Can a Homeowner Pull Their Own Permit? 30 Cities Compared

Short answer: usually yes for the building permit, and it depends on the trade and the city for everything else. Of the 30 largest U.S. cities we cover, 24 issue a building permit to a homeowner for work on the home they live in; five allow it only for some work or behind a gate (Dallas's homestead list, Philadelphia's no-trade-permit rule, San Francisco's inspector interview, Chicago's once-a-year owner-as-contractor form, Baltimore's conflicting pages); and New York issues none, because every filing goes through a licensed professional and a registered contractor. Electrical is the real divide: 17 cities let an owner-occupant wire their own home, four (Albuquerque, Dallas, Indianapolis, St. Louis) only after passing a city exam, seven never (New York, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Milwaukee), and two (Cincinnati, Pittsburgh) publish rules that contradict each other. Plumbing is open to owners in 24 cities and HVAC in 19. Almost every city attaches the same three conditions in its own words: you must live there, you must do the work yourself, and the home must not be for rent or sale. We read each city's permit pages, licensing rules, owner-builder forms and the state statute behind them, as quoted on the city's project pages, and recorded the answer for each permit type.

24cities issue the building permit to a homeowner for work on their own home

17cities let an owner-occupant do their own electrical work under a permit

7cities never issue a homeowner electrical permit (plus 4 that require a city exam)

3cities with no homeowner plumbing permit at all: New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore

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	Building permit to the owner	Your own electrical	Your own plumbing	Your own HVAC	Conditions the city attaches	Rule the city cites, and notes
Albuquerque, NM	Yes	After the city's written exam at 75 percent or better (UAC 111.1): four hours, one retake after 30 days, two attempts, one passing exam a year, permit issued right after you pass. Only for a home you own and occupy.	After the same written exam, with the same terms.	No. The permits page says installation of equipment or ductwork can only be completed by a licensed contractor, and there is no homeowner mechanical exam.	Building permits go to the owner-occupant under a homeowner's permit or to a GB-2 or GB-98 general contractor: a notarized Homeowner's Affidavit, no more than one homeowner's permit to the same owner in a 12-month period, and a home rented to others must use a licensed contractor. The state rule bars a homeowner's permit for single-scope jobs such as roofing when the work is subcontracted rather than done personally or with W-2 employees.	UAC 111.1 (homeowner exams); Homeowner's Affidavit; Building Safety permits page The one-per-12-months cap on homeowner's permits is the tightest frequency limit on record.
Baltimore, MD	Some work ⚠	No. Electrical permits issue only to master, master restricted, restricted or maintenance electricians licensed in the city (BFRCBC 2706.2).	No. Plumbing permits issue only to licensed master plumbers or master gas fitters; state law lets you plumb your own residence but not make the final public connection, and the city still issues the permit only to a master plumber.	No. There is no homeowner mechanical permit in the city code.	The building code lets the owner or lessee, their agent, or a licensed engineer or architect apply for a building permit, but DHCD's permits page says construction work on one- and two-family dwellings requires a Maryland Home Improvement Commission licensed contractor. The page says confirm with the Permits Office how DHCD lists owner-built work.	BFRCBC 105 (who may apply) and 2706.2; DHCD permits page No homeowner trade permit of any kind exists in the city code.
Charlotte, NC	Yes	Yes, under G.S. 87-43.1: the owner on the tax records, living in the home, not renting or selling within a year, doing the work personally, with a County homeowner account, a bond and the Homeowner Trade Work Certificate of Ownership.	Yes, for an owner who owns, occupies and personally does the work, with the Homeowner Trade Work Certificate.	Yes, for an owner-occupant doing all the work personally on a primary residence.	Mecklenburg County issues homeowner permits to owners whose name is on the deed for their primary residence, through the AccelaMeck homeowner portal; projects under $40,000 need no bond. Owner-occupants doing the work personally pay $60 per trade plus $45 per inspection trip instead of the valuation table. A homeowner permit cannot be issued for someone else to do the work.	G.S. 87-43.1 and 160D-1110; LUESA homeowner trade rules; County homeowner fee schedule A North Carolina general contractor license is required only when the contracted work costs $40,000 or more. The County urges a licensed contractor for anything involving service equipment, and a licensed electrician's like-kind swap is exempt where a homeowner's is not.
Chicago, IL	Some work	No. A Chicago-licensed electrical contractor must do all electrical work that needs a permit, with no owner-occupant exception.	Yes, for the owner, occupant or lessee of a detached single-family house doing the work personally (listed on the permit as the homeowner, Form 401).	Not stated as a homeowner permit; in-kind swaps at homes up to 4 stories need no permit, and for permitted work the owner may act as general contractor once a year.	Every permit lists a licensed general contractor; on your own primary residence (up to 6 units, up to 3 stories) you may act as general contractor yourself once per calendar year by uploading Form 401 and an ID showing you live there. That does not replace the licensed roofer or electrician the work still needs.	DOB Form 401 (owner as general contractor); DOB electrical license page; Chicago Plumbing Code owner exception Chicago's split is the sharpest on record: plumbing has an owner-occupant exception, electrical has none, and the once-a-year owner-as-contractor rule governs the building permit.
Cincinnati, OH	Yes ⚠	Unclear. The city requires an OCILB-licensed electrical contractor for permit work, but its contractor chapter exempts an owner of a one- to three-family home who will occupy it for a year from registering to do work personally, and IBI (the electrical permit issuer) says its counter serves do it yourselfers; the page says ask IBI first.	Yes, in a single-family home only (Cincinnati Building Code 1105-13): the owner who will live there a year buys the materials, does all the labor and pulls the permit with a notarized affidavit; two- and three-family owners hire a licensed plumber.	Unclear: the same homeowner exception applies to registration, but the HVAC handout does not say whether the department issues a mechanical permit to an owner; ask the Permit Center.	An owner-occupant of a one- to three-family home may pull the building permit and do the work personally if they will live there for at least a year after completion, signing a notarized statement. Hired contractors need the $131.25 city registration; electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors must be OCILB-licensed and registered.	Cincinnati Building Code 1105-13, 1106-5 and 1106-37; IBI counter guidance Electrical permits are issued by Inspection Bureau, Inc., not the city, which is part of why the owner electrical answer is open.
Dallas, TX	Some work ⚠	After the city's homeowner exam, on a homestead; the permit is witnessed by the district electrical inspector and issued at the field office.	Yes, in your own homestead (Texas Occupations Code 1301.051), with the homestead exemption recorded by the appraisal district.	Yes, on a homestead recorded by the appraisal district (Texas Occupations Code 1302.053).	The homeowner exemption form covers interior remodeling, fences, roofing, patio covers and portable accessory buildings on a homestead, with an affidavit that nobody else is paid to do any part of the work. It does not allow a new home, an addition, a permanent detached accessory building (a permanent shed, an ADU) or a swimming pool; decks are not mentioned.	Dallas homeowner exemption form; electrical, plumbing and mechanical no-license checklists The building side is the limited one here: pools and permanent accessory buildings always go to a contractor registered with the city, even on a homestead.
Fort Worth, TX	Yes	Yes, except the electrical service and main breaker: a homestead permit covers wiring downstream of the first main breaker (a subpanel, new circuits); a main panel or service change needs a Texas-licensed electrician.	Yes, under a homestead permit at a house you own and occupy as your primary residence.	Yes, under a homestead mechanical permit at your primary residence.	Fort Worth issues homestead permits to owner-occupants, shown by an appraisal-district homestead exemption or by proof of ownership and government ID at the same address, covering building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work without a Texas trade license. Otherwise a building contractor registered with the city ($178 a year) applies.	Fort Worth homestead permit rules; Development Services contractor registration In the contractor lookup, homestead applicants enter Homestead. Pool plans also need an Oncor Electric stamp before submittal.
Houston, TX	Yes ⚠	No. Electrical permits go only to master electricians licensed by TDLR and registered with the city; there is no homeowner electrical permit.	Yes, under the Homeowner's Plumbing Permit ($86.39 + admin, $116.11) if you own, occupy and have homesteaded the property and do the work yourself.	Unclear: Residential Permitting 101 says a homeowner may obtain the mechanical permit in some instances, without listing them; confirm with the Mechanical Section.	Houston licenses no general contractors, so the building permit may be bought by the owner, an agent or a contractor; the Declaration in Support of Application is signed by the property owner and checked against appraisal-district records. Plumbing needs the homestead on record.	HPC Residential Permitting 101; HPC Homeowner's Plumbing Permit; HPC Circuit Panel and Meter Loop pages Texas exempts homeowners from the state electrician license on their own residence, but Houston's permit rules give homeowners no electrical permit, so a registered master electrician is the only path.
Indianapolis, IN	Yes	After the homeowner exam: an owner who also occupies the one- or two-family home may do the work with the electrical permit and the licensing board's written approval of their skill (Sec. 875-222). Rentals do not qualify.	Limited. Plumbing permits go to a state-licensed plumber registered with the city; DBNS allows homeowner plumbing permits only in limited situations, decided by email on the project details.	After the homeowner exam: owner-occupant of a one- or two-family home with the heating and cooling permit and the board's written approval (Sec. 875-321).	Any individual who owns the parcel may obtain the structural permit for work done personally or by their own employees, filing a Statement of Intent; a hired builder must be a listed Marion County contractor and pull it under their own listing. The trade exams are only for owners who also occupy the home.	Sec. 536-201 and the DBNS Homeowner's Guide; Sec. 875-222 and 875-321 The structural permit is open to any owner, occupant or not; the roof-replacement exemption, by contrast, covers only owner-occupants and listed contractors.
Jacksonville, FL	Yes	Yes. FS 489.503(6) lets you act as your own electrical contractor on a single-family or duplex home for your own use; Jacksonville adds deed, in-person application and homestead proof.	Under the owner-builder permit for your primary residence; hired plumbers pull their own permit tied to yours.	Yes, as owner-builder; an electric replacement at a single-family home costing $5,000 or less can also skip inspection on a notarized owner request.	Owner-builder on your primary residence if you are on the deed and the home is not for sale or rent: apply in person, sign the owner's affidavit (BID staff notarize the Property Owner-Builder Disclosure Statement) and provide proof of homestead exemption. You supervise any unlicensed helpers yourself; a hired roofer or trade pulls a separate permit tied to yours.	Florida Statutes 489.103(7) and 489.503(6); BID owner-builder rules; Ordinance Code 320.408(f)(8) Repairs or alterations to an existing pool are the one job the pages say must be contracted to a licensed pool contractor even by an owner.
Kansas City, MO	Yes	Yes, for an owner who lives in a single-family home, does the work personally with family or friends and buys the materials, filing the IB146 affidavit; two-family homes and anyone hiring help must use a licensed contractor.	Yes, on the same IB146 terms in an owner-occupied single-family home.	Yes, on the same terms; anyone hired must be a city-licensed mechanical contractor who pulls their own permit.	An owner who lives in a single-family home may pull the building and trade permits and act as general contractor, doing the work with family or friends (IB146 affidavit, uploaded in CompassKC). On a two-family home trade permits go only to licensed contractors. An owner-occupant who pulls a building permit may still hire subcontractors to work under it.	KC Code 18-14(k); Information Bulletin 146 Kansas City is one of the few cities whose rule expressly lets unpaid family and friends help under a homeowner permit.
Long Beach, CA	Yes	Yes, for a one- or two-family home that is your principal residence, lived in for 12 months, with the homeowner exemption used no more than twice in three years (IB-029); the city adds no restriction specific to electrical.	Yes, under IB-029 on the same terms.	Yes, at an in-person express permit appointment under IB-029; online mechanical permits are for registered contractors only.	A homeowner may pull the permit for a one- or two-family home that is their principal residence under IB-029: 12 months of residence and the exemption used no more than twice in three years, signing the Owner-Builder Declaration (FORM-005). Otherwise the permit goes to a CSLB-licensed contractor with an active Long Beach business license and workers' compensation coverage.	IB-029 (owner-builder); FORM-005 Owner-Builder Declaration An unlicensed person, including the homeowner, may draw the plans for a one-story wood-frame accessory structure that follows IB-010.
Los Angeles, CA	Yes	Yes, after 12 months of residence in the house (LADBS FAQ and the state owner-builder declaration).	Yes, after 12 months of residence; otherwise a CSLB-licensed plumber.	Yes, after 12 months of residence; otherwise a C-20 contractor.	Read and initial the state Owner-Builder Declaration at issuance; trade permits in your own name only after 12 months living there; two structures in any three-year period; work done before any sale. You become the employer of anyone unlicensed you hire; handyman jobs are limited to under $1,000 and no permit.	LADBS owner-builder FAQ and e-permit rules; Business and Professions Code 7044 Homeowners may apply for every single-family e-permit type: building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing. Hired contractors need a CSLB B license for building and C-10/C-20/C-36 licenses for the trades.
Louisville, KY	Yes ⚠	Yes, in a home you own and live in (or will when the work is done): KRS 227.480 exempts a homeowner working on their own premises, and Metro's application carries a notarized Homeowner Electrical Permit Certification that the home is not for sale and you do all the work yourself.	Yes: the state (not Metro) issues a homeowner plumbing permit for a home the owner occupies when the owner files an affidavit and personally performs all the work.	Kentucky's HVAC licensing law exempts an individual owner working on property they own and occupy; the page says ask Construction Review how an owner files.	Construction Review takes contractor permits in the Louisville Metro Business Portal; for an owner-filed building permit the pages say to call (502) 574-3321, because the department's own guides could not be retrieved (louisvilleky.gov blocks every datacenter client). The trade routes are state law and are firm.	KRS 227.480(2)(a); 815 KAR 20:050 (state homeowner plumbing permit); Metro electrical application Plumbing permits are the state's, not Metro's, so the homeowner plumbing permit comes from the Division of Plumbing.
Miami, FL	Yes	Yes. FS 489.503(6) lets the owner of a single-family or duplex home they occupy and do not intend to sell act as their own electrical contractor; City Code 10-5 recognizes it.	Under the owner-builder permit (FS 489.103(7)); the no-permit fixture exemptions are written for licensed plumbers, not owners.	Under the owner-builder permit (FS 489.103(7)); a hired installer needs a Class A or B license with a county certificate of competency.	Owner-builder under FS 489.103(7) for a one- or two-family home you occupy and are not building to sell or lease; you appear in person to sign each application and supervise the work. Selling or leasing within a year of completion is presumed a violation. Work started before the permit costs double the fee plus $110 on a homestead property.	Florida Statutes 489.103(7) and 489.503(6); City Code 10-5 Hired contractors need a Florida license or a Miami-Dade County certificate of competency inside the city.
Milwaukee, WI	Yes	No, beyond swapping an existing switch, receptacle or light fixture rated 20 amps or less (MCO 222-1); panel, circuit and pool wiring is a state-licensed electrical contractor's.	Yes, with a permit, for the owner of a one-family home they live in (MCO 225-3-2); in a duplex or a rental a licensed plumber pulls it.	Yes: DNS lets owners who live in the home pull permits for their own work; like-for-like non-gas appliance swaps need no permit.	An owner who lives in the home may take out the building permit and do the work, and the state exempts owner-occupants from Dwelling Contractor credentials. Hired contractors need the City Home Improvement Contractor License plus state Dwelling Contractor credentials. Wisconsin lets owner-occupants wire their own homes unless a local ordinance requires a license, and Milwaukee's does.	MCO 222-1, 225-3-2 and 200-24-1.5; DNS homeowner page DNS will not issue a new pool permit until the contractor's electrical permit is in place.
Minneapolis, MN	Yes	Yes, via a state (DLI) homeowner permit for a home you own and occupy that has its own electrical service not shared with another dwelling; not two-family dwellings, condos or any property occupied by others.	Yes, for the owner of a single-family home that does not share electric, gas, water or sewer service with another dwelling (Section 85.80); no gas work on heating equipment.	Yes under Section 85.80, but owners may not work on gas-fired heating equipment, and all gas piping and venting is a licensed gas installer's separate permit.	Owner-occupants of one- to four-unit dwellings can get building permits for their own construction work; Minnesota's contractor licensing law exempts owners improving a home they occupy, unless building for resale or improving more than one property within 24 months. The city issues no electrical permits at all; DLI does.	MCO 85.80 and 91.300; Minn. Stat. 326B.37 (DLI homeowner permit) The trade exceptions hinge on separate utility services: a duplex or a shared-service home sends every trade permit to a licensed contractor.
New York, NY	No	No. Every electrical installation is done under a permit by a NYC Licensed Master Electrician; there is no homeowner exemption.	No. Plumbing is a Licensed Master Plumber's job with its own DOB permit.	No. Work is filed by a PE or RA and the permit goes to a Registered General Contractor.	DIY is allowed only on exempt work: a shed up to 120 sq ft, a fence 6 ft or under, non-structural roof repair. Anything filed goes through a PE or RA in DOB NOW and a registered contractor (HIC license at 1–4 family homes).	DOB Electrical System owner requirements; DOB homeowner page; 1 RCNY 101-14 The city's own homeowner page lists what needs no permit and says homeowners may do that work themselves; it offers no owner-builder route for permitted work.
Philadelphia, PA	Some work	No. A licensed electrical contractor must perform all electrical work, and the owner hires a licensed electrical inspection agency.	No. A licensed master plumber must oversee plumbing, and the EZ standards call for a Philadelphia licensed plumbing contractor.	No. A licensed contractor must perform all mechanical work; sheet metal by a registered technician.	At an existing one- or two-family home an owner who lives in the building may hold the building permit only for work that needs no electrical or plumbing permit: a fence, a deck, a reroof, a pool shell. That rules out an owner-built kitchen, bathroom or ADU. The other permit holders are a licensed Philadelphia contractor or a registered PA Home Improvement Contractor with a Commercial Activity License.	L&I contractor rules for existing 1–2 family homes; L&I Start Right guide; EZ permit standards Plumbing and electrical are never homeowner permits in Philadelphia, even at an owner-occupied home.
Phoenix, AZ	Yes	Yes. The city's journeyman requirement covers plumbing and mechanical, not electrical; an owner-occupant works under ARS 32-1121.A.5.	Yes, for the owner-occupant of a single-family home working on their own house (2024 code); otherwise a licensed journeyman or contractor.	Yes, for the owner-occupant of a single-family home; gas connections are never covered by the state's unlicensed small-job exemption.	The residential application has a checkbox for the ARS 32-1121.A.5 exemption (improving property intended solely for the owner's occupancy). Selling or renting within a year of completion is treated as evidence the work was done for sale, so a unit built to rent should be built by an ROC-licensed contractor.	ARS 32-1121.A.5; 2024 Phoenix Building Construction Code (who may perform permitted plumbing and mechanical work) Skipping a required permit costs an investigation fee of at least $250 plus a doubled permit fee, owner-builder or not.
Pittsburgh, PA	Yes ⚠	Unclear. PLI's licensing rules require a city electrical trade license for any work needing an electrical permit, while its EZ page says residential EZ work may be done by a homeowner at a primary residence; a panel is not EZ work, so the page says confirm with PLI.	Yes: ACHD's 2025 Article XV lets a bona fide owner presently occupying an existing single-family building do the plumbing; landlords must hire a master plumber.	Unclear: an HVAC and mechanical trade license is required to install or replace any mechanical system, but the EZ page lists homeowners at a primary residence among those who may do residential EZ work; confirm before buying equipment.	PLI lets the homeowner do the building work on a primary residence (the deck application has a box for the owner self-performing), or a licensed City of Pittsburgh contractor or registered Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor; renovations at rental or investment one- and two-family homes need a contractor. Homeowner applications are checked against Allegheny County real estate records.	PLI licensing rules; PLI EZ permits page; ACHD Article XV (2025) Plumbing is Allegheny County Health Department's, not the city's, which is why it has the clearest owner rule of the three trades.
Portland, OR	Yes	Yes, only if you own and live in the home as the recorded owner (not an LLC) and are not selling or renting within six months; never on a rental or an ADU (ORS 479.540).	Yes, for the recorded homeowner, not an LLC.	Yes, for the recorded homeowner, not an LLC.	A homeowner may sign the building, plumbing and mechanical applications and do that work. The electrical rule is the strict one: owner-occupied, recorded owner, no sale or rental within six months, and PP&D says you cannot do the electrical work yourself for an ADU. Hired contractors list an Oregon CCB license.	PP&D who-can-do-the-work pages; ORS 479.540 The recorded owner, not an LLC, test applies to every homeowner trade permit, so a home held in an LLC cannot use the homeowner option at all.
Sacramento, CA	Yes	Yes, as owner-builder, but not online: email the building permit application, the owner-builder form CDD-0220 and the Planning Express form to EZ Permit.	Under the owner-builder forms; water heater change-outs are among the permits homeowners can pull online.	Yes: homeowners can pull a residential HVAC change-out permit online for a single-family home or duplex.	Property owners can be the permit holder after signing the owner-builder verification form CDD-0220. State law lets a homeowner improve a principal residence without a contractor license if the work is done before sale and the owner has lived there for the 12 months before completion. Owner-builders skip the business operations tax; valuation still means full contractor market value.	Owner-builder form CDD-0220; Business and Professions Code 7044; Public Permit Portal rules The online system lets homeowners pull only re-roof, HVAC and water heater change-outs; everything else goes by email.
San Antonio, TX	Yes	No. DSD says homeowners must use licensed trade contractors for new electrical work; the electrical contractor registers with the city before pulling the permit.	Yes, only in the homestead you live in and only if you do the installation yourself without anyone's help (City Code 10-6(j)), with a notarized Plumbing Affidavit for Homeowner's Permit.	No. Homeowners must use a licensed trade contractor with a state mechanical license registered with the city.	A homeowner can take out the building permit by attesting that they own and will own, occupy or rent the home for 12 months after the project (City Code 10-115(a)(1)) and taking responsibility for scheduling inspections; if you are selling soon, a licensed contractor applies. Rental and business properties are excluded from the plumbing exception.	City Code 10-115(a)(1) and 10-6(j); DSD residential permits page A city-registered home improvement contractor may also pull residential permits on your behalf.
San Diego, CA	Yes	Yes. SDMC 129.0306 lets an electrical permit be issued to the property owner or lessee as well as a licensed contractor.	Yes. SDMC 129.0406 lets a plumbing or mechanical permit be issued to the property owner or lessee.	Yes, same section; HVAC contractors may extend gas piping only to the equipment they install.	Sign the Owner-Builder Verification Form DS-3042, notarized if you are not present; tenants cannot sign it. California's owner-builder rules cover a principal residence you have lived in for the prior 12 months. A homeowner's Simple Permit normally issues within about two business days; a contractor's as soon as the invoice is paid.	SDMC 129.0306 and 129.0406; Owner-Builder Verification Form DS-3042; Business and Professions Code 7044 San Diego is the one city whose code names the lessee as well as the owner for trade permits.
San Francisco, CA	Some work	Only the owner of a stand-alone single-family house (R-3) doing the work personally; LLC-owned homes excluded; all wiring stays exposed until the inspector approves it, and deficiencies are fixed by a licensed contractor.	Same narrow rule: stand-alone single-family primary residence, work done personally; condo and flat owners must use licensed contractors.	Same narrow rule; homeowner mechanical permits are approved at Inspection Services and the inspector can require a contractor.	Property owners may pull building permits, but the homeowner route is only for a stand-alone single-family home that is the owner's primary residence and only when the owner does the construction personally. After filing online you meet an inspector at the Permit Center help desk with ID, who can send you to hire a contractor instead. Owners of condos and flats cannot use it for the building permit or the trade permits.	DBI who-can-obtain-a-permit rules; DBI homeowner permit procedure The online reroofing permit is a C-39 contractor product; an owner doing their own roof files in person. Any paid job over $1,000 or needing a permit requires a licensed contractor.
San Jose, CA	Yes	Yes, as owner-builder on a principal residence occupied for 12 months, doing the work personally.	Yes, as owner-builder, or by hiring licensed trades directly.	Yes, as owner-builder; refrigerant handling is separately regulated by federal law.	California's owner-builder exemption: a homeowner improving a principal residence they have occupied for 12 months may pull the permits and do the work personally or hire licensed subcontractors, with the work done before sale. Any contractor hired for a job of $1,000 or more must hold a state license.	Business and Professions Code 7044; SJMC 24.02 permit rules The page states the state rule; San Jose adds no local owner-builder form of its own on the pages read.
Seattle, WA	Yes	Yes, for an owner-occupant doing the wiring personally; SDCI issues homeowner electrical permits online, often the same day.	Yes: Public Health Seattle and King County issues homeowner plumbing permits under RCW 18.106.150 for plumbing the owner does personally.	Yes: SDCI's mechanical permit pages do not limit who applies for a single-family furnace or heat-pump permit; gas piping is a Public Health homeowner permit.	The owner applies for the SDCI construction permit in the Seattle Services Portal. Electrical homeowner permits require owning and occupying the property and doing the work yourself; SDCI can add a contractor later if you change your mind. Hired trades need a Washington electrical contractor license or plumbing contractor registration plus a Seattle business license.	SDCI electrical permit page and FAQ; RCW 18.106.150; Public Health fee schedule Plumbing and gas permits are the county's, not SDCI's, in every case.
St. Louis, MO	Yes	Limited, after a free written test: an owner-occupant of a single-family home may pull permits for repairs, modifications and room additions to the existing system, buying the materials and doing the labor; service changes, rehab and new construction stay contractor-only.	After the homeowner exam: the Board of Examiners certifies the owner-occupant of a single-family home who passes (offered once; a fail means a one-year wait), for one open permit of up to four fixtures at a time, valid two years at that address.	Under the Homeowners Permit exception: an owner-occupant of a single-family dwelling who shows the Mechanical Equipment Inspection Section sufficient knowledge, plus EPA Universal Technician certification if refrigerant is handled.	The owner, a lessee or an agent may apply for the building permit (homeowners can register on the city permit portal), and an owner-occupant of a one- or two-family home may draw the plans without an architect's seal. Work on a house held for rent or sale under a homeowner plumbing certification is a violation.	Ord. 70795 (who may apply; owner-drawn plans); Plumbing Code 111.17; Electrical Code 80.6.2.1; Mechanical Homeowners Permit Every trade has an owner route, and every one is gated by a test or a demonstration of knowledge rather than an affidavit.
Tucson, AZ	Yes	Yes, on a home you own and occupy, by filing the Owner/Builder Affidavit under A.R.S. 32-1121.A.5; rental properties need a licensed contractor.	Yes, under the same affidavit.	Yes, under the affidavit; PDSD notes a licensed HVAC contractor must ensure code compliance, so most replacements are filed by the installer.	List yourself as owner on the permit and file the Owner/Builder Affidavit under A.R.S. 32-1121.A.5, which applies only if you occupy the home and do not sell or rent it for at least a year. The handyman exemption never covers work that needs a permit or costs $1,000 or more. PDSD wants a general contractor named when a job spans several trades.	A.R.S. 32-1121.A.5; PDSD Owner/Builder Affidavit The owner-builder exemption does not cover structures intended for rent, so a casita built to rent needs a licensed contractor.

The status describes whether the city issues the building permit for ordinary residential work (a deck, a shed, a remodel, a reroof) to the owner of a one- or two-family home they occupy, as the city page reads the city's documents on the date it was last verified. The three trade columns say whether that owner may do the electrical, plumbing or mechanical work under a permit in their own name, and sort yes, after an exam, unclear, no. Conditions are the city's own: residency period, affidavit or form, frequency cap, helper rule, rental exclusion. Each row links to the city's electrical-panel page, where the owner rules are stated most fully; the same rules appear on the city's other project pages. A flag marks a row where the city's documents disagree or could not be fully retrieved. Download the table as CSV.

What the comparison shows

Twenty-four cities issue the building permit to the owner, and each attaches its own conditions

Albuquerque, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Fort Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Louisville, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Jose, Seattle, St. Louis, Tucson let a homeowner hold the building permit for work on the home they live in. The conditions repeat with local twists. Residency: California's owner-builder law requires 12 months in the house before completion, which Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento and Long Beach each restate; San Antonio asks you to attest that you will own the home for 12 months after the project; Cincinnati and Charlotte presume you will live there a year after completion; Phoenix and Tucson treat a sale or rental within a year as evidence the work was done for sale. Paperwork: a notarized affidavit in Albuquerque, Cincinnati and Kansas City (IB146), an in-person signature with homestead proof in Jacksonville and Miami, a declaration or verification form in Los Angeles, San Diego (DS-3042), Sacramento (CDD-0220), Long Beach (FORM-005) and Tucson, a Statement of Intent in Indianapolis, a homestead exemption on record in Fort Worth, Dallas and Houston. Frequency caps: one homeowner's permit per owner per 12 months in Albuquerque, twice in three years in Long Beach, two structures in three years in Los Angeles, once per calendar year as owner-contractor in Chicago, and in Minneapolis improving more than one property within 24 months requires a state license. Helpers: Kansas City expressly allows family and friends; Dallas and Albuquerque require an affidavit that nobody else is paid; Charlotte says a homeowner permit cannot be issued for someone else to do the work; Los Angeles warns you become the employer of anyone unlicensed you hire.

Six cities draw a line around what an owner may build

Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, San Francisco issue an owner permit only for some work or behind a gate. Dallas's homeowner exemption form lists interior remodeling, fences, roofing, patio covers and portable accessory buildings, and says in terms that it does not allow a new home, an addition, a permanent detached accessory building or a swimming pool, even on a homestead; decks are not mentioned. Philadelphia lets an owner who lives in a one- or two-family home hold the building permit only when the project needs no electrical or plumbing permit, which covers a fence, a deck or a reroof and rules out an owner-built kitchen, bathroom or ADU. San Francisco limits the homeowner route to a stand-alone single-family house that is the owner's primary residence, requires the owner to do the construction personally, and sends every applicant to an inspector at the Permit Center who can require a contractor instead; condo and flat owners are excluded. Chicago lists a licensed general contractor on every permit and lets an owner stand in for one on their primary residence once per calendar year with Form 401. Baltimore's code lets the owner apply while DHCD's permits page says construction on one- and two-family dwellings requires an MHIC-licensed contractor. New York has no owner-builder permit at all: permitted work is filed by a PE or RA and the permit goes to a Registered General Contractor, and the DOB homeowner page lists only the exempt work (a shed up to 120 sq ft, a fence to 6 ft, non-structural roof repair) that an owner may do.

Electrical: 17 yes, 4 after an exam, 7 never, 2 unresolved

An owner-occupant may do their own permitted electrical work in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento and Long Beach (California's owner-builder rules, with the 12-month residence), Phoenix and Tucson (ARS 32-1121.A.5), Seattle, Portland, Miami and Jacksonville (Florida's FS 489.503(6)), Charlotte (G.S. 87-43.1, with a County bond and certificate), Minneapolis (a state DLI homeowner permit, only for a home with its own electrical service), Fort Worth (a homestead permit, but never the service or main breaker), Louisville (KRS 227.480 with a notarized certification), Kansas City (IB146) and, narrowly, San Francisco (a stand-alone single-family house, wiring left exposed until approved). Four cities require a test first: Albuquerque's written exam at 75 percent (four hours, two attempts, one pass a year), Dallas's homeowner exam witnessed by the district inspector, Indianapolis's board approval under Sec. 875-222, and St. Louis's free written test, which unlocks only repairs, modifications and additions, never a service change. Seven cities issue no homeowner electrical permit: New York, Chicago (no owner-occupant exception, unlike its plumbing), Houston (master electricians only, though Texas law exempts homeowners from the state license), San Antonio, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Milwaukee, which narrows Wisconsin's owner exemption to swapping a switch, receptacle or fixture rated 20 amps or less. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh publish rules on both sides and the pages say ask first. Texas alone produces four answers: no in Houston and San Antonio, exam in Dallas, yes below the main breaker in Fort Worth.

Plumbing is the most open trade, with single-family and homestead strings attached

Twenty-four cities let an owner do their own permitted plumbing. The common string is the type of home: single-family only in Cincinnati (Building Code 1105-13, with a notarized affidavit), Milwaukee (MCO 225-3-2), Minneapolis (a home that shares no utility service), Chicago (a detached single-family house) and San Francisco (a stand-alone house); a recorded homestead in Houston (a $116.11 Homeowner's Plumbing Permit), Dallas and San Antonio, whose City Code 10-6(j) adds that the owner must make the installation without help from anyone. Three cities issue the plumbing permit through another government and still allow owners: Public Health Seattle and King County (RCW 18.106.150), Allegheny County Health Department for Pittsburgh (a bona fide owner presently occupying a single-family building) and Kentucky's Division of Plumbing for Louisville (affidavit, all work personally). Two cities test first: Albuquerque's written exam and St. Louis's Board of Examiners certification, offered once, good for two years at one address and one open permit of four fixtures. Indianapolis allows homeowner plumbing permits only in limited situations decided by email. New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore issue plumbing permits only to licensed master plumbers, and Baltimore's page notes that state law lets you plumb your own residence while the city still issues the permit only to a master plumber.

HVAC: 19 yes, with gas and refrigerant carved out

Nineteen cities let an owner-occupant pull a mechanical permit, and the carve-outs follow the fuel. Minneapolis bars owners from gas-fired heating equipment and sends all gas piping and venting to a licensed gas installer; Phoenix says the state's small-job exemption never covers work connected to a gas supply; Seattle's gas piping permit is a Public Health homeowner permit; St. Louis requires EPA Universal Technician certification if refrigerant is handled, and Chicago and San Jose note the federal refrigerant rule. Indianapolis and St. Louis gate the permit with a test or a showing of knowledge. Five cities issue no homeowner mechanical permit: Albuquerque (the one trade without a homeowner exam), Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia and San Antonio. Four are unresolved on their own pages: Houston's Residential Permitting 101 says a homeowner may obtain the permit in some instances without listing them, Cincinnati's HVAC handout is silent on owner permits, Pittsburgh's licensing rules and EZ page disagree, and Chicago offers only the owner-as-contractor route for permitted work.

The rental exclusion is near-universal, and some cities exclude the entity too

Almost every owner route stops at the front door of a rental. Albuquerque, Charlotte, Tucson, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh send rented homes to a licensed contractor outright; Indianapolis's trade exams, Minneapolis's DLI permit and Louisville's certification are for owner-occupants only; Miami and Jacksonville require that the home not be for sale or lease; Portland adds that the owner may not work on a property for sale, lease or exchange, or on an ADU, within six months; Phoenix and Tucson presume a sale or rental within a year means the work was for sale; Kansas City and Minneapolis exclude two-family homes from the trade exceptions; St. Louis calls homeowner plumbing on a house held for rent or sale a violation. Portland and San Francisco go a step further and exclude homes owned through an LLC: the homeowner must be the recorded individual owner. Charlotte, Indianapolis and Jacksonville tie the permit to the name on the deed; Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Jacksonville to a homestead exemption on record.

Where the city's own documents disagree

Cincinnati's building code requires OCILB-licensed contractors for electrical and HVAC permit work while its contractor chapter exempts an owner-occupant who will live there a year from registering to do the work personally; IBI, which issues the electrical permits, says its counter serves do-it-yourselfers, and the HVAC handout is silent, so both pages say ask first. Pittsburgh's licensing rules require a city electrical or HVAC trade license for any permitted work while its EZ page lists homeowners at a primary residence among those who may do residential EZ work. Baltimore's code lets the owner apply for a building permit while DHCD's page says one- and two-family construction requires an MHIC-licensed contractor. Houston's guide says a homeowner may obtain the mechanical permit in some instances it does not list. Dallas's homeowner exemption form does not mention decks. Louisville's Construction Review pages could not be retrieved, so its owner-filed building permit route rests on a phone number. The table flags those 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. For each city the project pages quote the city's permit pages and bulletins, its contractor-licensing and who-may-apply rules, its owner-builder, homestead or homeowner forms and affidavits, and the state statute behind them (California Business and Professions Code 7044, Arizona A.R.S. 32-1121.A.5, Florida Statutes 489.103(7) and 489.503(6), North Carolina G.S. 87-43.1, Oregon ORS 479.540, Kentucky KRS 227.480, Texas Occupations Code 1301.051 and 1302.053, Minnesota Statutes 326B.37, Washington RCW 18.106.150). The answers in the table are the city pages' own readings of those documents for the owner of a one- or two-family home they occupy. Nothing is inferred from another city's rules or from a state statute alone where the city's own pages were silent; where the city's documents disagree, 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.

Use this data. The table and CSV are published under CC BY 4.0. Cite it as:

BuildPermitGuide, “Can a Homeowner Pull Their Own Permit? 30 Cities Compared” (2026), https://buildpermitguide.com/research/owner-builder-permit-rules/

Questions, corrections or a city you want added: contact us.

Frequently asked questions

In 24 of the 30 largest cities we cover, yes, for work on a one- or two-family home the owner lives in, usually after signing an owner-builder affidavit or declaration. Dallas, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago and Baltimore allow it only for some work or behind a gate, and New York issues no owner-builder permit: filings go through a licensed professional and a registered contractor.

In 17 cities an owner-occupant can: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento, Long Beach, Phoenix, Tucson, Seattle, Portland, Miami, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Fort Worth (not the main breaker), Louisville, Kansas City and, narrowly, San Francisco. Albuquerque, Dallas, Indianapolis and St. Louis require a city exam first. New York, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Milwaukee never issue a homeowner electrical permit.

In 24 cities, often only in a single-family home (Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago, San Francisco) or a recorded homestead (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio). Albuquerque and St. Louis require an exam; Indianapolis allows it only in limited cases. New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore issue plumbing permits only to licensed master plumbers. In Seattle, Pittsburgh and Louisville the plumbing permit comes from a county or state body, which still allows owners.

In every city that offers one, yes, and most add a period: 12 months before completion in the California cities, 12 months of ownership after the project in San Antonio, a year of occupancy after completion in Cincinnati and Charlotte, no sale or rental within a year in Phoenix and Tucson or within six months in Portland. Indianapolis is the exception for the structural permit, which any owner may pull; its trade exams are for owner-occupants only.

No, in every city on this page. Rentals and homes for sale go to licensed contractors in Albuquerque, Charlotte, Tucson, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Miami, Jacksonville, Portland and Minneapolis, and Kansas City and Minneapolis exclude two-family homes from the trade exceptions. Portland and San Francisco also exclude homes owned through an LLC.

Kansas City expressly allows family and friends. Dallas and Albuquerque require an affidavit that nobody else is paid; San Antonio's homestead plumbing permit requires the owner to work without help from anyone; Charlotte says a homeowner permit cannot be issued for someone else to do the work; Los Angeles warns you become the employer of anyone unlicensed you hire; Jacksonville says you must supervise unlicensed helpers yourself. In California and Arizona a paid handyman may take only jobs under $1,000 that need no permit.

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.