The county's rule, quoted
Manatee County's Building Division publishes a document titled *What Does and Doesn't Require a Permit*, updated 16 June 2026. Under work that requires a licensed contractor and a building permit it lists, for plumbing: "Tankless water heater replacement/new install", "Water heater replacement/new install *see activities that do not require a permit #2 below", and under gas: "Natural Gas/Propane Gas Water Heater Install". Under work that does not require a permit, plumbing item 2 reads: "Water heaters change out — electric to electric ONLY, same size, same location (commercial and residential)."
So: same fuel, same size, same spot, electric — no permit. Anything else — gas, tankless, a bigger tank, a new location, or electric replacing gas — is permitted and inspected. The document adds that under Florida HB 803 the new under-$7,500 exemption for non-structural residential work "does not apply to plumbing work", and that work done under an exemption is not inspected by the county, so the owner and contractor carry the responsibility.
What the permit is for, and what it costs you
An inspector checks the things that cause a heater to hurt someone: the temperature-and-pressure relief valve and its discharge line, the seismic strapping where required, the venting and combustion air on a gas unit, the expansion tank where the home has a backflow preventer or a pressure regulator, and the electrical or gas connection. The county's permit fee is a small part of the job and is itemised on the quote; the inspection visit is scheduled by the contractor.
Rosco Plumbing includes the permit in its $900–$1,500 and $1,800–$3,500 ranges where the job requires one, and states on the quote whether the change-out is exempt. A quote for a gas or tankless heater with no permit line is the thing to ask about — the quote-reading guide covers the rest.
The other plumbing jobs on the county's list
The same document settles the common questions. Permit required: "Backflow replacement/new install", "Re-pipe", "New water service", "New sewer/replacement". No permit required: replacing fixtures such as toilets and faucets "providing no rough plumbing has been changed"; stopping leaks and clearing stoppages; "Repair to building sewer line"; and "Repair of residential shut-off valve on a domestic water line". Repair is exempt; replacement of a line is not.
When to stop and call a licensed plumber
- You are replacing a gas or tankless heater, moving the heater, or changing its size — the job is permitted, and the contractor pulls it.
- A quote for a permitted job has no permit line.
- The heater is in a condo or villa: the association may also require the contractor and permit on file.
- You want an electric-to-electric change-out done correctly even though it is exempt — the relief valve, strapping and expansion tank are still worth getting right.
Rosco Plumbing's 2026 planning range for a tank water heater replacement in Bradenton is $900–$1,500, including the permit where Manatee County requires one.
Call (941) 345-2464 or request a free estimate. Residential service in Manatee County; ranges are planning figures, not quotes.
Have Rosco Plumbing contact you about this
Describe what you are seeing and Ross will call or text back with what it sounds like and what the visit costs — no obligation.
What changes in Manatee County
The exemption covers most of Manatee County: the all-electric 2000s-and-newer subdivisions of Lakewood Ranch, Parrish and the 55+ communities are usually a same-size, same-spot electric swap. The permitted jobs cluster in the gas-served older neighbourhoods of Bradenton, Palmetto and Ellenton, and wherever a homeowner is switching to tankless. Cities inside the county — Bradenton, Palmetto, Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach, Longboat Key — have their own building departments, and the city's rule applies inside city limits; the county document governs unincorporated Manatee County.