and flooring are exempt. The city charges the higher of its valuation or the contract price. New exhaust fans, outlets and heated floors need an electrical permit. Plumbing by a licensed journeyman, a state-licensed contractor or the owner-occupant. |
| Pittsburgh, PA | Trade permit only ⚠ | An Allegheny County Health Department fixture replacement card, $27, to replace a toilet, sink or tub in the same spot. Faucet repairs and clearing a clog need nothing. | Moving a non-load-bearing wall: a PLI EZ building permit ($141.50). A fan is a PLI mechanical permit and new circuits a PLI electrical permit. | $429 for a remodel that moves the shower, toilet and lavatory and adds a GFCI circuit and a vented fan (county plumbing $146 + electrical $141.50 + mechanical $141.50); $570.50 with a wall moved. | PLI Work Not Requiring a Permit page; ACHD fee schedule and Article XV; PLI 2026 fees Tile, paint, cabinets and a vanity need no permit. Plumbing permits are the county's, not the city's. A bona fide owner-occupant of a single-family building may do plumbing; PLI's licensing rules require trade licenses for electrical and mechanical permit work. |
| Portland, OR | Trade permit only ⚠ | Plumbing permit to replace a tub or shower, $63 per fixture plus the 12% state surcharge; a toilet, sink and tub together are $211.68. | A new bathroom in existing space always needs a building permit plus trades, and so does a change to walls, openings or load-bearing framing. Refitting or moving fixtures takes trade permits alone. | About $407 for a same-layout refit with a new toilet, sink and tub plus one new circuit (plumbing $211.68 + electrical $194.88). A new bathroom with a building permit runs about $1,498. | PP&D plumbing page; PP&D 2026 fee schedule; Simple Bathroom Program Paint, tile, flooring, vanity cabinets and countertops need no permit. A ducted fan is a mechanical permit with a $167 minimum ($187.04). A recorded owner may do plumbing and mechanical work; electrical only if owner-occupied and not for sale or rent within six months. |
| Sacramento, CA | Building permit ⚠ | A new tub or shower surround in the same spot needs a permit and the new valve must be pressure-balanced; the page does not name the permit type. A shower valve alone is the $105 minor plumbing permit. | Creating or moving openings in the bathroom's perimeter walls, or adding a bathroom: a Residential Remodel with full plan review. A same-layout remodel is already a $320 building permit with no plans. | About $398 for a same-layout $15,000 remodel by a contractor ($320 flat + surcharges); about $1,099 for a $40,000 remodel that moves wall openings. One fixture is $105. | CDD-0418; Fee Table B.1; Minor Bathroom Remodel permit Tile, paint and a mirror are exempt. The handout requires 1.28 gpf toilets, a pressure-balanced valve, a fan on a humidity control and a dedicated 20-amp GFCI circuit. Owner-builders file CDD-0220. |
| San Antonio, TX | Trade permit only | Plumbing permit to replace a toilet, sink, faucet or tub or shower valve: $57.50 + $8.05 per fixture. Tiling alone is exempt. | Replacing sheetrock or moving a wall: a Residential Repair building permit, $172.50 for general repair or $241.50 for a full remodel. | About $449 for a full gut remodel (building $241.50 + plumbing $81.65 + electrical $61.54 + mechanical $64.69), about $485 with the two 4% surcharges. | City Code 10-6(e) and 10-6(j); DSD FY 2027 fee schedule (revised Sept 2026); Home Remodeling FAQ Retiling, a vanity cabinet, a countertop and paint need no permit; pulling and re-setting the same toilet is exempt. An exhaust fan needs a mechanical permit. Only a homestead owner doing the work alone may pull the plumbing permit. |
| San Diego, CA | No permit for a refresh | No permit for a tub-to-tub or shower-to-shower replacement of the same size and place. | New or altered piping or wiring with no framing: a $440.82 no-plan building permit covering plumbing, mechanical and electrical. Moving walls or enlarging the room: a building permit with plans. | $440.82 for a no-plan remodel with new piping or wiring (it includes the plumbing, mechanical and electrical work); about $6,490 with plans. | SDMC 129.0403(a)(3) and 129.0402; IB 203; IB 103 Table 3A; IB 501 Toilet, vanity, faucet or showerhead swaps in the same spot, tile, paint and flooring are exempt. A new exhaust fan alone is a $105.98 Simple Permit. Owners file the Owner-Builder Verification Form DS-3042. |
| San Francisco, CA | Building permit ⚠ | A like-for-like tub swap is filed online as an in-kind kitchen and bath building permit, with a Category 1P plumbing permit, $290. | Any fixture, tile or vanity work needs the building permit. Moving a fixture, adding a bathroom or removing a wall adds plans and plan review, about $849 more. | About $1,024 for a same-layout remodel with plumbing and electrical ($428.64 building at the $20,552 minimum valuation + $290 + $305); about $1,872 when the layout changes. | SF Building Code 106A.2; DBI fee table eff. 2026-07-12; PermitSF in-kind permit Only paint, paper, minor plaster and interior doors are exempt. DBI will not accept a bathroom valued under $20,552. Homeowners may file only for a stand-alone single-family house they live in and must do the work themselves. |
| San Jose, CA | Trade permit only | Online plumbing permit (Fixture Single Replacement) with no plans to replace a tub, toilet, faucet or shower valve. A tub-to-shower conversion is a plumbing permit with review. | Removing a wall or enlarging the bathroom: a building permit with plans (Bath processing line, $211). A moved drain or conversion is a plumbing permit with review. | About $585 for a same-footprint remodel with new fixtures, a fan and a circuit in Tier 1 ($211 + $210 + $162.50); about $1,220 when plumbing moves and a wall comes out. | SJMC 24.02.120 and 24.02.130; Schedule of Fees eff. 2026-07-01; SJPermits.org online permits Tile, paint, a vanity cabinet and top and a mirror need no permit; a new faucet does. An exhaust fan is an online mechanical permit. Owner-builders must have lived in the home 12 months. |
| Seattle, WA | No permit for a refresh ⚠ | Not addressed: the page says the county Public Health page does not spell out an exemption for a like-for-like toilet or faucet swap and to ask its Permit Center. SDCI needs no building permit for the surface work. | A layout change over $6,000 or any wall work: an SDCI construction permit, normally a subject to field inspection (STFI) permit. Moving or adding fixtures needs a Public Health plumbing permit and new circuits an SDCI electrical permit. | About $1,320 for a permitted $20,000 bathroom (construction permit $931.13 + Public Health plumbing $218 + electrical $168.63); about $1,780 at $40,000. | SRC R105.2; 2026 Fee Subtitle Table D-1; Public Health fee schedule; Tip 316 Surface finishes and minor work worth $6,000 or less in six months need no SDCI building permit. Plumbing permits come from Public Health Seattle and King County, not SDCI; homeowners may take a plumbing permit and an owner-occupant the electrical permit. |
| St. Louis, MO | Trade permit only ⚠ | Plumbing permit to set or replace a toilet, sink, tub, shower valve or water heater in the same spot: $90 for one fixture ($30 + $10 + $25 + $25), $110 for three. | Removing or installing a partition, converting a basement or cutting a structural member: a building permit, $25 plus $10 per $1,000 above $3,000. | $195 for a same-layout refresh with new fixtures and a new circuit (plumbing $110 + electrical $85); $470 for a $25,000 remodel that moves a wall. | Ord. 70795 Sec. 105.2 items 12 and 13; Plumbing Code 107.2; Electrical Code 80.8.1 Paint, tile, flooring, a vanity cabinet and a mirror need no permit. A like-for-like outlet, switch or same-horsepower fan motor is exempt. Plumbing by a certified plumber or a Board-certified homeowner who passed the exam. |
| Tucson, AZ | No permit for a refresh | A permit is needed only if new water, drain or vent piping is connected; swapping a shower or tub onto the existing connections with no new piping falls outside the rule. | Moving walls, converting a half bath to a full bath or any layout change: a Residential Interior Addition or Alteration permit with plans and a valuation fee. | About $269 for a shower valve, new vanity drain and new circuit ($150 + $50 + $50 + $18.54 filing fee); about $600 for a $15,000 remodel that moves walls. | PDSD permit guidance; PDSD fee schedule eff. 2026-07-01 Tile, paint, flooring, cabinets, countertops and a same-spot toilet need no permit. New hard-wired fans, lights and outlets need a permit, and fixtures installed under a permit must be WaterSense. Owner-occupants file the owner-builder affidavit. |
The refresh status says what new tile, a new vanity, paint, a mirror and a same-spot faucet or shower head need from the city, with no fixture moved, no new circuit and no wall changed, as the city page reads it on the date it was last verified: no permit, only a plumbing or electrical permit (a trade permit), a building, alteration or combination permit, or the page says its own documents disagree. The tub or shower column is the page's statement on replacing a tub, shower pan or valve in the same spot and sorts no permit first, then a plumbing permit, then a building permit, then not addressed; where a page exempts the like-for-like swap but requires a permit for a conversion that moves the drain, the swap sets the sort and the cell names the conversion, and where it names only the conversion, that sets it. The trigger column sorts any bathroom work first, then moving a fixture, then walls, structure or a new window. The fee is the lowest whole-bathroom total involving more than one trade that the page works out, sorted by that figure; the cell says what it covers, and a single-trade permit is not the example. Contractors' own prices are never included. A flag marks a row where the city's documents disagree, leave a gap or are superseded. Download the table as CSV.
What the comparison shows
A same-layout refresh needs no permit in 14 cities, a trade permit in 9 and a building permit in 5
Albuquerque, Charlotte, Dallas, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Louisville, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York, San Diego, Seattle, Tucson treat tile, paint, a vanity, a mirror and a same-spot faucet or shower head as work that needs no permit, and most also exempt a same-spot toilet or sink swap: Albuquerque, Charlotte, Dallas, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, New York, San Diego and Tucson say so outright. Four are less clear-cut. Miami exempts the swap only when a licensed plumbing contractor does it, Minneapolis exempts toilets and sink faucets but charges a plumbing permit for a lavatory, and Louisville and Seattle sit here because finish work is exempt while their pages do not settle a same-spot fixture swap (Louisville's state plumbing rule does not address it, and Seattle's Public Health page does not spell out an exemption). Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Antonio, San Jose, St. Louis say a same-spot fixture swap is permit work even though tile and paint are not, and the permit is small: Chicago $75 per toilet room, Philadelphia $31 + $7.50 in surcharges, Pittsburgh a $27 county fixture card, Baltimore about $31 with the application fee and tax, San Antonio $65.55 before surcharges, Portland $70.56 for a toilet, St. Louis $90 and Houston about $131; San Jose issues it online without plans. In Long Beach, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Francisco the refresh itself takes a building permit. Phoenix excludes bathroom and shower tile from its finish-work exemption, Los Angeles requires an express building permit once the whole job is valued over $2,500, Sacramento prices a same-layout remodel as a $320 flat building permit with no plans, and Long Beach and San Francisco file same-spot fixture work as an express or in-kind permit online with no plans (San Francisco will not accept a bathroom valued under $20,552). Cincinnati, Jacksonville are the two cities whose own pages disagree on whether the fixture swap needs a plumbing permit.
Replacing a tub or shower in the same spot needs a permit in 17 cities and is exempt in 9
It is exempt in Phoenix, Dallas, San Diego, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Tucson, Kansas City and Albuquerque. It needs a plumbing permit in 13: Chicago, Houston, Miami, Portland, San Antonio, Philadelphia, San Jose, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Fort Worth, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. It needs a building permit as well in four: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and Long Beach (Sacramento's page says a permit is needed and does not name the type). Four pages do not address a like-for-like tub or shower: New York, Seattle, Jacksonville and Louisville. Fort Worth and Minneapolis single out tubs and showers from the fixture exemption (Fort Worth says replacing a bathtub or shower pan always needs a permit, about $43.42 on a standalone plumbing permit; Minneapolis charges one fixture at $41.40 against an $85.20 minimum while toilets and sink faucets stay exempt). Where a page exempts the swap, a conversion that moves the drain is still permit work: Albuquerque, Dallas and Indianapolis when the drain location changes, Charlotte even in the same location, Phoenix as a remodel permit at 40% valuation and San Jose and Miami as plumbing permits. Several pages tie the permit to an inspection before the tile goes on: a shower pan test in Cincinnati, a shower pan inspection in Fort Worth, the pan and rough plumbing in Phoenix and a rough-in inspection in Albuquerque.
A building permit starts at a wall, window or structure change in 22 cities
In 22 cities (New York, Houston, Seattle, Miami, Portland, Dallas, San Antonio, Philadelphia, San Jose, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Sacramento, Fort Worth, Milwaukee, Louisville, Tucson, Kansas City, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Albuquerque) the page leaves a moved drain or a new fixture to a trade permit and puts the building permit at a wall, an opening, the structure or a new bathroom. The line is specific: Seattle at a layout change over $6,000 or any wall work, Dallas and Kansas City at a load-bearing wall (Kansas City issues a new bathroom without load-bearing changes with no plan review), Indianapolis at moving walls or a new window opening ($390 structural permit), Milwaukee at moving walls or changing a window, Pittsburgh at a non-load-bearing wall (an EZ building permit), Fort Worth at 16 sq ft or more of drywall, St. Louis at a partition (drywall up to 25% of a room is exempt) and New York at enlarging the bathroom or removing more than 50% of a wall or 45 sq ft of partition. Portland and Miami require a building permit for a new bathroom in existing space or a cut wall. In Chicago, San Diego, Baltimore and Cincinnati a moved fixture is already in a building-class permit: Baltimore requires a building permit with floor plans, Chicago an express interior alteration, Cincinnati a building permit before the plumbing permit and San Diego a $440.82 no-plan building permit. In Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco and Long Beach any bathroom work is: Phoenix for wet-area tile, Los Angeles above $2,500, and Long Beach and San Francisco for any fixture work.
Electrical: new circuits, GFCI outlets and the exhaust fan
A new circuit or GFCI outlet is an electrical permit wherever the page prices it: Baltimore $6 per circuit, Albuquerque $47 + $1.50 per outlet, Louisville $75 or $100, St. Louis $85, Milwaukee a $100 minimum, Cincinnati $121.20 through Inspection Bureau, Inc., Indianapolis $169, Seattle a $105.12 minimum plus $55.48 administrative fee, Chicago $150 for up to 10 circuits and San Francisco $305 for up to 10 devices. Like-for-like swaps of lights, switches and receptacles on an existing circuit are exempt in Albuquerque, Cincinnati, Kansas City (not ceiling fans), San Jose, St. Louis, Tucson and Indianapolis. The exhaust fan is the item pages price separately: a mechanical permit for a new fan in Albuquerque, Baltimore, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Antonio, San Diego, San Jose and St. Louis, and for replacing one in Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Pittsburgh, while Philadelphia covers a dedicated fan under its EZ plumbing permit and Cincinnati folds the fan circuit into the electrical permit. A like-for-like fan swap is exempt in Albuquerque, Charlotte (by a licensed electrician), Dallas, Indianapolis and Miami, and St. Louis exempts a same-horsepower fan motor. Two code items come with the permit on several pages: Long Beach and Sacramento require a humidity-controlled fan and a dedicated 20-amp GFCI circuit, and Charlotte and Philadelphia require a 3 sq ft window or a vented fan. A same-spot toilet swap, the most-asked fixture question, has its own comparison: Do You Need a Permit to Replace a Toilet? 30 Cities Compared.
The city's own total runs from $110 to $1,320, with a median of $399
Using the lowest whole-bathroom total with more than one trade that each page works out, six cities are under $200: Kansas City $110, Philadelphia $128, Charlotte $138, Baltimore $143, New York $195 (the DOB filing for a new layout only) and St. Louis $195. Nine are $200 to $399: Milwaukee $233, Phoenix $243, Houston $256, Tucson $269, Louisville $280, Indianapolis $322, Jacksonville $360, Albuquerque $398 and Sacramento $398. Nine are $400 to $699: Chicago $400, Fort Worth $407, Portland $407, Pittsburgh $429, San Diego $441, San Antonio $449, Miami $506, San Jose $585 and Long Beach $654. Six are $700 or more: Cincinnati $729, Minneapolis $747, Los Angeles $763, San Francisco $1,024, Dallas $1,148 and Seattle $1,320. The examples are not the same job: Kansas City's $110 is a moved drain and a circuit, Seattle's $1,320 is a $20,000 bathroom with a construction permit, and Dallas's $1,148 includes a $577 plan review minimum. The basis differs too. Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston say Texas law bars value-based residential fees and price by trade or square footage; Indianapolis, Philadelphia and St. Louis price flat per permit and Minneapolis prices plumbing per fixture; Los Angeles, San Francisco, Long Beach, Phoenix, Miami, Pittsburgh and Seattle price the building permit on valuation, and San Francisco will not take a bathroom valued under $20,552. San Diego's $440.82 no-plan permit covers plumbing, mechanical and electrical in one fee, and a plan-checked remodel there is about $6,490.
Who may pull it: an owner-occupant in 15 cities, part of the job in 12, a licensed contractor only in 3
An owner-occupant may pull the permits, trades included, in Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami, Portland, San Diego, San Jose, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Sacramento, Fort Worth, Louisville, Tucson, Kansas City and Long Beach. The conditions vary: 12 months of residence in Los Angeles and San Jose, an in-person application with proof of homestead exemption in Jacksonville, a single-family home only in Kansas City, a recorded owner who is not an LLC in Portland, a notarized certification for wiring in Louisville and the service or main breaker excluded in Fort Worth. Twelve cities allow it for part of the job or after a test: Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Albuquerque. Plumbing is the usual owner route (Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Antonio and St. Louis, the last after a Board of Examiners exam), electrical needs the city's exam or licensing board approval in Albuquerque, Dallas and Indianapolis, and San Francisco allows only the owner of a stand-alone single-family house who does the work personally and meets an inspector first. Only licensed contractors may pull them in New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore: Baltimore issues plumbing permits only to master plumbers, New York requires a Licensed Master Plumber and Licensed Master Electrician, and Philadelphia a licensed master plumber and electrical contractor.
Where the city's documents disagree or leave a gap
Cincinnati: the Plumbing Inspections section says replacing an existing fixture needs a permit and inspection, while the department's consumer page lists changing fixtures as no-permit work. Jacksonville: the residential permits page exempts only faucets after the stop, the BID FAQ lists plumbing fixture replacement as both permit work and exempt, and the Florida Building Code allows re-installing a toilet. Seattle: the county Public Health page does not spell out an exemption for a like-for-like toilet or faucet swap. Louisville: the state plumbing rule does not address a same-spot swap. San Francisco: DBI requires a permit before replacing fixtures but says to ask the plumbing inspector about a Plumbing Code 104.2 exemption. Portland: PP&D says replacing fixtures in the same location usually needs no permit while its plumbing page requires one. Minneapolis: a new vanity is finish work, but a lavatory is a plumbing permit. Milwaukee: DNS's checklist and handout say most remodels need a permit and plans, while the code and its homeowner page exempt same-spot swaps. Baltimore: the toilet re-set exemption is adopted as in the model code, but DHCD lists it under other building types. Pittsburgh: PLI's electrical page and licensing rules differ on like-for-like device swaps, and its permitting page sets a $605 commercial minimum for attached houses. Chicago: the $600 deposit on drawing-based alterations exceeds the rows below it. Dallas: Table B-II adds $100 per additional trade that the worksheet does not. Sacramento: $325 on the average-cost page against $320 in the fee table. St. Louis: the mechanical fee table cannot price a small bath fan. Miami prints its residential rate as 0.50 without a percent sign, which the page reads as 0.5%. Long Beach's fees are those in force before 2026-10-01, with a new schedule approved on 2026-09-08. The table flags these rows rather than resolving them.
Method
The 30 cities are the ones whose BuildPermitGuide pages have been rewritten from primary sources as of October 2026: the city's adopted code and exemption list, its permit page or bulletin, its current fee schedule or ordinance and its contractor and owner-builder rules, each fetched and quoted on the city's bathroom remodel permit page. The status in the table is the city page's own reading of what a same-layout refresh needs; the tub or shower, trigger and fee columns are the page's scenario table and worked examples, and the who-pulls-it counts come from its licensing paragraph. The fee is the lowest whole-bathroom total involving more than one trade that the page works out, with the cell saying what it covers; a single-trade permit is not the example. Nothing in this table is taken from a model code alone unless the row says so, and nothing is estimated from another city's schedule; where a city's documents disagree or a figure is superseded, the row carries a flag instead of a resolution. Each city page carries the date its sources were last verified, and the change log records when a cited document changes.
BuildPermitGuide, “When Does a Bathroom Remodel Need a Permit? 30 Cities Compared” (2026), https://buildpermitguide.com/research/bathroom-remodel-permit-triggers/Questions, corrections or a city you want added: contact us.
Frequently asked questions
The city pages behind this table
Each page quotes the code section, exempt-work list and fee schedule it relies on and records the date they were last verified.
- Albuquerque, NM
- Baltimore, MD
- Charlotte, NC
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Fort Worth, TX
- Houston, TX
- Indianapolis, IN
- Jacksonville, FL
- Kansas City, MO
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- New York, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, OR
- Sacramento, CA
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Seattle, WA
- St. Louis, MO
- Tucson, AZ
Related: Bathroom Remodel Permit Guide · Bathroom remodel permits in all 50 cities · Toilet replacement permits compared · Kitchen remodel permit triggers compared · Permit fee change log · Open data exports