Short answer
Yes. The City of Fort Worth says changing, installing, moving or repairing plumbing, including water heaters, requires a plumbing permit. The applicant must be a city-registered contractor, which for plumbing means a Texas Master Plumber license, or a homeowner who qualifies for a homestead permit on the primary residence they own and live in.
Key facts
- City of Fort Worth: "Changing, installing, moving or repairing plumbing, including water heaters and shower pans requires a plumbing permit."[1]
- Fort Worth permit applicants must be a registered contractor or qualify for a homestead permit: a building owned and occupied solely as the primary residence, shown by an appraisal district homestead exemption.[1]
- Fort Worth plumbing contractor registration requires a valid State of Texas Master Plumber License and costs $168.75 a year.[2]
- Fort Worth's 2025 Water Quality Report lists hardness of 108 to 150 ppm as calcium carbonate, or 6 to 9 grains per gallon.[5]
Does Fort Worth require a permit for a water heater?
Yes. Fort Worth's residential permit page says: "Changing, installing, moving or repairing plumbing, including water heaters and shower pans requires a plumbing permit"[1]. Permits are not required for plumbing fixture replacement or cosmetic remodels[1], but a water heater is named as permitted work.
All Fort Worth permits can be applied for online[1].
Who may pull the permit?
Fort Worth allows two kinds of applicants[1][2]:
| Applicant | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Registered plumbing contractor | Contractor Registration on file with Development Services; plumbing registration requires a valid State of Texas Master Plumber License; $168.75 a year[2] |
| Homeowner (homestead permit) | You own the building and occupy it solely as your primary residence, shown by a homestead exemption from the appraisal district[1] |
Single-family owners working on their own homestead are exempt from contractor registration[2]. If you rent the house out, or have not yet filed for the homestead exemption, the homestead path does not fit. A registered plumber pulls the permit.
How does this fit with Texas licensing?
Plumbing in Texas is licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE), a stand-alone state board. TSBPE runs a public license search[4].
Texas Occupations Code 1301.051 says a property owner does not need a plumbing license to do plumbing in their own homestead[3]. That is a licensing exemption. Fort Worth's homestead permit is the city's matching rule, and it still requires the permit[1].
For everyone else, state board rules say a company may not offer plumbing work to the public unless it has secured at least one Responsible Master Plumber with a current Master Plumber License[6]. Fort Worth's registration rule lines up with that: no Master Plumber license, no plumbing registration[2].
How hard is Fort Worth water?
Moderately hard. The City of Fort Worth's 2025 Water Quality Report lists hardness of 108 to 150 ppm as calcium carbonate, which the report gives as 6 to 9 grains per gallon[5]. The report lists hardness among secondary constituents[5].
| Unit | Fort Worth 2025 range[5] |
|---|---|
| ppm (mg/L) as calcium carbonate | 108 to 150 |
| Grains per gallon | 6 to 9 |
What it means for a water heater:
- Tank heaters collect mineral sediment at the bottom. Many plumbers recommend flushing a tank on a regular schedule in hard water areas.
- Tankless heaters build scale inside the heat exchanger. Many manufacturers call for periodic descaling, and some set hardness limits in their warranty terms. Read yours.
If your home is outside Fort Worth Water's service area, your own utility's annual report has your number. Our water hardness by city data compares other cities.
Are there rebates in Fort Worth?
Yes, for customers of the two utilities. Atmos Energy's Mid-Tex program pays $100 to $200 for efficient gas tank heaters and $200 to $300 for gas tankless units, with applications due within 12 months of purchase or installation[7]. Oncor's marketplace lists $500 off ENERGY STAR heat pump water heaters[8]. The Atmos rebate requires a code-compliant install[7], which in Fort Worth means the permit above.
Water Heater Facts is a referral and information service run by Strive LeadGen LLC. We connect homeowners with independent, licensed plumbing companies. Strive LeadGen does not perform plumbing work.
When to call a pro
- You smell gas near the water heater: leave the house, do not use switches or phones inside, and call Atmos Energy or 911 from outside.
- The house is a rental or not your homestead: a registered plumber with a Texas Master Plumber license has to pull the Fort Worth permit.
- Gas line, venting or relief valve work: a licensed plumber, even on a homestead.
- A tankless unit is losing flow or throwing scale codes: a plumber can descale it and check whether your water needs treatment.
More questions
Can I replace my own water heater in Fort Worth?
Possibly, if the house is your homestead. State law lets an owner do plumbing in their own homestead without a license [3], and Fort Worth offers a homestead permit to owners of a primary residence with an appraisal district homestead exemption [1]. You still need the permit and inspection. A rental does not qualify.
Does swapping a faucet need a permit too?
No. Fort Worth says permits are not required for plumbing fixture replacement or cosmetic remodels [1]. A water heater is not a fixture swap under that rule; the city names water heaters as permitted work [1].
Is Fort Worth water hard enough to matter for a tankless unit?
It is moderately hard: 6 to 9 grains per gallon in the 2025 report [5]. That is enough to build scale over time. Ask the installer about a descaling schedule and whether the manufacturer's warranty sets a hardness limit.
Sources
- Residential permit information, City of Fort Worth, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-14.
- Contractor registration, City of Fort Worth, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-14.
- Texas Occupations Code 1301.051, exemption for homestead plumbing, Texas Public Law (mirror of the Texas Occupations Code). Accessed 2026-10-06.
- Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, State of Texas, TSBPE. Accessed 2026-10-06.
- 2025 Water Quality Report (secondary constituents table), City of Fort Worth Water Department. Accessed 2026-10-06.
- 22 Texas Administrative Code 367.9, responsible master plumber requirement, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Accessed 2026-10-06.
- Mid-Tex appliance rebate program, Atmos Energy. Accessed 2026-10-14.
- Oncor Marketplace: water heating, Oncor Electric Delivery (program run by CLEAResult). Accessed 2026-10-14.
Water Heater Facts is an information and referral service run by Strive LeadGen LLC. We may be paid by contractors when we connect a homeowner with one; that never changes what we publish. Found an error? Tell us. We review safety and legal reports within 2 business days and all others within 7 days.