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Find Your Water Shut-Off & Check for Leaks (Orlando, FL)

Updated 2026-10-20 · Sources verified 2026-07-20

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Short answer: no permit needed. FBC 105.2 exempts stopping leaks and clearing stoppages provided no valves, pipes, or fixtures are replaced or rearranged; concealed pipe REPLACEMENT is new work requiring a permit. The full rule and its official source are below, with the code requirements and mistakes that trip up Orlando homeowners.

The permit answer

No permit needed. FBC 105.2 exempts stopping leaks and clearing stoppages provided no valves, pipes, or fixtures are replaced or rearranged; concealed pipe REPLACEMENT is new work requiring a permit.
Source: https://up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-building-code-2023/chapter/1/scope-and-administration

Orange County and the City of Orlando run separate permit offices with separate portals — and your mailing address alone doesn't tell you which one covers your home. Check which permit office covers your address →

Key facts before you start

Know your two shut-offs before you need them. OUC says 'a valve at the meter may need to be closed to make repairs on a suspected leak', and that low pressure or no water is checked by confirming 'the house valve is fully open and the shut-off valve at the meter is open'. Find the house valve now (where the main enters the house, often by the water heater or an outside wall) and close and open it once so it isn't seized the night a pipe lets go.
Past the meter it's yours: Orange County Utilities — 'All pipe maintenance after the water meter is the sole responsibility of the property owner'. OUC is responsible 'up to and including the water meter'; leaks 'from the meter to the building, including irrigation, backflow devices, and internal plumbing' fall to the owner.
The 10-minute leak test (EPA WaterSense): read the water meter, 'avoid all water use for two hours, then read it again. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak.' Bill check: 'for a family of four, winter use of more than 12,000 gallons per month could be an indication of a leak.'
Toilets are the usual culprit. Drop a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait 10 minutes without flushing; color in the bowl means a leak, usually 'a worn flapper' (replace the whole rubber flapper, then flush so the dye doesn't stain). EPA: a leaking toilet 'could be wasting about 200 gallons of water every day'; a showerhead dripping 10 drips a minute wastes 'more than 500 gallons per year'.
Meter moving with every fixture off and no toilet dye? The leak is between the meter and the house or in a branch that runs outside: OUC's list names irrigation and backflow devices first. Shut the irrigation valve and read the meter again (see the irrigation guide).
High bill from a leak? Orange County Utilities may adjust it: request within 60 days with the repair invoice, and 'adjustments are available no more than once annually'. Fix first, keep the receipt, then file.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for a main water shut-off & leak check repair in Orange County, FL?

No permit needed. FBC 105.2 exempts stopping leaks and clearing stoppages provided no valves, pipes, or fixtures are replaced or rearranged; concealed pipe REPLACEMENT is new work requiring a permit.

When should I call a licensed professional instead of DIYing a main water shut-off & leak check repair?

The 10-minute leak test (EPA WaterSense): read the water meter, 'avoid all water use for two hours, then read it again.

Are there specific building-code requirements for a main water shut-off & leak check repair?

Past the meter it's yours: Orange County Utilities — 'All pipe maintenance after the water meter is the sole responsibility of the property owner'.

Related repairs

Sources

https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/watersense-challenges-homeowners-take-10-minutes-find-and-fix-leak-week
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-02/documents/ws-ourwater-detect-and-chase-down-leaks-checklist.pdf
https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/www3/watersense/docs/fix-a-leak-week-fact-sheet_revised_508.pdf
https://epa.gov/WaterSense/test_your_watersense.html
https://www.ouc.com/about/water-services/
https://www.orangecountyfl.net/watergarbagerecycling/waterservice.aspx
https://www.orangecountyfl.net/Portals/0/Library/Water-Garbage-Recycle/docs/Leak%20Adjustment%20Request%20Form%20-%20July%202012-CERT.pdf

This guide is general informational content, not professional or legal advice. Codes and county rules change — confirm permit requirements with your local building department, and use a licensed professional for electrical, gas, structural, or main-line plumbing work.

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