# What to know before getting plumbing quotes in Broward County
Describe your plumbing job once with photos and a written scope to compare what each quote includes and confirm the permit requirements for your address.

## Key facts

- Coral Springs lists tub and shower-pan change-outs as work that always needs a permit. [Source](https://www.coralsprings.gov/Government/Departments/Building/Online-Permitting-eTrakit/FAQs)
- Margate lists replacement of sewer and water lines as work requiring a permit. [Source](https://www.margatefl.com/198/Permit-Requirements)
- Hollywood's small-project permit exemption excludes plumbing work. [Source](https://www.hollywoodfl.org/1793/Building-Permit-Exemption-House-Bill-803)
- Lighthouse Point lists water-line repair and replacement as work requiring a permit. [Source](https://lighthousepointfl.gov/160/Permits)

## Why get more than one plumbing quote?

Compare plumbing quotes because they can describe different work for the same home. A bidder may price a pipe repair while another prices a full repipe. Give each bidder the same written scope, then ask them to explain any proposed changes to it.

## How does bidding from photos and a scope card work? <!--method-->

Contractors who take part price your photos and written scope card, so nobody visits before you see any prices. Homeowners pay InstaBids nothing. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection. The contractor you pick may visit once before settling the final price against the percentage the bid stated.

## What photos should I take for a plumbing job?

Photograph each fixture you want replaced, the shutoff valve beneath it and any visible pipe. Add a wide view of the room, the main water shutoff and any stain, leak or rusty fitting. Describe what you want repaired or replaced.

## I have a burst pipe right now. Should I post a job?

No, for a burst pipe or an active leak, shut off the main water valve and call a plumber directly. A bid card suits planned work you can describe in a written scope, such as a repipe, new fixtures or a bathroom refit.

## Do repiping and fixture swaps need a permit in Broward County?

Usually yes. The local sources below list water-line replacement or fixture work as permit jobs, or publish broader plumbing requirements. Give your building office the exact scope before work starts; a repair and a replacement can have different rules.

Table: Broward plumbing permit sources

| Place | What the source says | Official source | Checked (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coconut Creek | The general permit rule includes plumbing alterations and replacements. | [Source](https://www.coconutcreek.gov/government/city-directory/resilient-design-and-development/building-department) | 13 October 2026 |
| Coral Springs | A tub or shower-pan change-out always needs a permit under the city's FAQ. | [Source](https://www.coralsprings.gov/Government/Departments/Building/Online-Permitting-eTrakit/FAQs) | 13 October 2026 |
| Davie | The general rule requires permits to alter or replace a plumbing system. | [Source](https://www.davie-fl.gov/m/faq?cat=43#question-250) | 13 October 2026 |
| Fort Lauderdale | The general rule requires permits to alter or replace a plumbing system. | [Source](https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Government/Departments/Development-Services/Permitting-Services) | 13 October 2026 |
| Hollywood | The city's small-project permit exemption excludes plumbing work. | [Source](https://www.hollywoodfl.org/1793/Building-Permit-Exemption-House-Bill-803) | 13 October 2026 |
| Lauderdale-By-The-Sea | The small-project permit exemption excludes plumbing work. | [Source](https://www.lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3301/Resolution-2026-25-Building-Permit-Fees) | 13 October 2026 |
| Lighthouse Point | Repairing or replacing water lines is on the city's permit-required list. | [Source](https://lighthousepointfl.gov/160/Permits) | 13 October 2026 |
| Margate | Replacing sewer or water lines and adding plumbing fixtures are on the permit-required list. | [Source](https://www.margatefl.com/198/Permit-Requirements) | 13 October 2026 |
| Oakland Park | A tub or shower-pan change-out always needs a permit under the city's FAQ. | [Source](https://www.oaklandparkfl.gov/584/Building-Permitting-FAQs) | 13 October 2026 |
| Parkland | The fixture-replacement checklist asks for plans showing fixture locations and the existing floor plan. | [Source](https://www.cityofparkland.org/DocumentCenter/View/14118) | 13 October 2026 |
| Pembroke Park | Its FY 2020–21 fee schedule lists plumbing fixture replacement as a stand-alone permit. | [FY 2020–21 schedule](https://www.tppfl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/164) | 13 October 2026 |
| Tamarac | The home-improvement FAQ names sinks and toilets among jobs needing a permit. | [Source](https://www.tamarac.gov/m/faq?cat=45#question-288) | 13 October 2026 |

These are the local sources confirmed for this guide, not a complete list of Broward towns. A missing town does not mean the work is exempt.

## When should I ask the building office about a pipe repair?

Ask before work starts, especially if the plumber proposes replacing pipe instead of repairing a leak in place. Lighthouse Point lists water-line repair and replacement as permit work. Describe what will be removed, replaced or moved when you contact your own building office.

[Lighthouse Point permit list](https://lighthousepointfl.gov/160/Permits).

## Does the new small-job permit exemption cover plumbing?

No, in Hollywood and Lauderdale-By-The-Sea the small-project permit exemptions expressly exclude plumbing work. Ask the building office for your address about your scope before treating a small job as work that needs no permit.

[Hollywood exemption guidance](https://www.hollywoodfl.org/1793/Building-Permit-Exemption-House-Bill-803) and [Lauderdale-By-The-Sea exemption rules](https://www.lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3301/Resolution-2026-25-Building-Permit-Fees).

## How do I find a plumbing contractor's state or county record?

Use Florida DBPR to look up the contractor's state record or Broward County's contractor search for their county record. Ask which record covers your plumbing work, then search by the contractor's name or the record number they provide.

[Florida DBPR search](https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp?SID=&mode=0).

[Broward County contractor search](https://dpepp.broward.org/BCS/Default.aspx?PossePresentation=SearchForContractorLicense).

## Is Broward County in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone?

Yes, the Florida building-code definition names Broward and Miami-Dade as the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. For your plumbing quote, ask each bidder which requirements apply to the actual work and what the permit portion of the quote includes.

[Florida Building Code, eighth edition (2023), definitions](https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/FLBC2023P1/chapter-2-definitions).

## What makes one plumbing quote higher than another?

Compare the work first: patching or repiping, PEX or copper, fixture supply, wall and ceiling repairs, new shutoff valves and permits. Ask each bidder which items their quote includes, so you can see whether a lower total covers less work.

## Who sees my details?

Contractors who bid see your scope card, your photos and your ZIP code. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection. After that, you can talk directly. The contact-detail filter can miss disguised contact details.

## Sources for the facts on this page

The linked official source text was reviewed on 13 October 2026. Document years are shown where an older form or schedule is used; the review date does not make an older document a new rule. Ask your building office how the source applies to your address and scope.

InstaBids' existing explanation of photo bids and contact sharing: [How InstaBids works](/how-it-works).

## How can I request plumbing quotes in Broward County?

Describe the job once, add photos, and every contractor who bids prices the same written scope. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

InstaBids is in an early pilot in Broward and Palm Beach counties. We are still building our contractor network, so a job may not get bids yet. Your request page shows whether any bids have come in.

[Start a bid card](/intake?from=county-broward-plumbing)

Last checked: 13 October 2026