SECTION 104.0 – PERMITS

104.1  Add the following as the second paragraph of this section:

   Emergency work for the protection of life or limb, health, property and public welfare shall have a permit obtained within one day of commencing such work, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.

104.1.1  Add the following section:

104.1.1  Homeowner’s Permit.  A permit for plumbing work in, on or about a single-family dwelling may be issued by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, provided said work is done by the owner or a family member who has demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the administrative authority, his or her qualifications to satisfactorily perform the plumbing work in the dwelling which is, or is intended to be, occupied by the owner. If the plumbing work performed under the homeowner’s permit does not comply with the requirements of this code and if the corrections are not made as required by the Department of Building Inspection, then the work shall be corrected by a State-licensed plumbing contractor under a separate permit.

   Such State-licensed plumbing contractor shall be required to pay only the permit issuance fee as set forth in Section 110A, Table 1A-C - Plumbing/Mechanical Permit Issuance and Inspection Fees - of the Building Code. If additional inspection is required, the appropriate fees as set forth in Section 110A, Table 1A-C - Plumbing/ Mechanical Permit Issuance and Inspection Fees and Table 1A-G - Inspection, Surveys and Reports - of the Building Code shall apply.

104.1.2  Add the following section:

104.1.2  Amending Applications.  After a permit has been issued and an inspection of the work has been made, the scope of the permit may be altered by filing an amended permit application and paying fees for any additional work as set forth in Table 1A-C - Plumbing/ Mechanical Permit Issuance and Inspection Fees and Table 1A-G - Inspections, Survey, and Reports of Section 110A of the Building Code.

104.2  Replace Section 104.2(1) and the first paragraph of Section 104.2(2) as follows:

104.2  Exempt Work.  A permit shall not be required for the following:[ ← ]

   (1)   Repair of leaks not requiring cutting into or removing piping.

   (2)   Unstopping of traps, sewers, vents or waste pipes not requiring cutting into or removal of traps or piping.

   (3)   Replacement, repair or maintenance of faucets, angle stops, hose bibbs or roof drain not requiring cutting into or removal of piping.

   (4)   Replacement of toilets except in structures with alternate water piping.

   (5)   Replacement of furnace filters.

   (6)   Removal of drainage, water or gas piping from a building when the water supply, gas and drainage lines have been disconnected in an approved manner under a permit.

   (7)   Work involved in setting up for display of plumbing fixtures or appliances, when not connected to any supply or drainage lines, in a sales establishment.

   (8)   Replacement of water conservation devices not requiring cutting into or removal of piping.

   (9)   Work performed in buildings or structures owned and occupied by the State and Federal governments.

104.3  Replace this section as follows:

104.3  Application for Permit.[ ← ]   Permit applicants shall file with the Department of Building Inspection an application on a form furnished for that purpose.

   A permit for inspection of the proposed plumbing work set forth in the application will be issued to State- licensed contractors or to homeowners subject to the requirements of Section 104.1.1. A separate permit shall be obtained for each separate building, structure or property.

104.3.2  Replace the following section:

104.3.2[ ← ]   Inspections Not Covered by Permit Fees.

104.3.2.1  Off Hours of Inspection.  Off-hour inspection may be performed outside normal inspection hours by prior arrangement and prepayment of fees as set forth in Section 110A , Table 1A-G - Inspections, Surveys and Reports - of the Building Code.

104.3.2.2  Reinspections.  A reinspection fee shall be assessed for each inspection or reinspection made necessary by any of the following conditions:

   (1)   When the portion of the work for which the inspection is requested is not complete or code complying.

   (2)   When previously identified deficiencies in the work are not properly corrected.

   (3)   When the approved construction documents are not available to the inspector.

   (4)   When access is not provided on the date and time of the inspection appointment.

   (5)   When work deviates from the approved construction documents.

   The first reinspection for failure to comply with code requirements shall not be assessed a reinspection fee. All subsequent reinspections for the same or subsequent errors or omissions shall be charged a reinspection fee.

   Subsequent to inspector determination of reinspec- tion fee requirements, no required or requested inspec- tions shall be made nor shall the job be given a certificate of final completion and occupancy or final approval until the required reinspection fees are paid. See Section 110A, Table 1A-G - Inspections, Surveys and Reports - of the Building Code for applicable fees.

104.3.2.3  Survey.  A plumbing survey may be requested when a plumbing inspector’s assistance is desired to establish code compliance of existing or proposed plumbing system requirements. See Section 110A , Table 1A-G - Inspections, Survey and Reports - of the Building Code for applicable fees.

104.4  Add a new second paragraph to this section as follows:

An issued permit entitles the permittee to proceed with the work described therein. The issuance of a permit does not constitute approval of any work done under that permit. Permits shall not be transferable.

104.4.3  Replace this section as follows:

104.4.3  Permit Expiration.[ ← ]   Plumbing permits expire per Section 106A.4.4 of the San Francisco Building Code. Permit fees may be partially refunded if a written cancellation request is made to the Building Official prior to commencement of the permitted work and within 90 days of the date of permit issuance. See Section 110A , Table 1A-R - Refunds - of the Building Code for refunds.

104.4.3.1  Add the following new section:

104.4.3.1  Commencement of Work on Permit Expired Due to Work Not Started.  A new permit shall be obtained to undertake the work described on an expired permit on which no work was performed. If not more than one year has elapsed since the expiration of the original permit, the applicant is eligible for reduced fees. See Section 110A, Table 1A-B - Other Building Permit and Plan Review Fees - of the Building Code for applicable fees.

   If a refund has been granted per Section 104.4.3, the applicant shall not be eligible for the reduced fees as set forth in Section 110A, Table 1A-B - Other Building Permit and Plan Review Fees - of the Building Code.

104.4.3.2  Add the following new section:

104.4.3.2  Recommencement of Work on Permit Ex- pired Due to Work Not Completed.  The applicant shall obtain a new permit for the work not completed. The permit fee shall be based on work remaining to be done. Fees shall be as set forth in Section 110A, Table 1A-C - Plumbing/Mechanical Permit Issuance and Inspection Fees - of the Building Code.

104.5  Replace this section as follows:

104.5  Permit Fees.[ ← ]   Before any permit is issued, the applicant shall pay to the Central Permit Bureau the fees as set forth in Section 110A , Table 1A-C - Plumbing/ Mechanical Permit Issuance and Inspection Fees - of the Building Code. The replacement of a plumbing fixture or a gas appliance without a change in drainage, piping or venting shall not require the payment of permit issuance fee. A separate permit issuance fee shall be paid for each class of work, i.e., sewers and drainage, gas and water.

   Final inspection will not be made unless all outstanding fees related to the permit work have been paid.

104.5.2  Revise this section as follows:

104.5.2  Investigation Fees.  An investigation fee, in addition to the permit fee, shall be collected whether or not a permit is then or subsequently issued. See Section 110A , Table 1A-C - Plumbing/Mechanical Permit Issuance and Inspection Fees, and Table 1A-K - Penalties, Hearings, Code Enforcement Assessments - of the Building Code for applicable fees.[ ← ] The payment of such investigation fee shall not exempt a person from compliance with other provisions of this code, nor from a penalty prescribed by law.

   The Director may reduce the investigation fee to two times the amount of the permit fee as called for in Section 110A, Table 1A-C - Plumbing/Mechanical Permit Issuance and Inspection Fees - of the Building Code for work that was constructed prior to the current building ownership or for work without permit which was done prior to January 1, 1967, if the owner files with the Director a notarized affidavit together with documents substantiating such dates of work.

   Appeals of investigation fees may be filed with the Board of Appeals in the manner provided in Section 8 et seq. of the Business & Tax Regulations Code. Such filing shall be subject to the fees and rules of the Board of Appeals. The Board of Appeals, in reviewing the appeal, may reduce the appealed amount to not less than two times the permit fee as set forth in Section 110A, Table 1A-C- Plumbing/ Mechanical Permit Issuance and Inspection Fees - of the Building Code.

(Amended by Ord. 65-19, File No. 190136, App. 4/12/2019, Eff. 5/13/2019)

104.5.3  Replace this section as follows:

104.5.3  Fee Refunds.[ ← ]   For fee refunds, see Section 107A.6 of the Building Code.