Plumber in Katy, TX: city permits, MUDs and how to hire

Start here, because the answer decides who supplies your water and who issues permits. The City of Katy warns on its Find My M.U.D. District page that a Katy mailing address does not mean you are inside city limits, and points residents to its "Am I a Resident?" map. If you are outside the city, a municipal utility district (MUD) provides your water. The city suggests asking your HOA or using the TCEQ Water Districts Map Viewer: enter your address, select the grey icon, then click the word "MUD" on the map to open the district record.

In west Harris County, many of those districts buy surface water from the West Harris County Regional Water Authority, which says its boundaries include portions of the City of Katy and more than 150 MUDs across about 232 square miles. The authority sells water wholesale; your bill comes from your city or district.

Inside city limits, the Permits and Building department says permits are required for electrical and plumbing work, swimming pools and hot tubs, water heaters, and adding or removing walls. Key details from that page:

• Codes: the city has adopted the 2021 International Building Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code.
• Portal: permits, plan submittals, invoices and inspection results run through the Citizen Access Portal. Contractors register once per company; homeowners can register with the email address on file to see their permits and pay fees.
• Inspections: scheduled by email to katypermits@cityofkaty.com during business hours.
• Card fees: credit card payments carry a service fee of 3.95% or $3.00, whichever is greater.

This matches state law. Texas Occupations Code 1301.551 requires cities with more than 5,000 people to regulate plumbing and require permits for most work, other than repairing leaks or replacing faucets, ballcocks, garbage disposals or toilets.

Outside the city there is no city plumbing permit, but hired plumbing must still be done or supervised by a TSBPE license holder. Water districts rely on the TCEQ customer service inspection (Form 20699) for new construction, for material improvements to private plumbing and where hazards are suspected. It checks cross-connections, backflow protection and lead limits, and may be signed only by a TCEQ licensed customer service inspector, a licensed plumbing inspector or a licensed plumber with a Water Supply Protection Specialist endorsement. Ask your district operator before a repipe, irrigation install or pool connection.

Census Bureau survey data for 2020 to 2024 count about 8,500 housing units inside the City of Katy, with a median year built of 2003. About 54 percent were built in 2000 or later and about 20 percent before 1980 (ACS tables B25034 and B25035). The surrounding MUD communities are not in that count. In newer slab homes, the common calls are water heater replacements, slab leaks and sewer stoppages rather than old pipe. Our water heater guide and slab leak guide cover both.

Texas licenses plumbers at the state level, through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE). Under Texas Occupations Code 1301.351, a person other than a responsible master plumber may not do plumbing unless they hold the proper license, registration or endorsement and their work is supervised by a license holder. Anyone who advertises plumbing must secure a responsible master plumber, and license holders must carry the license on them while working. That rule applies the same way inside Katy city limits and in the surrounding MUDs.

1. Ask for the name and license number of the person doing or supervising the work, not just the company name.
2. Search it in the Texas plumbing license search, by name or license number.
3. Confirm the status is active and the license type fits the job.
4. Get a written estimate that lists the scope, materials and price before work starts.

Homeowners have one exemption: Section 1301.051 says a property owner does not need a plumbing license to do plumbing in their own homestead. Someone you hire, including a handyman, is not covered by it. Our guide to choosing a plumber covers estimates, payment and warning signs in more detail.

This site is an independent homeowner guide. We are not a contractor, we do not perform plumbing work and we do not answer phones. To reach a plumber, call one of the licensed contractors listed on this page or see all listed contractors. Questions about this guide: email us. We do not take service requests. Run the license checks above on anyone you hire, including the contractors listed on this page. If water is actively spreading, start with our emergency steps first.