Auburn, AL Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- 2021 International Plumbing Code
- Adopting section
- City Code § 5-226
- Local amendments
- City Code § 5-229
- Drinking fountain exception
- Not required under 50 occupants
- Grease/oil devices
- Must meet city design manual, not IPC tables
- State authority
- Code of Ala. § 11-45-8
Summary
Auburn regulates plumbing installation, repair and permitting under the 2021 International Plumbing Code, adopted by City Code § 5-226 with several sections deleted or amended. Local amendments in § 5-229 route grease interceptors, oil separators and sewage backflow devices to the city's Water Resource Management Design and Construction Manual instead of the model code's default standards.
The International Plumbing Code, 2021 Edition, recommended by The International Code Council Inc., but deleting Sections 103, 109, 1003.3.1, 1003.3.2, 1003.3.3, 1003.3.4, 1003.3.4.1, table 1003.3.4.1, 1003.3.4.2, 1003.3.5, 1003.4.1, 1003.4.2, 1003.4.2.1, 1003.4.2.2, and those portions which are delete modified, repealed or amended in this article, is hereby adopted and enacted as part of the law of the city... Section 410.2 Small occupancies. Drinking fountains shall not be required for an occupant load of 50 or less... Section 715.5 Sewage Backflow, Backwater valves shall be installed as required by the City of Auburn Water Resource Management Design and Construction Manual. Section 1003.3 Grease interceptors. Grease interceptors and grease removal devices shall meet the requirements of the Water Resource Management Design and Construction Manual and the City of Auburn Standard Details.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 90).
Full Breakdown
2, deleted outright. Section 5-229 then rewrites several of the code's substantive requirements for local conditions. 2 default. 5 must be installed to the specifications in the city's Water Resource Management Design and Construction Manual rather than the model code's generic language. 4, must likewise meet the design manual and the City of Auburn Standard Details rather than the deleted IPC sizing tables. Every reference in the adopted code to 'NFPA 70' is replaced citywide with 'currently adopted edition of NFPA 70,' keeping the electrical cross-references current as the National Electrical Code is updated.
The plumbing code adoption traces back to Ordinance No. 1091 in 1982 and has been re-adopted with successive IPC editions through Ordinance No. § 11-45-8.
Violations & Fines
Installing or altering plumbing without the required permit, or in a manner that departs from the adopted 2021 IPC and its local amendments, is enforced the same as any other adopted construction code violation under Chapter 5: the building official can red-tag the work, withhold approval or a certificate of occupancy, and require correction before the system is used, in addition to any penalty set under Code of Ala. § 11-45-9 for violating a municipal ordinance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What plumbing code applies to construction in Auburn, Alabama?
Do I need a permit for grease interceptors or oil separators in Auburn?
Are drinking fountains required in every Auburn building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Auburn
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