Talk with the plumbing desk about your Maple Heights building. Request a plumbing project review or call (216) 480-8899.

Who Pulls the Permit in Maple Heights

The short answer: the registered plumbing contractor, not the building owner. The Maple Heights Building Department's registration packet lists these guidelines for registered contractors:

• Permit before work. Permits must be obtained before proceeding with any work, and a permit will be issued to registered contractors only.
• No owner pulls for a contractor. "Property owners shall not obtain any permit for a contractor or subcontractor."
• Licensed personnel answer for the work. Licensed personnel are fully responsible for the work they supervise and for following the codes and the drawings approved by the Building Official.
• Stop-work risk. Work performed before a permit is obtained results in a stop work order plus additional fees, and a contractor working before it is registered incurs an additional fee.

The homeowner route does not help a commercial owner. The city's plan-examination form limits the homeowner exemption to a person who owns or leases the parcel where he or she lives (or intends to live), with a dwelling of three or fewer units. A storefront, office or larger apartment building needs a registered contractor on the permit.

The Contractor Registration Packet: $100 per Trade, $25,000 Bond

Chapter 1444 of the Maple Heights Codified Ordinances requires contractors and subcontractors to hold a Certificate of Registration before doing construction work in the city. The Building Department's packet asks for:

• A Contractor Registration Application with a copy of a driver's license or state ID, plus the names and ID copies of any other employees allowed to pull permits.
• A City Income Tax registration form; a general contractor must also list its subcontractors.
• $100 per license classification (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, general, fire alarm and so on), valid for the calendar year and expiring December 31.
• A $25,000 contractor bond dated within the year and expiring December 31. A contractor registering in more than one classification needs a bond that states each one. Companies registering in December may date the bond through December 31 of the following year at no extra registration charge.
• A certificate of insurance naming the City of Maple Heights as additionally insured: public liability $100,000/$300,000 and property damage $100,000/$300,000.
• A copy of the workers' compensation certificate.
• A state contractor license from the Ohio Construction Industry Examining Board (OCIEB) for plumbing, electrical, HVAC, hydronics and sprinkler contractors. The packet says the application will not be processed, and no permits will be issued, without it.

The Building Department says it can provide a list of registered contractors; call (216) 663-4094. Asking for that confirmation before a start date is cheaper than a stop-work order.

What a Commercial Plumbing Permit Costs on the City Fee Schedule

Section 1442.04 of the Maple Heights Codified Ordinances covers commercial buildings (everything except one-, two- and three-family dwellings). For plumbing it lists:

• Plumbing permit: minimum fee of $150 or 1% of construction costs.
• Interior sewer line installation or repair: $100.
• Grease or oil interceptor: $100 each.
• Floor drain: $30 each.
• Gas or electric water heater replacement (plumbing/combination permit): $100.
• City plan review: a $250 nonrefundable fee, with additional charges at cost when a state-certified plan examiner reviews the plans.
• Re-inspections: $50 for the first and $60 for each one after that.
• Work started before the permit: double fee for a first offense and $500 for each offense after that.

Each permit also carries a $10 administrative charge. These are city permit fees, not ACC pricing; confirm the current amounts with the Building Department before you budget. ACC quotes the plumbing work itself after a walkthrough.

Opening or Moving a Business: Zoning, Pre-Submission Review and Occupancy

A tenant fit-out often decides how much plumbing a space needs. The city's Opening a Business guide lays out the order:

1. Zoning clearance. Planning and Development confirms the use is allowed in that zoning district; some uses need a Conditional Use Permit or Variance and an appearance before the Planning and Zoning Commission. The city's Building Permit page recommends talking to city staff about zoning before you buy, lease or commit to a commercial project.
2. Pre-Submission Review. A courtesy review that gives early feedback and a rough outline of the reviews and approvals the project will need. The city notes you will likely need an architect or engineer to draw plans for renovations or to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy.
3. Permits for renovations. Contact the Building Department before demolition, construction or system upgrades so plans are reviewed and permits issued.
4. Occupancy Permit. Every business needs a valid Occupancy Permit (Certificate of Occupancy) before it starts operating in a commercial space.

Food businesses add one more call: the city points them to the Cuyahoga County Department of Health, (216) 201-2000, about food permits and inspections. Our restaurant and commercial kitchen plumbing page covers the fixture and grease side of those build-outs, and our rough-in and build-out plumbing page covers new supply and drain runs in a vacant shell.

Inspections Run Through SAFEbuilt

Maple Heights contracts with SAFEbuilt for plan review, permitting and inspections. To schedule a permit inspection or re-inspection, call or text (440) 399-0850 or email NEOhioinspections@safebuilt.com, Monday to Friday, 7:45 a.m. to noon or 1:00 to 3:45 p.m. The office closes for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m.

Have the permit number, contractor, contractor contact name, phone number and type of inspection ready. The Building Department page asks for 24 hours' notice, while the contractor registration guidelines say to schedule at least 48 hours ahead. We plan around the longer number so a rough-in inspection doesn't hold drywall for an extra day.

Selling, Buying or Leasing a Commercial Building

Maple Heights requires a point of sale inspection before an owner sells, transfers or agrees to sell improved property used for dwellings or commercial uses. The city's Point of Sale page lists commercial non-residential and apartments with more than three units at $310 for public space plus $100 for each additional unit, plus a $10 administrative fee.

Plumbing items on that report matter to both sides. The city's point of sale application says the owner has six months from the initial inspection to transfer; if the property transfers without correcting all violations, the buyer or seller needs a written estimate from a contractor registered with the city, approved by the Building Official, and proof of escrow for 100% of that estimate before transfer. A buyer who assumes violations has six months after transfer to correct them and get a re-inspection.

Leasing has its own track. Maple Heights rental registration covers commercial rental property too, and the city's commonly used fees sheet lists a $150 commercial building inspection that covers interior, exterior and fire for businesses. If a vacancy inspection flags plumbing, our guide to a failed commercial plumbing inspection shows how to organize corrections before the re-inspection.

What Stalls a Maple Heights Plumbing Job

• The owner tries to pull the permit. The guidelines bar owners from pulling permits for a contractor. Hire the registered contractor first.
• Bond doesn't list every trade. A plumbing-and-HVAC outfit needs each classification stated on the $25,000 bond.
• Insurance certificate missing the city. The certificate has to list the City of Maple Heights as additionally insured.
• Inspection requested too late. Ask 48 hours ahead and avoid the noon-to-1 p.m. SAFEbuilt lunch window.
• Starting before the permit. A stop-work order plus a double fee costs more than the wait.
• Counting on the backwater valve program. The city's Backwater Valve Program reimburses part of a backwater valve on single- and two-family homes only. A commercial sewer backup is a separate, permitted scope.
• Escrow estimate from an unregistered company. At point of sale, the estimate has to come from a contractor registered with the city.

How ACC Runs a Maple Heights Plumbing Job

1. Tell us about the project. Call (216) 480-8899 or use the plumbing project review form. Include the Maple Heights address, the current use, any planned change of use and any point of sale or inspection report.
2. Walkthrough. We look at the existing fixtures, water service, drains and any city paperwork.
3. Quote. You get a quote for the plumbing scope after the walkthrough, with the registration, plan-review, permit and SAFEbuilt inspection steps Maple Heights lists for that kind of work.
4. Coordinated work. ACC partners with several plumbing companies and coordinates the work, so you have one point of contact through permits, inspections and close-out.

Before the walkthrough, read how to prepare for a commercial plumbing walkthrough. If a buyer's inspector flagged old supply or drain lines, our repipe-or-repair guide helps frame the decision.

Maple Heights publishes its rules on the Building Department page, the Contractor Registration page and the Point of Sale Inspection page. City Hall is at 5353 Lee Road, Maple Heights, OH 44137.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start With a Walkthrough of Your Maple Heights Building

Planning a fit-out, clearing point of sale violations, or fixing a failed inspection in Maple Heights? Start with a walkthrough. Call the plumbing desk at (216) 480-8899, request a plumbing project review, or use our contact form.