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July 2026
Celebrating the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials: King County Proclamation
On July 22, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), the King County Council issued a proclamation acknowledging the group's important work in supporting public health through codes and standards, and their continued collaboration with King County Public Health’s plumbing and gas program. In attendance were representatives from King County Public Health, IAPMO, and UA Local 32.
 Reminder – Permits required for replacement water heaters
As of July 1, Public Health has begun requiring permits for all replacement water heaters. In most cases this will be an over-the-counter plumbing permit.
Helpful tips:
- If gas piping is being modified, a fuel gas permit will also be required.
- Installations that including a new B-vent or utility chimney relining may require a mechanical permit in addition to the plumbing permit.
- Modifying or creating a new electrical circuit will require an electrical permit.
New guidance document – Future equipment and appliance installations
As explained in our May newsletter, installing plumbing for the future installation of equipment or appliances may involve more than just a water or waste connection. See our new guidance document for more detail on the necessary steps for these situations: Guidelines for Future Equipment Installations.
Revised Occupancy and Use document
In our April newsletter, we announced a coming change to how we will determine plan review requirements for schools and daycares. In recent years, any work in these occupancies would require plan review regardless of the scope of work.
We have now updated our Occupancy and Use guidance document to include an exception for what is considered a “very limited scope of work”. This term is defined in the document. Any request for a plan review exception is subject to review by the Senior Plans Examiner.
Summer tends to be a busy time for construction, and plumbing and gas is no exception. When Public Health receives requests for inspections that exceed our capacity, we need to move some of the inspection requests to a virtual waitlist.
An inspection request is not an appointment
Inspections are officially scheduled on the morning of the day they will be performed after our senior inspection staff has determined the number of staff available. If your inspection request has been scheduled and assigned to an inspector, you will receive a phone call on the morning of your inspection from the assigned inspector. The inspector will research the project and ask a few questions to ensure you are ready for an inspection.
Inspection waitlist
If we are unable to accommodate your inspection request on the day it was requested, the inspection status on your Permit Center dashboard will show as “Waitlist”. The site contact will also receive an automated email notification. These emails are sent at 6:30am every business day.
If your inspection has been waitlisted, it will be prioritized for the following day. If it is waitlisted again, it will still be a priority for the next day.
Please do not cancel your inspection request or request a new inspection if your inspection is on the waitlist, as that will remove the priority designation and increase the chance of your inspection being waitlisted again.
We understand not knowing exactly which day an inspection will occur can be frustrating. While we strive to accommodate most inspection requests within 24 hours, that level of service is unattainable with the recent volume of inspection requests and current staffing levels.
If you have any comments or questions about these or any other topics related to plumbing and gas inspections or permitting, please feel free to reach out to us at: planreviewinfo@kingcounty.gov.
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