City of El Paso Responds to Plumbing Repair Fees

If City of El Paso employees get their way, El Pasoans will still need permits for their emergency plumbing work – they just won’t have to pay a $72 permit fee.

City of El Paso staff told ABC-7 on Wednesday that they will ask City Council on Tuesday to set the plumbing permit fee at zero for the next 90 days for any residential work being done.

The Building Permits and Inspections division of the Engineering and Construction Management Department with the City of El Paso are responding to recommendations on expediting permits and inspections on repairs required from the freeze of last week.

Residential:

Permits must be obtained and inspections must be performed and recorded for the following major plumbing repair work:

– Backflow preventers of any type, including residential irrigation. – All water heater replacement. – Any repairs to the main supply line for the residence from the meter to the point the line enters the house. – Repair and replacement to water heaters

Permits can be obtained by any plumber with a Texas State Plumbers License and who is bonded and insured with the City of El Paso, or any homeowner performing repair work on their homestead.

Repairs can be done without permits for “Minor Repairs” are as follows:

– Indoor Water Lines – Indoor Sewer Lines – Replacement and repair of Indoor Plumbing Fixtures

City Engineer Alan Shubert said that the big concern is with the backflow preventers, which keep contaminants from flowing into the water supply.