4-332-010 Purpose.
4-332-020 Definitions.
4-332-030 Licensing requirements.
4-332-040 Reserved.
4-332-050 Advertising.
4-332-060 Reserved.
4-332-070 Board of Plumbing Examiners.
4-332-080 Commissioner.
4-332-090 Examination – Frequency.
4-332-100 License – Application.
4-332-110 License – Issuance conditions.
4-332-120 Reserved.
4-332-130 Reexamination waiting period.
4-332-140 License renewal; continuing education.
4-332-150 Restoration after military service.
4-332-160 Illinois Department of Public Health.
4-332-170 Licensure by another jurisdiction.
4-332-200 License – Suspension or revocation – Hearing procedure.
4-332-210 License – Suspension or revocation.
4-332-220 Reinstatement procedure.
4-332-230 Building permit privileges – Suspension.
4-332-300 Fees.
4-332-310 Violation – Penalty.
4-332-320 Rules.
It has been established by scientific evidence that improper plumbing can result in the introduction of pathogenic organisms into the potable water supply, result in the escape of toxic gases into the environment, and result in potentially lethal disease and epidemic. It is further found that minimum numbers of plumbing facilities and fixtures are necessary for the comfort and convenience of workers and persons in public places.
Consistent with its duty to safeguard the health of the people of the City of Chicago, the City Council therefore declares that the regulation of plumbing and the plumbing trade is necessary for the protection of the public health, convenience, and welfare. The City Council therefore declares that individuals who plan, inspect, install, alter, extend, repair, and maintain plumbing systems shall be individuals of proven skill. Further, the City Council has enacted the Chicago Plumbing Code as essential for the protection of public health and convenience. In order to ensure plumbing skill and to authoritatively establish what shall be good plumbing practice, this Code provides for the licensing of plumbers, apprentice plumbers, and plumbing contractors. Chapters 4-332 and 4-336 are therefore declared to be essential to the public interest.
(Added Coun. J. 12-9-92, p. 25465; Amend Coun. J. 1-24-24, p. 8615, § 3)
As used in this chapter and in Chapter 4-336:
“Agent” means a person designated by a sponsor as responsible for supervision of an apprentice plumber and who is also a licensed plumber.
“Apprentice plumber” means any licensed person who is learning and performing plumbing under the supervision of a sponsor or sponsor’s agent in accordance with the provisions of this chapter or the Illinois Plumbing License Law.
“Approved apprenticeship program” means an apprenticeship program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training and the Department.
“Board” means the Board of Plumbing Examiners created by Article II of Chapter 2-116.
“Building drain” means that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system that receives the discharge from soil, waste, and other drainage pipes inside the walls of a building and conveys it to 5 feet beyond the foundation walls where it is connected to the building sewer.
“Building sewer” means that part of the horizontal piping of a drainage system that extends from the end of the building drain, receives the discharge of the building drain, and conveys it to a public sewer or private sewage disposal system.
“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Buildings or the Commissioner’s designee.
“Department” means the Department of Buildings.
“Licensed plumber” means any licensed individual authorized to perform plumbing as defined in this chapter, including individuals licensed under this chapter or the Illinois Plumbing License Law, but does not include retired plumbers as defined in this chapter or the Illinois Plumbing License Law.
“Plumbing” means the actual installation, repair, maintenance, alteration, or extension of a plumbing system by any person.
“Plumbing” includes all piping, fixtures, appurtenances, and appliances for a supply of water for all purposes, including without limitation lawn sprinkler systems and backflow prevention devices connected to lawn sprinkler systems, from the source of a private water supply on the premises or from the main in the street, alley, or at the curb to, within, and about any building or buildings where a person or persons live, work, or assemble.
“Plumbing” includes all piping, from discharge of pumping units to and including pressure tanks in water supply systems.
“Plumbing” includes all piping, fixtures, appurtenances, and appliances for a building drain and a sanitary drainage and related ventilation system of any building or buildings where a person or persons live, work, or assemble from the point of connection of such building drain to the building sewer or private sewage disposal system 5 feet beyond the foundation walls.
“Plumbing” includes any work on a subsoil drain pipe or sewer that involves iron pipe or iron fittings.
“Plumbing” does not mean or include the trade of drain-laying, the trade of drilling water wells which constitute the sources of private water supplies, and of making connections between such wells and pumping units in the water supply systems of buildings served by such private water supplies, or the business of installing water softening equipment and of maintaining and servicing the same, or the business of manufacturing or selling plumbing fixtures, appliances, equipment, or hardware, nor does it mean or include minor repairs which do not require changes in the piping to or from plumbing fixtures or involve the removal, replacement, installation, or re-installation of any pipe or plumbing fixtures. Plumbing does not include the installation, repair, maintenance, alteration, or extension of building sewers not involving iron pipe or iron fittings.
“Plumbing contractor” means any person who performs plumbing, as defined in this chapter, for another person. “Plumbing contractor” shall not include licensed plumbers and licensed apprentice plumbers who either are employed by persons engaged in the plumbing business or are employed by another person for the performance of plumbing solely for that other person, including, but not limited to, a hospital, university, or business maintenance staff.
“Plumbing fixtures” means installed receptacles, devices, or appliances that are supplied with water or that receive or discharge liquids or liquid borne wastes, with or without discharge into the drainage system with which they may be directly or indirectly connected.
“Plumbing system” means the water service, water supply, and distribution pipes; plumbing fixtures and traps; soil, waste, and vent pipes; building drains; including their respective connections, devices, and appurtenances.
“Plumbing system” does not include building sewers as defined in this chapter.
“Retired plumber” means any licensed plumber in good standing who voluntarily surrenders the plumber’s license to the entity which issued the license. Retired plumbers cannot perform plumbing as defined in this chapter, cannot sponsor or supervise apprentice plumbers, and cannot inspect plumbing under this Code. A retired plumber cannot fulfill the requirements of Section 4-332-020*.
* Editor’s note – As set forth in Coun. J. 1-24-24, p. 8615, § 3; the intended reference was likely § 4-332-030. Future legislation will correct if needed.
“Supervision” with respect to first and second year licensed apprentice plumbers means that such apprentices must perform all designing and planning of plumbing systems and all plumbing as defined in this chapter under the direct personal supervision of the sponsor or sponsor’s agent who must also be a licensed plumber, except for maintenance and repair work on existing plumbing systems done by second year apprentice plumbers; provided that before performing any maintenance and repair work without such supervision, such apprentice has received the minimum number of hours of annual classroom instruction recommended by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training for apprentice plumbers in a Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training approved plumber apprenticeship program or its equivalent. “Supervision” with respect to all other apprentice plumbers means that, except for maintenance and repair work on existing plumbing systems, any plumbing done by such apprentices must be inspected daily, after initial rough-in and after completion, by the sponsor or sponsor’s agent who is also a licensed plumber. In addition, all repair and maintenance work done by a licensed apprentice plumber on an existing plumbing system must be approved by the sponsor or sponsor’s agent who is also a licensed plumber.
“Sponsor” is a licensed plumber or an approved apprenticeship program that has accepted an individual as a licensed apprentice plumber for education and training in the field of plumbing and whose name and license number or apprenticeship program number shall appear on the individual’s application for an apprentice plumber’
“Sponsored” means that each licensed apprentice plumber has been accepted by a licensed plumber or an approved apprenticeship program for apprenticeship training.
(Added Coun. J. 12-9-92, p. 25465; Amend Coun. J. 1-24-24, p. 8615, § 3)
(1) All planning and designing of plumbing systems and all plumbing shall be performed only by individuals licensed or registered pursuant to the provisions of this chapter or the Illinois Plumbing License Law hereinafter called “licensed plumbers” and “licensed apprentice plumbers”. The inspection of plumbing and plumbing systems shall be done only by the sponsor or sponsor’s agent who shall be a licensed plumber. Nothing herein contained shall prohibit licensed plumbers or licensed apprentice plumbers under supervision from planning, designing, inspecting, installing, repairing, maintaining, altering, or extending building sewers in accordance with this chapter. No person who holds a license or certificate of registration under the Illinois Architecture Practice Act of 1989, or the Structural Engineering Practice Act of 1989, or the Professional Engineering Practice Act of 1989 shall be prevented from planning and designing plumbing systems. Each licensed plumber shall, as a condition of each annual license renewal, complete continuing education as provided in Section 4-332-140(c).
(2) Nothing herein contained shall prohibit the owner occupant or lessee occupant of a single-family residence, or the owner of a single-family residence under construction for that owner’s occupancy, from planning, installing, altering or repairing the plumbing system of such residence, provided, that (i) such plumbing shall comply with all plumbing laws, rules and regulations applicable thereto and shall be subject to such inspection as may therein be provided; and (ii) such owner, owner occupant, or lessee occupant shall not employ any person other than a licensed plumber to assist the owner or occupant in such work.
For purposes of this subsection, an individual shall be considered an “occupant” if and only if that individual has taken possession of and is living in the premises as that individual’s bona fide sole and exclusive residence, or, in the case of an owner of a single-family residence under construction for that owner’s occupancy, that owner expects to take possession of and live in the premises as that owner’s bona fide sole and exclusive residence, and that owner has a current intention to live in such premises as that owner’s bona fide sole and exclusive residence for a period of not less than 6 months after the completion of the plumbing work performed pursuant to the authorization of this subsection, or, in the case of an owner of a single-family residence under construction for that owner’s occupancy, for a period of not less than 6 months after the completion of construction of the residence. Failure to possess and live in the premises as a sole and exclusive residence for a period of 6 months or more shall create a rebuttable presumption of a lack of such intention.
(3) The employees of a firm, association, partnership, or corporation who engage in plumbing shall be licensed plumbers or licensed apprentice plumbers. At least one member of every firm, association, or partnership engaged in plumbing work, and at least one corporate officer of every corporation engaged in plumbing work, as the case may be, shall be a licensed plumber. A retired plumber cannot fulfill the requirements of this subsection (3). Plumbing contractors are also required to be licensed pursuant to Chapter 4-336.
(4) (a) A licensed apprentice plumber shall plan, design, and install plumbing only under the supervision of the sponsor or the sponsor’s agent who is also a licensed plumber.
(b) An applicant for licensing as an apprentice plumber shall be at least 16 years of age and apply on the application form provided by the Department. Such application shall verify that the applicant is sponsored by a licensed plumber or an approved apprenticeship program and shall contain the name and license number of the licensed plumber or program sponsor.
(c) No licensed plumber shall sponsor more than 2 licensed apprentice plumbers at the same time. If 2 licensed apprentice plumbers are sponsored by a plumber at the same time, one of the apprentices must have, at a minimum, 2 years’ experience as a licensed apprentice. No licensed plumber sponsor or sponsor’s agent may supervise 2 licensed apprentices with less than 2 years’ experience at the same time. The sponsor or agent shall supervise and be responsible for the plumbing performed by a licensed apprentice.
(d) No agent shall supervise more than 2 licensed apprentices at the same time.
(e) No licensed plumber may, in any capacity, supervise more than 2 licensed apprentice plumbers at the same time.
(f) No approved apprenticeship program may sponsor more licensed apprentices than 2 times the number of licensed plumbers available to supervise those licensed apprentices.
(g) No approved apprenticeship program may sponsor more licensed apprentices with less than 2 years’ experience than it has licensed plumbers available to supervise those licensed apprentices.
(h) No individual shall work as an apprentice plumber unless the individual is properly licensed under this chapter. The Department shall issue an apprentice plumber’s license to each approved applicant.
(i) No licensed apprentice plumber shall serve more than a 6-year licensed apprenticeship period. If, upon completion of a 6-year licensed apprenticeship period, such licensed apprentice plumber does not apply for the examination for a plumber’s license and successfully pass the examination for a plumber’s license, that individual’s apprentice plumber’s license shall not be renewed.
(Added Coun. J. 12-9-92, p. 25465; Amend Coun. J. 2-19-20, p. 14473, Art. VI, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 1-24-24, p. 8615, § 3)
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