Plumbing installation covers anything new that has to connect to your water, drain, vent or gas lines: a bathroom added in a basement, a kitchen remodel, a laundry move, a gas range line or a water treatment system. In Newark, DE, the work is done by a licensed plumber and, in most cases, inspected under a permit. A smoother job starts with knowing who issues the permit and which code edition applies.
Most of this is planned work, so scheduling is flexible, though a same-day visit may be possible when available. The one exception on this page is gas. If you smell gas, read the next section before anything else.
Gas smell or gas line work: safety comes first
Gas odor? Get everyone out of the building first. Leave switches and lights alone and keep your phone in your pocket until you are outside. Once clear of the building, call your gas utility's emergency number, or 911 if you cannot reach it, then a plumber.
Gas piping is not a do-it-yourself job in Delaware. The state homeowner exemption in 24 Del. C. 1807(c)(2) covers plumbing "other than gas piping," so even a homeowner working on their own house cannot run or alter gas pipe under it. Heating-related gas work can also require an HVACR license on top of a plumbing one, which you can check on the state license lookup.
A gas line inspection or install usually means a pressure test of the piping, checks at connections and appliances, and a permit. The City of Newark adopts the 2018 International Fuel Gas Code, and its permit form asks for fuel type and the BTU input of the equipment. New Castle County's guidelines for gas piping ask for drawings showing the BTU load of each appliance. Ask which rules apply to your parcel.
The state also says to exit and call from outside if you suspect a leak, and the appliance should stay off until the utility has made the line safe.
When to call a plumber right away
- You cut or drill into a wall and hit a pipe. Close the main, stop work and leave wiring alone while the wall is wet.
- Water seeps from a new connection after the first use, so shut the supply to that fixture until it is checked.
- You are about to dig for an outdoor line. Contact 811 first, because buried utilities can be struck without warning.
- A gas appliance or new gas connection smells off. Do not try to tighten it yourself.
New and remodel plumbing: what installation includes
Bathrooms and basement baths
New toilets, showers and sinks need supply, drain and vent. Basements add questions about drain depth and whether a pump is needed.
Kitchen and laundry changes
Moving a sink, adding a dishwasher or relocating a washer means new supply lines, a drain tie-in and sometimes new venting.
Fixture upgrades
Swapping a fixture for the same type is lighter work than relocating one. A different location means opening walls.
Water heater hookups
A replacement unit is covered under water heater installation, including the supply connections and relief piping.
Outdoor and utility lines
Hose bibs, a laundry sink or a new line to a garage all need to be planned for freeze protection and drainage.
Good planning saves walls. Before any drywall closes, the plumber needs to know the fixture list, the sizes of the units chosen and where the drains will fall. Fixtures bought before the plan is settled are the most common source of rework.
Delaware's amendment to the plumbing code asks for a labeled "future vent" in structures with basements, so ask whether your project needs one.
New construction plumbing
New builds follow a sequence. Underground work comes first, then rough-in piping inside the framed walls, then the final connections once the fixtures are set. The state's inspection sequence follows those stages, and covered work may have to be exposed again if it was closed before inspection.
The City of Newark's permit application includes fields for a plumbing plan and a riser diagram, so have those drawings ready. A plumber working with your builder can coordinate with the framing crew so pipes are placed before insulation and drywall. If you are planning to add on to an older house, repiping the existing supply at the same time sometimes avoids opening the same walls twice.
Planning plumbing installation?
Call to book a same-day appointment when one is available. You get a clear price before work starts.
Permits, inspections and which code applies
| Question | City of Newark | New Castle County |
|---|---|---|
| When it applies | Parcels with a County number beginning 18 | Every other parcel, including Glasgow and Bear |
| Who handles permits | Code Enforcement Division | Department of Land Use |
| Code edition | 2018 International Plumbing Code appears on its permits page | State regulation adopts the 2021 International Plumbing Code |
| Typical wait | The City notes one to two weeks to process | Ask the County office |
Two code editions appear in the paperwork. The City's building permits page names the 2018 International Plumbing Code. State regulation 16 DE Admin Code 4455 takes the 2021 edition and amends it. Which one governs your job is a question for the permit office, so ask before the plan is drawn.
The homeowner exemption has limits. State regulation confines it to a one-family house that the owner lives in, and the statute also bars work on a house that is for sale or partly rented. Gas piping is excluded, and a permit application must be filed first. For a project at a home in Glasgow or another town outside the City, the County process applies.
Water softener and filtration: planned installs
This is unhurried work, with no urgency. Water treatment equipment is chosen after you know what your water needs, so start with a test.
Hardness differs from address to address, so test your own tap rather than guess. The City posts an annual water quality report you can read for general information, though it cannot show what is in your own pipes. A softener only makes sense if testing shows hardness is the problem. A filter makes sense for taste, chlorine or sediment, and different filters address different things.
A softener needs a drain connection, a power outlet, space for a brine tank and a bypass valve. Whole-house filters need room to change cartridges. The plumber should explain where each piece goes, how it drains and what maintenance it needs.
Backflow protection
Backflow assemblies keep water from flowing backward into the supply. The state plumbing code requires owners of installed backflow assemblies to test them at least once a year. Newark's cross connection program expects lawn irrigation systems to be fitted with a reduced pressure assembly or a pressure vacuum breaker at the start of the system, so a new sprinkler install should include one.
What drives installation pricing
Coverage depends on your own policy, so ask your agent. Bring the plan to the call, and the figure quoted before work begins will follow from it.
Plumbing installation FAQ
24 Del. C. 1807(c)(2) carves out a narrow exemption for work on your own home. It must not be for sale or partly rented, it excludes gas piping, and a permit application comes first. State rules add occupancy limits.
In most cases, yes. A new fixture connected to the water supply needs a plumbing permit under the state regulation, and Newark requires separate plumbing permits. The permit office depends on your parcel number.
In Newark, the Code Enforcement Division's inspectors handle plans, permits and inspections. In unincorporated New Castle County, it is the Department of Land Use. Rough-in work is inspected before it is covered.
Walk out, and make the calls from the yard or street: your gas utility's emergency number, or 911 if you cannot reach it. Let them make the house safe. A plumber comes after that, to inspect and repair the piping.
Not automatically. Test your own tap and read the City's annual water quality report, since hardness differs by address. Install one only if testing shows it will help.
The City still lists the 2018 edition and the state has moved to 2021. The permit office can tell you which one governs your job.
Need a plumber instead of an answer?
Call (410) 378-7601