Do I Need a Licensed Plumber in Illinois for a Faucet or Toilet?

What the Illinois plumbing law covers

The Illinois Plumbing License Law says all plumbing must be done by a licensed plumber or by a licensed apprentice working under one. The law defines plumbing as the installation, repair, maintenance, alteration, or extension of a plumbing system. That system includes the water supply pipes, the drains, and the fixtures.

A fixture is anything in the house that is supplied with water or that drains it away. Faucets, sinks, toilets, tubs, showers, and disposals all count. So when you replace a faucet or a toilet, you are taking out one fixture and putting in another. Under the law, that is plumbing. It does not matter that the job is small or that the new part came in a box from the hardware store.

The small repairs the law leaves out

The law does carve out minor repairs. It says plumbing does not include minor repairs that do not change the piping to or from a fixture and do not involve removing, replacing, or installing any pipe or fixture.

In plain words, a fix that leaves every pipe and fixture in place may fall outside the law. Plunging a clogged toilet is one example. Swapping a worn flapper inside a toilet tank may be another. Replacing the toilet itself is not a minor repair. Neither is a new faucet, a new shutoff valve, or a new supply line.

This site still sends a licensed plumber for every plumbing request, including a running toilet. That way you never have to guess where the line falls.

The homeowner exception

Illinois lets the owner who lives in a single family home plan, install, change, or repair the plumbing in that home. A renter who lives in a single family home has the same right. The work still has to meet the Illinois State Plumbing Code, and the state or your village can inspect it.

This matters for anyone who has always done small fixes around the house. You still can, as long as you live there and do the work with your own hands. The limits are where people get tripped up.

• It covers your own hands only. The law says the owner or renter may not employ anyone other than a licensed plumber to help. A handyman, a neighbor you pay, or a friend who does plumbing on the side does not qualify.
• You must live there. The law counts you as an occupant only if the home is your real and only residence. A rental house you own does not fit.
• It names single family homes. If you live in a condo, a townhome, or a two flat, ask your village before you start.
• It belongs to the person who lives there. If you are helping a parent, the exception is written for your parent, not for you.

Common jobs and who can do them

Here is how common kitchen and bath jobs line up. The pattern is simple. If a job removes or installs a fixture, a pipe, or a valve, it is plumbing. If it only touches the tile, the glass, or the wall around a fixture, it is not.

How to check a plumber's license

The Illinois Department of Public Health runs the plumbing license program. Its plumbing page links to a free license search. Ask for the license number before the visit, then look it up.

• Ask for the state license number. IDPH says every ad for plumbing services must include a plumbing license number. An ad or truck with no number is a reason to ask questions.
• Ask if the business is registered. IDPH says every plumbing contractor must register with the state each year. A plumbing contractor is a licensed plumber who does work for another person.
• Ask for proof of insurance. IDPH requires registered plumbing contractors to carry liability, property damage, and workers compensation insurance.
• Ask about a permit. Your village decides whether a fixture swap needs one.

Every plumbing request on this site goes only to a pro whose state license and contractor registration we have checked. You can read how that works on our page about how we vet pros.

When a carpenter is the right call instead

Plenty of bathroom and kitchen work is not plumbing. Grab bars, a shower door, fresh grout, and floor tile do not touch the pipes, so no plumbing license is needed. Some jobs mix the two. A bathroom vanity is carpentry until the sink and faucet get hooked up, and that part needs a plumber.

Get the right pro for your job

Start with the job page that matches your work. Each one shows what the job involves, what to have ready, and the typical local price. The most common are replace a kitchen faucet, replace a toilet, and comfort height toilet. When you are ready, send a request. One licensed local plumber calls you back. You pay the plumber for the work, and you never pay this site.