§ 103.0. Permits
103.1 Permits Required
A person, whether acting as principal, servant, agent or employee, shall not do or cause or permit to be done any gas piping, plumbing, drainage, house sewer or private sewage disposal work regulated by this Code without first securing a permit from the Chief Plumbing Inspector authorizing him so to do.
(Ord. 2002-0078 § 10, 2002: Ord. 99-0042 § 5, 1999: Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.1.1
It shall be unlawful for any person to install, alter or repair or cause to be installed, altered or repaired any gas piping, without first obtaining a permit from the Authority Having Jurisdiction to do so, provided however, no permit shall be required from a serving gas supplier to disconnect defective gas piping or equipment, when authorized by Section 1207.0.
(Ord. 2007-0110 § 2 (part), 2007: Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.1.2
Permits for gas piping shall show the total number of gas outlets to be provided for on each system, and such other information as may be required by the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
(Ord. 2007-0110 § 2 (part), 2007: Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.2 Time Limit
Every permit issued by the Building Official under the provisions of this Code shall expire by limitation and become null and void if the work authorized by such permit is not commenced within 180 days from the date of such permit, or the work authorized by such permit is suspended or abandoned for a period of 180 days, or the permittee fails to obtain inspection as required by the provisions of Section 104 of this Code for a period of 180 days.
EXCEPTION: Permits issued to abate violation(s) in conjunction with a code enforcement action shall expire and become null and void at a date determined by the Building Official.
The Building Official may extend the time for action by the permittee for a period not exceeding 180 days from the date of expiration upon written request by the permittee and payment of a fee in an amount determined by the Building Official, not to exceed 25 percent of the permit fee. No permit shall be extended more than twice. Once a permit, including any extension(s) thereof, has expired, the permittee shall file a new application as specified in Section 103.9.
(Ord. 2013-0050 § 2, 2013; Ord. 2002-0078 § 11, 2002: Ord. 99-042 § 6, 1999; Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.3 House Sewers in New Developments
When a written agreement covering partial inspection and inspection fees has first been made between the Department of Public Works and the principals involved, house sewers constructed in new developments may be extended from the main line sewer to the approximate point on the lot of their future connection with the house drain or drains. Each such house sewer shall conform to the requirements of this Code and shall terminate at a proper depth and location for future connection to the building drain or drains. No connection shall be made between such house sewer and any building drain until a house sewer permit as required by this Code has first been obtained.
(Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.4 Other Permits
In addition to the permits required by Section 103.1, and as a prerequisite to the obtaining them, any person desiring to connect to a trunk sewer, to construct a public sewer, to connect to the public sewer at a point where no branch fitting has been provided in such sewer, or to discharge industrial liquid waste shall obtain permits from the Department of Public Works so to do. No permit shall be issued to connect to a public sewer not under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works until the applicant for such connection has first obtained written permission from the authority controlling such sewer and has filed a copy of such permission with the Chief Plumbing Inspector.
(Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.5 Work in Public Highways
No person shall install, remove, alter or repair any house sewer or part thereof which is located in any public way in the County of Los Angeles without having first obtained a permit from the Department of Public Works or the State Department of Public Works (Division of Highways), whichever agency may have jurisdiction over the particular thoroughfare affected.
(Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.7 Work Not Requiring Permit
No permit shall be required in the case of any repair work as follows: The stopping of leaks in drains, soil, waste or vent pipe; provided, however, that should any trap, drainpipe, soil, waste or vent pipe be or become defective and it becomes necessary to remove and replace the same with new material in any part or parts, the same shall be considered as new work and a permit shall be procured and inspection made as hereinbefore provided. No permit shall be required for the clearing of stoppages or the repairing of leaks in pipes, valves, or fixtures when such repairs do not involve or require the replacement or rearrangement of valves, pipes or fixtures.
No permit, test or inspection shall be required where a plumbing system or part thereof is set up for exhibition purposes and has no connection with a water or drainage system.
(Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.8 Issuance of Permits
103.8.1
Except as otherwise provided herein, only duly registered or licensed contractors may apply for the permit(s) required by this Code, and the Chief Plumbing Inspector shall not be required to issue any permit to any person other than a duly registered or licensed contractor unless otherwise provided herein.
(Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.8.2
A permit may be issued to the bona fide owner of any single-family dwelling, including common accessory and minor poultry or agricultural buildings, occupied and used exclusively by or designed to be occupied and used exclusively by, said owner, to do any plumbing or drainage work regulated by this Code in said dwelling or accessory buildings.
(Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.8.3
A permit may be issued to or work may be performed by any responsible person not acting in violation of Chapter 9, Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code of the State of California for the installation, alteration or repair of water piping, water treatment equipment, and for private sewage disposal systems and building sewers.
(Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.9 Application for Permit
Any person legally entitled to apply for and receive a permit shall make such application on forms provided for that purpose. He shall give a description of the character of the work proposed to be done and the location, ownership occupancy and use of the premises in connection therewith. The Plumbing Inspector may require plans, specifications, or drawings and such other information as he may deem necessary and pertinent prior to the granting of a permit.
If the Plumbing Inspector determines that the plans, specifications, drawings, descriptions or information furnished by the applicant are in compliance with this ordinance and all other laws and ordinances applicable thereto, he shall issue the permit applied for upon payment of the required fee as hereinafter fixed. When plan check or other fees are required by this or any related ordinance or statute, such fees shall be collected in addition to the required permit fees.
Any person requiring a permit to connect to a public sewer which has been constructed at no cost to the abutting property shall make proper application to the Department of Public Works as required by Division 2 of Title 20 of the Los Angeles County Code, and shall pay such connection charges or execute such waivers as are required by that ordinance or other statute prior to obtaining a house sewer permit as required by this Code.
When no permit is issued within one year following the date of the application therefor, the application shall automatically expire. Plans and specifications previously submitted may thereafter be returned to the applicant or destroyed by the Chief Plumbing Inspector. The Chief Plumbing Inspector may, before or after expiration of the application, grant up to two extensions, not exceeding 180 days per extension, beyond the initial one-year limit upon written request by the applicant showing that circumstances beyond the control of the applicant have prevented action from being taken and upon the payment of an extension fee as determined by the Chief Plumbing Inspector, not to exceed 25 percent of the plan check fee.
Once an application, including any extension(s) thereof has expired, the applicant shall file a new application, resubmit plans and specifications and pay a new plan checking or review fee.
(Ord. 2013-0050 § 2, 2013; Ord. 2010-0055 § 2, 2010; Ord. 2002-0078 § 12, 2002; Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.10 Cost of Permit*
Any person applying for a permit shall, at the time the application is made, pay to the Chief Plumbing Inspector the fees set forth in this section.
Except as provided herein, a plumbing permit and a sewer or private sewage disposal permit shall be required for each building or installation. EXCEPTION: Where accessory buildings and/or appurtenances, such as laundry rooms, guest houses, bath houses or swimming pools, are used in conjunction with a single-family residence, are located on the same lot and under the same ownership, and are erected at the same time as the main building, all plumbing items may be combined on one plumbing permit. All buildings and appurtenances, regardless of type, located on the same lot and under the same ownership may, when being connected at the same time to a common house sewer or to a common or multiple private sewage disposal system, be combined on one sewerage permit.
Plumbing permit fees shall be as specified in Table No. I.
Sewer and private sewage disposal permit fees shall be as specified in Table No. II.
For the purpose of this section, a sanitary plumbing outlet on which or to which a plumbing fixture or appliance may be set or attached shall be construed to be a fixture. Built-in dishwashers shall be construed fixtures whether individually trapped or not. Fees for reconnection and retest of existing plumbing systems in relocated buildings shall be based on the number of plumbing fixtures, gas systems, water heaters, etc. involved.
When interceptor traps or house-trailer site traps are installed at the same time as a house sewer on any lot, no sewer permit shall be required for the connection of any such trap to an appropriate inlet fitting provided in the house sewer by the permittee constructing such sewer.
When a permit has been obtained to connect an existing building or existing work to the public sewer, or to connect to a new private disposal facility, backfilling of private sewage disposal facilities abandoned consequent to such connection is included in the house sewer permit.
?> Table No. I For issuing each permit $31.10 In addition: For each plumbing fixture or trap or set of fixtures on one trap (including drainage, vent, water piping and backflow prevention devices therefor) (hose bibbs are considered fixtures) $18.30 For each permanent-type dishwasher, whether individually trapped or not $18.30 For future stacks or branches, each waste inlet $10.00 For each roof drain $18.30 For each drainage or sewer backwater valve $52.70 For each industrial waste pretreatment interceptor, including its trap and vent, excepting kitchen-type grease interceptors functioning as fixture traps $18.30 For each swimming pool drainage trap and receptor, whether connected to a building drain or a building sewer (water supply for pool not included) $18.30 For each gas piping system on any one meter or alteration, extension or retest of existing gas piping system: Low pressure system: Five or fewer outlets $18.30 For each additional outlet over five $4.70 Medium or high pressure system: Each system $75.50 Additional fee for each outlet $4.70 For each gas meter not under control and maintenance of the serving gas supplier $18.30 For each gas pressure regulator other than appliance regulators $18.30 For each water heater and/or vent $18.30 For repair or alteration of drainage and/or vent piping, each fixture $18.30 For each piece of water-treating equipment $18.30 For each water pressure regulator $18.30 For potable water not covered elsewhere in fee schedule: 1½ inch and smaller $18.30 2 inches to 3 inches $57.00 Over three inches $123.10 For replacing water piping in a building, (1) each fixture, each water-treating device and each piece of water-using or dispensing equipment, or (2) each branch or riser that has none of the above items connected thereto $7.60 For sprinkling systems on any one meter, each backflow prevention device therefor $18.30 For each backflow prevention device on unprotected water supplies, pools, tanks, vats, etc. (including incidental water piping) $18.30 For each trap primer $18.30 For each solar potable water-heating system, including water heater and vent $61.30 ?> Table No. II For issuing each permit $31.10 In addition: For the connection of a house sewer to a public sewer, or for the extension of a house lateral onto a lot for future use (separate permit required for each such connection or extension) $52.70 For each house sewer manhole $52.70 For each installation of a section of house sewer for future use $34.00 For the connection of each additional building or additional work to a house sewer $34.00 For the connection of a house sewer to a private sewage disposal system $34.00 For each private sewage disposal system (septic tank and seepage pit or pits and/or drainfield) $108.20 For each graywater system (storage tanks and disposal/irrigation fields) $108.20 For each cesspool, overflow seepage pit, percolation test pit, swimming pool drywell, or drainfield extension or replacement $52.70 For disconnection, abandonment, alteration or repair of any house sewer or private sewage disposal system or part thereof $34.00 (Ord. 2007-0110 § 2 (part), 2007; Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
* Editor's note: Fee changes in this section were made by the director of public works due to increases in the Consumer Price Index and are effective July 1, 2018.
103.11 Plan Check Fee
103.11.1*
A plan checking fee as indicated shall be paid to the Chief Plumbing Inspector at the time of submitting plans and specifications for work requiring Plumbing Code plan check. Said fee shall be equal to the greater of 40 percent of the required plumbing permit fee as set forth in Table I of this chapter or $123.10.
When a Plumbing Code plan check is required and any of the following systems are included in the work proposed, a supplemental plan review fee, in addition to the fee specified in the immediately preceding paragraph, shall be collected for each of these systems as follows:
(1) Combination waste and vent system $189.20 (2) Gas system containing an earthquake actuated shutoff valve $66.10 (3) Chemical waste system $37.70 (4) Roof drainage system $123.10 The minimum plan checking fee (including all surcharges) shall be $123.10 EXCEPTION: Plan check is not required for an earthquake actuated gas shut-off valve if the valve has a pressure loss through it of less than 10 feet of equivalent length of pipe in the line which it is installed.
(Ord. 2007-0110 § 2 (part), 2007; Ord. 2002-0078 § 13, 2002: Ord. 95-0069 § 1, 1995; Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
* Editor's note: Fee changes in this section were made by the director of public works due to increases in the Consumer Price Index and are effective July 1, 2018.
103.11.2*
For plan checking individual systems not required to be reviewed under subsection 103.11.1 above, a plan check fee shall be paid to the Chief Plumbing Inspector as follows:
(1) Combination waste and vent system $284.20 (2) Gas system containing an earthquake actuated shutoff valve $94.50 (3) Chemical waste system $57.00 (4) Roof drainage system $189.20 (5) Graywater system $108.20 EXCEPTION: Plan check is not required for an earthquake actuated gas shut-off valve if the valve has a pressure loss through it of less than 10 feet of equivalent length of pipe in the line which it is installed.
(Ord. 2007-0110 § 2 (part), 2007; Ord. 95-0069 § 2, 1995; Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
* Editor's note: Fee changes in this section were made by the director of public works due to increases in the Consumer Price Index and are effective July 1, 2018.
103.11.3
In addition to the aforementioned fees, the Chief Plumbing Inspector may require additional charges for reviews required by the complexity of plans, or revisions of approved plans and reports, or services beyond the initial and second check when such additional work is due to changes, omissions or errors on the part of the plan check applicant. Fees shall be $123.10 per hour. The payment of said fees shall not exempt any person from compliance with other provisions of this Code.
(Ord. 2002-0078 § 14, 2002: Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
* Editor's note: Fee changes in this section were made by the director of public works due to increases in the Consumer Price Index and are effective July 1, 2018.
103.12 Investigation Fee
103.12.1 Work Without a Permit*
Whenever any work has been commenced without a permit as required by the provisions of Section 103.1 of this code, a special investigation shall be made prior to the issuance of the permit. An investigation fee shall be collected for each permit so investigated. The investigation fee shall be equal to and in addition to the permit fees specified in Section 103.10, but in no event shall the investigation fee be less than $378.50.
EXCEPTION 1: The investigation fee shall be $189.20 when the Chief Plumbing Inspector has determined that the owner-builder of a one family or two family dwelling, accessory building or accessory structure had no knowledge that a permit was necessary and had not previously applied for a permit from the Building and Safety Division of the County of Los Angeles.
EXCEPTION 2: The foregoing provisions shall not apply to emergency work when it shall be proved to the satisfaction of the Chief Plumbing Inspector that such work was urgently necessary and that it was not practical to obtain a permit therefor before the commencement of the work. In all such cases, a permit must be obtained as soon as it is practical to do so, and if there is an unreasonable delay in obtaining such permit this exception shall not apply and the investigation fee shall be charged.
The payment of the investigation fee shall not exempt any person from compliance with all other provisions of this Code nor from any penalty prescribed by law.
(Ord. 2007-0110 § 2 (part), 2007; Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
* Editor's note: Fee changes in this section were made by the director of public works due to increases in the Consumer Price Index and are effective July 1, 2018.
103.12.2 Alternate Materials and Methods of Construction
In compliance with Section 301.3 of this Code regarding the use of an alternate material or method of construction, an application shall be submitted in writing to the Chief Plumbing Inspector together with a filing fee of $246.20. When staff review exceeds two hours, an additional fee of $123.10 per hour shall be charged for each hour or fraction thereof in excess of two hours.
(Ord. 2016-0055 § 2, 2016: Ord. 2010-0055 § 2, 2010; Ord. 2007-0110 § 2 (part), 2007.)
* Editor's note: Fee changes in this section were made by the director of public works due to increases in the Consumer Price Index and are effective July 1, 2018.
103.13 Surrender of Permit
If no portion of the work or construction covered by a permit issued by the Chief Plumbing Inspector under the provisions of this Code has been commenced, the person to whom such permit has been issued may deliver such permit to the Chief Plumbing Inspector with the request that such permit be canceled. The Chief Plumbing Inspector shall thereupon stamp or write on the face of such permit the words "Canceled at the request of the permittee." Thereupon such permit shall be void and of no effect.
(Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.14 Suspension or Revocation of Permit
The Chief Plumbing Inspector may suspend or revoke any permit issued under the provisions of this Code whenever such permit is issued in error, or is issued on the basis of incorrect information supplied, or has been obtained by falsification or misrepresentation, or when work is being done thereunder in violation of this or any other related ordinance or regulation.
(Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.15 Refund
In the event that any person shall have obtained a permit and no portion of the work or construction covered by such permit shall have been commenced, and such permit shall have been canceled as provided in Section 103.2 or Section 103.13, the permittee, upon presentation to the Chief Plumbing Inspector of a request therefor in writing, shall be entitled to a refund in an amount equal to 80 percent of the fee actually paid for such permit.
The Chief Plumbing Inspector will satisfy himself as to the right of such applicant to such refund, and each such refund shall be paid as provided by law for the payment of claims against the County. No refund shall be made when a permit has been obtained by falsification or misrepresentation and has been revoked for such cause.
(Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.16 Transfer
Permits are not transferable from one person to another or from one location to another.
(Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.17 Exemption From Fee
The requirements for fees contained in this Code shall not apply when the collection of such fee is contrary to the provisions of any contract to which the County of Los Angeles is a party or is legally prohibited by other statutes.
(Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
103.18 Noncompliance Fees*
If the Chief Plumbing Inspector in the course of enforcing the provisions of this Code or any state law issues an order to a person and that person fails to comply with the order within 15 days following the due date for compliance stated in the order, including any extensions thereof, then the Chief Plumbing Inspector shall have the authority to collect a noncompliance fee.
The noncompliance fee shall not be imposed unless the order states that a failure to comply within 15 days after the compliance date specified in the order will result in the fee being imposed. No more than one such fee shall be collected for failure to comply with an order. The amount of the noncompliance fee shall be $113.70 per building for Group R Division 3 occupancies and $227.60 per building for all other occupancies and shall be in addition to the fees specified elsewhere in this Code.
(Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)
* Editor's note: Fee changes in this section were made by the director of public works due to increases in the Consumer Price Index and are effective July 1, 2018.
103.19 Annual Review of Fees
The fees contained in this Code shall be reviewed annually by the Department of Public Works. Beginning on July 1, 1992, and thereafter on each succeeding July 1, the amount of each fee in this Code shall be adjusted as follows: Calculate the percentage movement between March of the previous year and March of the current year in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all urban consumers in the Los Angeles, Anaheim and Riverside areas, as published by the United States Government Bureau of Labor Statistics, adjust each fee by said percentage amount and round off to the nearest ten (10) cents. Provided, however, no adjustment shall decrease any fee and no fee shall exceed the reasonable cost of providing services. When it is determined that the amount reasonably necessary to recover the cost of providing services is in excess of this adjustment, the Chief Plumbing Inspector may present fee proposals to the Board of Supervisors for approval.
(Ord. 2007-0110 § 2 (part), 2007: Ord. 99-0042 § 8, 1999: Ord. 95-0068 § 3 (part), 1995.)