Plumbers in Fort Lee, NJ
What to know before hiring a plumber in Fort Lee, and a free, no-obligation way to get quotes from licensed pros.
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Plumbers in Fort Lee: what to know
Who supplies your water
Fort Lee gets its water from Veolia, the company formerly known as SUEZ. A state water supply plan appendix lists Fort Lee among the towns Suez New Jersey serves. Veolia says it owns the service line from its main to your property line, and you own the rest.
New Jersey's lead service line law requires water systems to replace every lead line by July 2031, according to NJDEP. Galvanized service lines count as lead lines under that law. Veolia says it has begun replacing customer-owned lead lines at no cost to the homeowner.
Condo, co-op or house: who calls the plumber
Most Fort Lee homes are apartments. About 47% of housing units are in buildings with 50 or more units. Only about 14% are single-family detached homes (ACS B25024).
In a condominium, the association must maintain, repair and replace the common elements (N.J.S.A. 46:8B-14). Common elements include installations of central services and utilities, plus anything the master deed designates (N.J.S.A. 46:8B-3). Read your master deed to see where your unit's pipes end and the building's begin.
In a co-op, start with your managing agent. About 45% of occupied homes in Fort Lee are rented (ACS B25003). If you rent, report leaks to your landlord before hiring anyone.
Permits and licenses
State rules say plumbing work must be done by licensed people. The one exception is a single-family homeowner working on their own home (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.15). If you own a condo unit, plan on a licensed master plumber, whose seal goes on the plumbing application.
Replacing a water heater with one of like capacity is minor work. It still needs a permit, though work can start after the town is notified (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.17A).
The Fort Lee Building Department posts a plumbing subcode application and has its own plumbing subcode official. The borough's permit page warns that skipping a required permit can bring fines of up to $2,000 per violation.
Sewers south of Main Street
If you live south of Main Street, your sanitary and storm sewers are directly or indirectly combined, the borough's sewer overflow page says. Those flows go to the Bergen County Utilities Authority plant in Little Ferry. In heavy rain, the excess can overflow into the Hudson River.
Fort Lee permit office
Building, plumbing and electrical permits come from the Borough of Fort Lee construction office. Your contractor normally pulls the permit, but it's worth confirming.
- Office
- Fort Lee Building Department (Construction Code Agency)
- Phone
- 201-592-3500 x1503
- Address
- 1365 Inwood Terrace, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
- Website
- fortleenj.org
Plumbers in Fort Lee: common questions
Who pays to replace a lead service line in Fort Lee?
Veolia owns the line from its main to your property line, and you own the part from there into the building. Veolia says it has begun replacing customer-owned lead lines at no cost to the homeowner. For investor-owned systems like Veolia, NJDEP says replacement costs not covered by grants go into rates set by the Board of Public Utilities. Veolia's customer service line for lead questions is 1-800-422-5987.
My Fort Lee condo has a leak. Do I call a plumber or the association?
Start with the association or managing agent. State law makes the association responsible for repairing and replacing common elements (N.J.S.A. 46:8B-14). Those include central services and utilities, plus items your master deed designates (N.J.S.A. 46:8B-3). If the leak is inside your unit's own fixtures or pipes, your master deed may make it your job. The association may also have rules for outside contractors.
Can I replace the water heater in my Fort Lee condo myself?
Probably not. State rules let only a single-family homeowner do their own plumbing work; everyone else needs a licensed plumber (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.15). A like-capacity water heater swap is minor work, so a permit is still required, though work may begin after notice (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.17A). Applications go to the Fort Lee Building Department. Check your building's rules too.
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