When installing a new water heater, every company must file a plumbing permit and chimney certification. This practice is mandated by the State of New Jersey and no one is exempt. The permit procedure protects the homeowners.
When a water heater is not installed properly, it can be deadly. The permit will require a plumbing inspector to come to your home and verify that the water heater was installed properly. If the installation should fail inspection, the company who installed the water heater will be notified and must return to your home to make the proper corrections.
Many homeowners have a friend or know a handyman that say they can install the water heater for them. In the State of New Jersey, this is not legal.
Too many times, I have worked in a home and saw a water heater that was installed improperly by a non-licensed plumber. It’s just a ticking time bomb. I will always bring this up to the home owner, most of the time they didn’t know they had to file a permit for water heaters. Every water heater requires a plumbing permit every time.
So next time your water heater needs to be retired, make sure you call a licensed plumber to properly install it and file the necessary permits.