Do You Need a Permit to Replace a Water Heater in Broward County?

Yes. In Broward County, installing or replacing a water heater requires a plumbing permit, in every city and in unincorporated Broward. The permit comes from the city's building department, the finished work gets a final plumbing inspection, and the closed permit stays on the property record. The God Plumber pulls the permit on every Broward water heater it installs.

Key facts

• Installing or replacing a water heater in Broward County requires a plumbing permit, for residential and commercial property alike.
• The permit is issued by the building department of the city the home is in; unincorporated Broward goes through Broward County Building Code Services.
• Since September 2022, every Broward jurisdiction requires the same countywide Dwelling Unit Water Heater Replacement Data Form with the permit application.
• A like-for-like water heater permit closes with a final plumbing inspection.
• A tankless water heater in Hollywood also needs an electrical sub-permit filed by an electrical contractor.
• A recorded Notice of Commencement is required when the job is worth more than $5,000 (Hollywood, Davie and Pompano Beach checklists).

Why does replacing a water heater need a permit in Broward County?

Because a water heater is plumbing tied to the home's electrical panel or gas line, and Florida treats that as permitted work. Broward works under the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), in effect since December 31, 2023, with county amendments handled by the Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals. The city checklists say it plainly: the installation or replacement of a water heater, whether commercial or residential, requires a plumbing permit.

The permit does three things for a homeowner. A plans examiner checks the new heater's wiring, breaker and venting against what the house has. An inspector looks at the finished work. And a closed permit stays in the city's records, where a buyer, a title company or an insurer can find it.

Who issues a water heater permit in Broward County?

The building department of the city or town the home sits in, not the county. Broward County Building Code Services handles only unincorporated Broward, the Broward Municipal Services District (Boulevard Gardens, Broadview Park, Franklin Park, Hillsboro Pines, Hillsboro Ranches, Roosevelt Gardens and Washington Park), plus cities that contract with the county. Everyone else applies to their own city on the Broward County Uniform Building Permit Application.

What is the Broward County Water Heater Replacement Data Form?

A one-page countywide supplement filed with the Broward County Uniform Building Permit Application whenever a water heater permit is applied for. The Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals adopted it as Policy 22-02 on September 8, 2022, so a contractor can use the same form in every Broward jurisdiction.

The form records the existing heater and the new one side by side, and whether the heater is staying in the same location or being relocated. Electric: kilowatts, voltage, wire size, breaker size, gallons, cord-connected or hardwired. Gas: pipe size, flue size and type, BTUs, gallons, natural gas or LP. A cord-connected heater needs the manufacturer's electrical instructions attached. The reason is practical: a new heater can call for a larger wire and breaker than the ones in the wall, and the plans examiner sees that on paper before anyone turns the power back on.

What are the steps of a permitted water heater replacement?

Four steps, with paperwork at the first and the last.

1. The plumber pulls the permit: the Broward County Uniform Building Permit Application with plumbing checked, the Water Heater Replacement Data Form, and the manufacturer's spec sheet. Hollywood asks for an HOA or condo association letter where one applies. Hollywood, Davie and Pompano Beach require a recorded Notice of Commencement when the job is worth more than $5,000. In Fort Lauderdale and Davie an exact changeout qualifies for a walk-through permit.
2. The old heater comes out and the new one goes in, matched to the form: the wire and breaker the new label calls for, a pan with a drain line where a leak would reach living space, a relief valve discharge run to a safe point, and a thermal expansion tank on a closed water system.
3. The final plumbing inspection. The Pompano Beach checklist lists a single inspection for a water heater permit. The inspector passes the installation or writes down what to correct.
4. The permit closes and sits in the city's records, where a buyer's inspector, a title search or an insurance underwriter can find it. Keep your copy with the heater's warranty.

What does the inspector look at on a Broward water heater?

The finished installation, checked against the data form and the manufacturer's instructions. Broward homes put water heaters in two typical places, each with its own weak spot.

• Garage installs. Most single-family homes built from the 1980s through the 2000s in Cooper City, Pembroke Pines, Weston, Miramar and Coral Springs keep the tank in the garage. A leak there runs toward the door, so the attention goes to the wiring, the breaker and the relief valve discharge.
• Closet installs. Older homes in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale, and most condos, put the tank in an interior closet or laundry room. A leak there reaches drywall and flooring, so the pan under the tank and its drain line to the outside or an approved drain matter most.
• Electrical and gas. The kilowatts, wire size and breaker size on the form must match the label on the new tank. On gas, the pipe size, flue and BTU rating are on the form and the venting is checked.
• Relief valve and expansion tank. The temperature and pressure relief valve needs a discharge line to a safe location, never capped. A closed water system, which includes most homes with a backflow preventer or pressure-reducing valve at the meter, gets a thermal expansion tank on the cold side.

What if a water heater was replaced without a permit in Broward?

The work is unpermitted, and that can surface later. A buyer's home inspector can note a heater newer than any permit on file, and a title company or an insurer can ask about it. City portals such as LauderBuild in Fort Lauderdale and eTrakit in Coral Springs let anyone search a property's permit records. If you suspect your heater went in without a permit, ask the city's building department what it takes to bring it into compliance; the answer depends on the city and on what the installer did.

Does a tankless water heater need a different permit in Broward?

Usually it needs more than one. The City of Hollywood water heater checklist states that a tankless water heater also requires an electrical sub-permit application from an electrical contractor; an electric tankless unit draws far more current than a tank and typically needs new circuits. A gas tankless changes the gas pipe size and the venting, which go on the same data form. A tank-to-tankless switch is not an exact changeout, so it does not ride the walk-through lane. If you are weighing the two, our tankless water heater page and our post on the 2029 electric water heater rule cover the choice.

If your Broward water heater is due, call the South Florida line at 954-594-1666 or book a visit. We pull the permit, install to the form, meet the inspector, and hand you the closed permit with the warranty.