Do I need a permit to replace a faucet in Maryland?

No permit for a like for like faucet swap in the counties we work. The plumber still has to be licensed to do it for pay.

Can a handyman fix a dripping faucet?

Repairing the fixture is still plumbing under section 12-101(n). Our plumber handles the cartridge or the full swap, whichever is cheaper over the life of the faucet.

Should I buy the faucet or should you?

Either. If you buy it, keep the box and the receipt until it is installed and tested. If we buy it, the receipt is attached to the invoice at cost.

Can a handyman replace a faucet in Maryland?

A faucet is a plumbing fixture, so swapping it is plumbing work under Maryland law and goes to a licensed plumber or someone working under one. A handyman can replace the cabinet floor under a leak, recaulk the sink and swap the drain stopper, and our plumber and handyman share a lot of these visits.

What Maryland law says

Maryland requires a Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) contractor license for anyone who performs, or offers to perform, home improvement work for a homeowner (Business Regulation Article, section 8-301(a)). Repair and replacement of part of a house counts as home improvement under section 8-101(g), and the statute sets no dollar minimum. A handyman who charges for the work needs the license.

Water lines and fixtures are a separate trade. Under the Business Occupations and Professions Article, section 12-101(n), plumbing services means to install, maintain, extend, alter or remove piping, a plumbing fixture or a plumbing appliance. That work belongs to a licensed master plumber or someone working under one. Baltimore County and the WSSC parts of Montgomery and Prince George’s run their own plumbing boards under section 12-103.

How we handle it

Kitchen faucets with a pull down sprayer are the common one, then a bath faucet with a drip that will not quit. The plumber replaces the supply lines while the faucet is out, because the old braided lines are usually as tired as the faucet, and tests the shutoffs. A shutoff that will not close gets replaced on the same visit.

Text a photo of the faucet from above and one of the lines under the sink. If the countertop hole count does not match the new faucet, say so, and we bring the deck plate.

On our side this falls under fixture and appliance installs, and the price range is on the kitchen faucet replacement cost in maryland page.

Questions we get about this job

Do I need a permit to replace a faucet in Maryland?: No permit for a like for like faucet swap in the counties we work. The plumber still has to be licensed to do it for pay.
Can a handyman fix a dripping faucet?: Repairing the fixture is still plumbing under section 12-101(n). Our plumber handles the cartridge or the full swap, whichever is cheaper over the life of the faucet.
Should I buy the faucet or should you?: Either. If you buy it, keep the box and the receipt until it is installed and tested. If we buy it, the receipt is attached to the invoice at cost.

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