Hot Water Heater Replacement in Brevard County: Permit Concerns and Homeowner Insights

[Debashis]

Attention Florida/Brevard County residents, there's an interesting Reddit discussion! A user recently had their co-worker's retired plumber husband replace their hot water heater without obtaining a permit, and now they're worried about potential legal consequences. Reddit's community chimed in, with most members reassuring the user. Many were surprised that a permit might be necessary for such a task, and some added humor to the situation. A few pointed out that homeowners usually have the freedom to make such changes, especially in areas with more lenient permit regulations.

 

[Heatman]

There are some minor projects that doesn't require getting any permit for the job. A minor electrical repairs that don't involve adding new or moving existing service doesn't require getting a permit but I'm very sure that they are supposed to get a permit for replacing their hot water heater. If they are lucky, they wouldn't be forced to pay double the fees for it like they do in some states.

 

[Nomad]

As far as I know, if you are doing it yourself and not hiring a contractor, and if the renovations or replacements are minor, for example, changing the switchboard installing new faucets, etc. you do not need any permits. However, if the renovation involves a lot of work you need permits.

 

[Terry Souithern]

As far as I know, replacing like with like does not require a permit, so long as like for like does not exceed 4500 watts. If, on the other hand, you are replacing a water heater with a larger capacity or wattage, then yes, yo do need a permit. again, this is my understanding of Brevard County's regulations.

 

[Eric]

As far as I know, replacing like with like does not require a permit, so long as like for like does not exceed 4500 watts. If, on the other hand, you are replacing a water heater with a larger capacity or wattage, then yes, yo do need a permit. again, this is my understanding of Brevard County's regulations.

Thanks for clarifying that. Honestly though, I don't think a lot of people bother with permits for water heaters no matter how the specs are changing. I replaced my water heater a few months ago and of the multiple quotes I got, only one mentioned that I'd need a permit and included a permit runner as a line item.