Which Plumbing Work Needs A Permit In Los Angeles?

Certain Plumbing Work Requires A Permit In Order To Proceed.

Some plumbing and sewer work can only be done by a licensed contractor.

In Los Angeles County, a homeowner, builder or plumber needs a permit in order to proceed with any project which adds, alters, installs, moves, removes, repairs, or replaces any piping. This applies to any kinds of piping, including gas piping, drainage piping, water piping, roof drainage piping, reclaimed water piping, or gray water piping.

Please note: You will need a separate permit for each building/structure in which you are doing the above-defined plumbing.

Some Plumbing Work Does Not Require A Permit.
You do NOT need a permit to do any of the following:

• Repairing leaks in drainage systems, provided such repairs do not require the removal and replacement of plumbing fixtures or any trap or any portion of the drainage system.
• Clearing stoppages.
• Repairing leaks in pipes, valves, or fixtures provided such repairs do not involve or require the replacement or rearrangement of valves, pipes or fixtures.

You do not need a permit, test or inspection if you set up a partial or entire plumbing system solely for demonstration or exhibition purposes and it is not connected to a water or drainage system.

To Whom Are Plumbing Permits Issued?

If you are a homeowner and you plan to do the proposed plumbing work yourself, you will need to sign a declaration that the work you are doing is in your own home.

Otherwise, permits are only issued to licensed Plumbing Contractors, General Building Contractors, General Engineering Contractors, and Specialty Contractors (someone doing the plumbing part of their specialty like swimming pools, fire protection, etc.)

If you are an Owner-Builder, you can get a permit for a fire protection system (but not for an electrical alarm system) for a single-family dwelling (or two single-family dwellings on the same lot) as long as that dwelling is your principal place of residence.

Where Do I Get Plumbing Permits?
Many cities issue their own permits, while others refer you to the county. You can get your permit from the Building and Safety district office in your city.

What Is A Plan Check and When Do I Need One?
Depending on the scope of work, a review of your plan by a Plumbing Section plan check engineer may be required prior to issuing a permit. Permits for work requiring plan check are issued after the plans have been reviewed and approved by the Mechanical/Plumbing Section. To see if your scope of work needs to be reviewed by the Mechanical/Plumbing Section, please call the Mechanical/Plumbing Section at (626) 458-3182.

To see the entire Plumbing Code of Ordinances for the County of Los Angeles, follow this link.