Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - Am I allowed to replace my water heater myself?
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Old 04-23-2022, 11:18 AM
WelchNH WelchNH is offline
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Default Check Florida laws and Building Codes

Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredguy123 View Post
Yes. As a homeowner, you can replace almost anything in your house that you want. But, if it is a gas heater, you may want to check with the gas company. There are also some larger projects where you may need a county building permit. The problem can occur when you hire a contractor who is not licensed to do the project, like unlicensed plumbers and electricians. In that case, you may be held liable or uninsured if something goes wrong. However, as a homeowner, you don't need a license to do plumbing, electrical, and most other work.
In NH, where I'm from, a homeowner could perform certain building and repair tasks- I've added circuit breakers, replaced electric hot water heaters, etc. But I don't believe you are allowed to do that in Florida. A professional license (plumbing, electrical, gas ) is required. Check with your county's building codes dept.- they'll know. Of course, you can do anything without much fear of getting cited for a violation- but in the event of any malfunction requiring an insurance inspection- or selling your house subject to a "satisfactory" home inspection, you might run into problems. Low probability, but not zero.