Skip to code content (skip section selection)
Compare to:
Chicago Overview
Municipal Code of Chicago
MUNICIPAL CODE OF CHICAGO
TITLE 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
TITLE 2 CITY GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
TITLE 3 REVENUE AND FINANCE
TITLE 4 BUSINESSES, OCCUPATIONS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION
TITLE 5 HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
TITLE 6 HUMAN RIGHTS*
TITLE 7 HEALTH AND SAFETY
TITLE 8 OFFENSES AFFECTING PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND WELFARE
TITLE 9 VEHICLES, TRAFFIC AND RAIL TRANSPORTATION
TITLE 10 STREETS, PUBLIC WAYS, PARKS, AIRPORTS AND HARBORS
TITLE 11 UTILITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
TITLE 12 RESERVED
TITLE 13 BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION
TITLE 14 RESERVED*
TITLE 14A ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS OF THE CHICAGO CONSTRUCTION CODES*
TITLE 14B BUILDING CODE*
TITLE 14C CONVEYANCE DEVICE CODE*
TITLE 14E ELECTRICAL CODE*
TITLE 14F FIRE PREVENTION CODE*
TITLE 14G FUEL GAS CODE*
TITLE 14M MECHANICAL CODE*
TITLE 14N 2022 ENERGY TRANSFORMATION CODE*
TITLE 14P PLUMBING CODE*
TITLE 14R BUILDING REHABILITATION CODE*
TITLE 14X MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS*
TITLE 15 FIRE PREVENTION
TITLE 16 LAND USE
TITLE 17 CHICAGO ZONING ORDINANCE
TITLE 18 BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE
CHAPTER 18-11 RESERVED*
CHAPTER 18-13 RESERVED*
CHAPTER 18-14 BUILDING ENERGY USE BENCHMARKING
CHAPTER 18-27 RESERVED*
CHAPTER 18-28 MECHANICAL SYSTEMS*
CHAPTER 18-29 PLUMBING*
Article 1. Administration (18-29-101 et seq.)
Article 2. Definitions (18-29-201 et seq.)
Article 3. General Regulations (18-29-301 et seq.)
Article 4. Fixtures, Faucets and Fixture Fittings (18-29-401 et seq.)
Article 5. Water Heaters (18-29-501 et seq.)
Article 6. Water Supply and Distribution (18-29-601 et seq.)
Article 7. Sanitary Drainage (18-29-701 et seq.)
18-29-701 General.
18-29-701.1 Scope.
18-29-701.2 Sewer required.
18-29-701.3 Separate building sewer connection.
18-29-701.4 Sewage treatment.
18-29-701.5 Damage to drainage system or public sewer.
18-29-701.6 Tests.
18-29-701.7 Connections.
18-29-701.8 Notification of wrecking buildings and sealing or abandoning sewer facilities.
18-29-702 Materials.
18-29-702.1 Above-ground sanitary drainage and vent pipe.
18-29-702.1.1 Mixed-occupancy buildings.
18-29-702.2 Underground building sanitary drainage and vent pipe.
18-29-702.3 Building sewer pipe.
18-29-702.4 Fittings.
18-29-702.5 Temperature rating.
18-29-702.5.1 Reserved.
18-29-702.5.1.1 Reserved.
18-29-702.5.1.2 Reserved.
18-29-702.5.1.3 Reserved.
18-29-702.6 Chemical waste system.
18-29-702.6.1 Reserved.
18-29-702.6.2 Reserved.
18-29-702.7 Reserved.
18-29-702.8 Safe pans.
18-29-702.8.1 Material.
18-29-702.8.2 Construction.
18-29-703 Building Sewer.
18-29-703.1 Building sewers, building drains or drainage systems installed near the water pipes and water supply system.
18-29-703.2 Drainage pipe in filled ground.
18-29-703.3 Sanitary and storm sewers.
18-29-703.3.1 Combined sewers.
18-29-703.4 Existing building sewers and drains.
18-29-703.4.1 Inspection of existing underground building sewers for drain and reuse.
18-29-704 Drainage Piping and Installation.
18-29-704.1 Slope of horizontal drainage piping.
18-29-704.2 Change in size.
18-29-704.3 Connections to offsets and bases of stacks.
18-29-704.4 Future fixtures.
18-29-704.5 Reserved.
18-29-704.5.1 Reserved.
18-29-704.5.2 Reserved.
18-29-705 Joints.
18-29-705.1 General.
18-29-705.2 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-705.3 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-705.4 Reserved.
18-29-705.4.1 Reserved.
18-29-705.4.2 Reserved.
18-29-705.4.3 Reserved.
18-29-705.4.4 Reserved.
18-29-705.5 Cast iron.
18-29-705.5.1 Caulked joints.
18-29-705.5.2 Compression gasket joints.
18-29-705.5.3 Mechanical joint coupling.
18-29-705.6 Concrete joints.
18-29-705.7 Copper pipe.
18-29-705.7.1 Brazed joints.
18-29-705.7.2 Mechanical joints.
18-29-705.7.3 Soldered joints.
18-29-705.7.4 Threaded joints.
18-29-705.7.5 Welded joints.
18-29-705.8 Copper tubing.
18-29-705.8.1 Brazed joints.
18-29-705.8.2 Mechanical joints.
18-29-705.8.3 Soldered joints.
18-29-705.9 Borosilicate glass joints.
18-29-705.9.1 Caulked joints.
18-29-705.10 Steel.
18-29-705.10.1 Threaded joints.
18-29-705.10.2 Mechanical joints.
18-29-705.11 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-705.12 PVC plastic.
18-29-705.12.1 Mechanical joints.
18-29-705.12.2 Solvent cementing.
18-29-705.12.3 Threaded joints.
18-29-705.13 Vitrified clay.
18-29-705.14 Polyethylene plastic.
18-29-705.14.1 Heat-fusion joints.
18-29-705.14.2 Mechanical joints.
18-29-705.15 Polyolefin plastic.
18-29-705.15.1 Heat-fusion joints.
18-29-705.15.2 Mechanical and compression sleeve joints.
18-29-705.16 Polyvinylidene fluoride plastic.
18-29-705.16.1 Heat-fusion joints.
18-29-705.16.2 Mechanical and compression sleeve joints.
18-29-705.17 Reserved.
18-29-705.18 Joints between different materials.
18-29-705.18.1 Copper pipe or tubing to cast-iron hub pipe.
18-29-705.18.2 Copper or copper-alloy pipe or tubing to galvanized steel pipe.
18-29-705.18.3 Cast-iron pipe to galvanized steel or brass pipe.
18-29-705.18.4 Plastic pipe or tubing to other piping material.
18-29-705.18.5 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-705.18.6 Borosilicate glass to other materials.
18-29-705.18.7 Stainless steel drainage systems to other materials.
18-29-705.19 Drainage slip joints.
18-29-705.20 Caulking ferrules.
18-29-705.21 Reserved.
18-29-705.22 Stainless steel drainage systems.
18-29-706 Connections Between Drainage Piping And Fixtures.
18-29-706.1 Connections and changes in direction.
18-29-706.2 Obstructions.
18-29-706.3 Installation of fittings.
18-29-707 Prohibited Joints and Connections.
18-29-707.1 Prohibited joints.
18-29-708 Cleanouts.
18-29-708.1 Scope.
18-29-708.2 Cleanout plugs.
18-29-708.3 Where required.
18-29-708.3.1 Horizontal drains within buildings.
18-29-708.3.2 Building sewers.
18-29-708.3.3 Changes of direction.
18-29-708.3.4 Base of stack.
18-29-708.3.5 Building drain and building sewer junction.
18-29-708.3.6 Manholes.
18-29-708.4 Concealed piping.
18-29-708.5 Opening direction.
18-29-708.6 Prohibited installation.
18-29-708.7 Minimum size.
18-29-708.8 Pipes 8 inches and larger.
18-29-708.9 Clearances.
18-29-708.10 Access.
18-29-709 Fixture Units.
18-29-709.1 Values for fixtures.
18-29-709.2 Fixtures not listed in Table 18-29-709.1.
18-29-709.3 Conversion of gpm flow to dfu values.
18-29-709.4 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-709.5 Values for indirect waste receptor.
18-29-709.5.1 Clear-water waste receptors.
18-29-710 Drainage System Sizing.
18-29-710.1 Maximum fixture unit load.
18-29-710.1.1 Sizing building drains and building sewers for combined sanitary and storm drainage.
18-29-710.1.2 Minimum size.
18-29-710.1.3 Horizontal stack offsets.
18-29-710.1.4 Vertical stack offsets.
18-29-710.2 Future fixtures.
18-29-710.3 Underground drainage piping.
18-29-711 Offsets in Drainage Piping in Buildings of Five Stories or More.
18-29-711.1 Horizontal branch connections above or below vertical stack offsets.
18-29-711.1.1 Omission of vents for vertical stack offsets.
18-29-711.2 Horizontal branch connections to horizontal stack offsets.
18-29-711.3 Horizontal stack offsets.
18-29-711.3.1 Omission of vents for horizontal stack offsets.
18-29-711.3.2 Suds pressure zones.
18-29-711.3.2.1 Height.
18-29-711.3.2.2 Upstream.
18-29-711.3.2.3 Downstream.
18-29-711.4 Offsets below lowest branch.
18-29-712 Sumps and Ejectors.
18-29-712.1 Building drains below sewer.
18-29-712.2 Check and gate valve required.
18-29-712.3 Sump design.
18-29-712.3.1 Sump pump.
18-29-712.3.2 Sump pit.
18-29-712.3.3 Discharge piping.
18-29-712.3.4 Maximum effluent level.
18-29-712.3.5 Ejector connection to the drainage system.
18-29-712.4 Sewage pumps and sewage ejectors.
18-29-712.4.1 Capacity.
18-29-712.4.2 Duplex equipment required.
18-29-713 Health Care Plumbing.
18-29-713.1 Scope.
18-29-713.2 Bedpan washers and clinical sinks.
18-29-713.3 Indirect waste.
18-29-713.4 Vacuum system station.
18-29-713.5 Bottle system.
18-29-713.6 Central disposal system equipment.
18-29-713.7 Central vacuum or disposal systems.
18-29-713.7.1 Piping.
18-29-713.7.2 Velocity.
18-29-713.8 Vent connections prohibited.
18-29-713.9 Local vents and stacks for bedpan washers.
18-29-713.9.1 Multiple installations.
18-29-713.9.2 Trap required.
18-29-713.9.3 Trap seal maintenance.
18-29-713.10 Sterilizer vents and stacks.
18-29-713.10.1 Drainage.
18-29-713.11 Sterilizer vent stack sizes.
18-29-713.11.1 Bedpan steamers.
18-29-713.11.2 Boiling-type sterilizers.
18-29-713.11.3 Pressure sterilizers.
18-29-713.11.4 Pressure instrument washer sterilizer sizes.
18-29-714 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-715 Backwater Valves.
18-29-715.1 Sewage backflow.
18-29-715.2 Fixture branches.
18-29-715.3 Material.
18-29-715.4 Seal.
18-29-715.5 Diameter.
18-29-715.6 Location.
18-29-716 Flood Control.
18-29-716.1 Flood control devices.
18-29-716.2 Flood control systems.
Article 8. Indirect/Special Waste (18-29-801 et seq.)
Article 9. Vents (18-29-901 et seq.)
Article 10. Traps, Separators and Interceptors (18-29-1001 et seq.)
Article 11. Storm Drainage (18-29-1101 et seq.)
Article 12. Swimming Pools and Other Swimming Facilities* (18-29-1201 et seq.)
Article 13. Referenced Standards
Appendix A Procedures for Calculating the Minimum Sizing of the Water Supply System
CHAPTER 18-30 RESERVED*
CHAPTER 18-31 RESERVED*
CHAPTER 18-32 RESERVED*
CHAPTER 18-36 REFERENCE STANDARDS*
APPENDIX TO THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF CHICAGO (RESERVED)*
TABLES
Chicago Zoning Ordinance and Land Use Ordinance
Loading...
18-29-708.10 Access.
   Access shall be provided to all cleanouts.
18-29-709 Fixture Units.
18-29-709.1 Values for fixtures.
   Drainage fixture unit values as given in Table 18-29-709.1 designate the relative load weight of different kinds of fixtures that shall be employed in estimating the total load carried by a soil or waste pipe, and shall be used in connection with Tables 18-29-710A and 18-29-710B of sizes for soil, waste and vent pipes for which the permissible load is given in terms of fixture units.
Table 18-29-709.1
Drainage Fixture Units for Fixtures and Groups
Fixture Type
Drainage Fixture Unit Value as Load Factors
Minimum Size of Trap (inches)
Fixture Type
Drainage Fixture Unit Value as Load Factors
Minimum Size of Trap (inches)
Automatic clothes washers, commercial a, g 
3
2
Automatic clothes washers, residential g
2
2
Bathroom group as defined in Section 202 ( 1.6 gpf water closet) f
5
-
Bathroom group as defined in Section 202 (water closet flushing greater than 1.6 gpf) f
6
-
Bathtub (with or without overhead shower or whirlpool attachments) b
2
1 1/2
Bidet
1
1 1/4
Combination sink and tray
2
1 1/2
Dental lavatory
1
1 1/4
Dental unit or cuspidor
1
1 1/4
Dishwashing machine, domestic, with independent drain c
2
1 1/2
Drinking fountain
1/2
1 1/4
Emergency floor drain
0
2
Floor drains h
2 h
2
Floor sinks
Note h
2
Kitchen sink, commercial, with food waste
3
2
Kitchen sink, domestic (with or without food waste disposer, dishwasher or both)
2
1 1/2
Laundry tray (1 or 2 compartments)
2
1 1/2
Lavatory
1
1 1/4
Shower (based on the total flow rate through showerheads and body sprays)

Flow rate:
   5.7 gpm or less
2
1 1/2
   Greater than 5.7 gpm to 12.3 gpm
3
2
   Greater than 12.3 gpm to 25.8 gpm
5
3
   Greater than 25.8 gpm to 55.6 gpm
6
4
Service sink
2
1 1/2
Sink
2
1 1/2
Urinal
4
Note d
Urinal, 1 gallon per flush or less
2 e
Note d
Wash sink (circular or multiple) each set of faucets
2
1 1/2
Water closet, flushometer tank, public or private
4 e
Note d
Water closet, private ( 1.6 gpf)
3 e
Note d
Water closet, private (flushing greater than 1.6 gpf)
4 e
Note d
Water closet, public ( 1.6 gpf)
4 e
Note d
Water closet, public (flushing greater than 1.6 gpf)
6 e
Note d
 
For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 gallon = 3.785 L, gpf = gallon per flushing cycle, gpm = gallon per minute.
a.   For traps larger than 3 inches, use Table 18-29-709.2.
b.   A showerhead over a bathtub or whirlpool bathtub does not increase the drainage fixture unit value.
c.   See Sections 18-29-709.2 through 18-29-709.5 for methods of computing unit value of fixtures not listed in this table or for rating of devices with intermittent flows.
d.   Trap size shall be consistent with the fixture outlet size.
e.   For the purpose of computing loads on building drains and sewers, water closets and urinals shall not be rated at a lower drainage fixture unit unless the lower values are confirmed by testing.
f.   For fixtures added to a bathroom group, add the dfu value of those additional fixtures to the bathroom group fixture count.
g.   See Section 18-29-406.2 for sizing requirements for fixture drain, branch drain and drainage stack for an automatic clothes washer standpipe.
h.   See Sections 18-29-709.5 and 18-29-709.5.1.
(Amend Coun. J. 10-14-21, p. 37722, Art. VII, § 8)
18-29-709.2 Fixtures not listed in Table 18-29-709.1.
   Fixtures not listed in Table 18-29-709.1 shall have a drainage fixture unit load based on the outlet size of the fixture in accordance with Table 18-29-709.2. The minimum trap size for unlisted fixtures shall be the size of the drainage outlet but not less than 1 1/4 inches (32 mm).
Table 18-29-709.2
Drainage Fixture Units for Fixture Drains or Traps
 
Fixture Drain or Trap Size (inches)
Drainage Fixture Unit Value
1 1/4
1
1 1/2
2
2
3
2 1/2
4
3
5
4
6
 
For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm.
18-29-709.3 Conversion of gpm flow to dfu values.
   Where discharges to a waste receptor or to a drainage system are only known in gallons per minute (liters per second) values, the drainage fixture unit values for those flows shall be computed on the basis that 1 gallon per minute (0.06 L/s) of flow is equivalent to one drainage fixture unit.
(Amend Coun. J. 10-14-21, p. 37722, Art. VII, § 9; Amend Coun. J. 12-14-22, p. 58278, Art. VI, § 16)
18-29-709.4 Deliberately omitted.
Loading...