Plumbing Permits for Bathroom Work in Vancouver and Clark County

Plumbing is where most bathroom permits come from. Moving a drain, replacing a shower valve, converting a tub to a shower or adding a fixture all need a plumbing permit, and in Washington the work itself is regulated separately from the permit: who may do it is set by state law. This page covers both, for the City of Vancouver and unincorporated Clark County, as of October 2026.

When bathroom plumbing needs a permit in Vancouver

The city's plumbing exemptions are short. As the Vancouver code read on 11 October 2026 (VMC 17.08.090(D)(3)), no permit is needed for:

• stopping leaks in drain, waste or vent pipe, unless a concealed pipe "become[s] defective" and has to be replaced, in which case it "shall be considered as new work and a permit shall be procured";
• "The clearing of stoppages or the repairing of leaks in pipes, valves or fixtures";
• "the removal and reinstallation of water closets, lavatories, sinks, or tub/showers, provided that such repairs do not involve or require the replacement or rearrangement of valves, pipes or fixtures".

Everything else regulated by the plumbing code needs a permit. In a remodel, the plumbing is part of the Residential Building Permit (RES); on its own, it is a stand-alone plumbing trade permit.

The like-for-like fixture swap is the gray area. The exemption covers "removal and reinstallation" and expressly leaves out "replacement ... of ... fixtures", and the city's 2026 fee table charges per fixture. No city page says in plain words whether a simple swap needs a permit, so ask the City of Vancouver Permit Center (eplans@cityofvancouver.us, 360-487-7833) before you assume either way. The permit table for the whole bathroom covers the non-plumbing items.

2026 plumbing permit fees

Vancouver's figures are from its 2026 fee schedule (effective 1 January 2026), which says the plumbing fee "shall be the calculated fee per the fee table or the minimum fee, whichever is greater." Each Vancouver trade permit includes a maximum of two inspections. Clark County's figures are from its plumbing application revised 2 September 2025. Both adjust over time, so confirm on your application.

Unincorporated Clark County

The county is plainer than the city: "Water heaters, toilets, and sinks - A plumbing permit is required for installation of any plumbing fixtures." Residential plumbing permits are applied for online at clark.wa.gov/permits. The county also requires that "ALL push-pull and permitted repair work for mechanical and plumbing installations" be inspected on completion by the installer on site through its Sherlook remote video inspection service. Questions go to Clark County Community Development's Permit Center, 564.397.4078, permitservices@clark.wa.gov. For Camas, Battle Ground, Ridgefield and Washougal, see permits outside Vancouver city limits.

Who may do bathroom plumbing in Washington

State law, not the city, decides who may do the work. RCW 18.106.020(1): "No person may engage in or offer to engage in the trade of plumbing without having a journey level certificate, specialty certificate, residential service certificate, temporary permit, or trainee certificate and photo identification in his or her possession." L&I puts it simply: "Only L&I-certified plumbers can legally perform plumbing work on someone else's property."

Plumbing done for a homeowner must be done by an L&I-licensed plumbing contractor using certified plumbers. A licensed plumbing contractor carries a $6,000 plumbing contractor surety bond and liability insurance, and designates a certified plumber to L&I.

The certificates differ in scope:

• Residential service plumber: in single-family homes and duplexes only, may "service, repair, or replace previously existing fixtures, piping, and fittings that are outside the interior wall or above the floor", and "may not perform plumbing for new construction of any kind" (RCW 18.106.010(11)).
• Specialty plumber: includes "Installation, maintenance, and repair of the plumbing of single-family dwellings, duplexes, and apartment buildings that do not exceed three stories" (RCW 18.106.010(14)(a)).
• Journey level plumber: the full certificate.
• Trainee: must be supervised by a certified plumber who is on the same jobsite at least 75 percent of each working day, with limited remote supervision allowed for trainees past 2,000 hours on residential service work (RCW 18.106.070).

A bathroom remodel that opens walls and moves drains is beyond what a residential service certificate covers. Ask which certificate the person in your bathroom holds.

Doing your own plumbing

RCW 18.106.150(1): "Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require that a person obtain a license in order to do plumbing work at his or her residence or farm or place of business or on other property owned by him or her." L&I: "Property owners can perform their own plumbing work on properties they own."

The exemption does not replace the local permit. RCW 18.106.150(3) keeps local plumbing codes in force, so you still need the city or county plumbing permit and inspections. The state also warns against shortcuts: under RCW 18.106.440, "If a plumbing permit is obtained by an applicant or contractor who falsifies information to obtain an exemption provided under RCW 18.106.150 the plumbing permit shall be forfeited." An owner permit is for work the owner actually does. For owner work across all trades, see doing part of your own bathroom remodel.

How to check a plumber

1. Use L&I's Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business tool at secure.lni.wa.gov/verify. Search by name, license or certificate number, or UBI number.
2. Check both the company (an active plumbing contractor license) and the person (a current plumbing certificate). L&I says the tool also shows citations and lawsuits against the bond.
3. On the job, look for the certification ID. L&I requires it to be "visibly displayed on the front of the upper body".
4. Check that the permit shows the plumbing contractor license number. RCW 18.106.440 requires the permit office to print it.

Questions about plumbing certification go to L&I's plumber program, Plumbers@Lni.wa.gov, 360-902-5207. More on checking every trade is in checking a bathroom contractor's credentials.

Inspections and the code behind them

A permitted bathroom gets at least a rough plumbing inspection before walls close and a final. A site-built shower pan is flood tested under the plumbing code. The sequence is on bathroom remodel inspections, and the clearances, shower sizes and valve rules the inspector checks are on bathroom plumbing code.

On the bathrooms JDI Construction remodels, we apply for the permits and schedule the inspections for you. Tell us about your project through our Vancouver bathroom remodeling page.