Brentwood, CA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopting section
- BMC § 15.04.010(A), Part 5
- Local amendment
- BMC § 15.04.020, CPC § 1208.5
- Underground metal gas piping
- Needs chief building official approval
- Required study
- Soils (pH) analysis for corrosivity
- Fees
- Set by city council resolution
- Latest update
- Ord. 1090, effective 12/9/2025
Summary
Brentwood adopts Part 5, the California Plumbing Code, by reference under Municipal Code Section 15.04.010, then locally amends CPC Section 1208.5 in Section 15.04.020 to ban underground metallic gas piping unless the chief building official approves it after a soils analysis for corrosive acid levels.
Adoption. ... The following volumes and appendices of the California Building Standards Code, 2025 Edition, published by the California Building Standards Commission are adopted by reference: ... Part ... 5, California Plumbing Code including: Appendix A, Recommended Rules for Sizing the Water Supply System; ... Appendix ... H, Private Sewage Disposal Systems; ... Appendix ... J, Combination of Indoor and Outdoor Combustion and Ventilation Opening Design. ... Fees. ... The fees for permits issued under this chapter are those established by resolution of the city council. § ... 15.04.020. ... Amendments. The 2025 California Plumbing Code is hereby amended by the changes, additions and deletions set forth in this section, and section numbers below refer to that code: CPC Section 1208.5: High levels of acid (pH) found in many locations throughout the city from natural soils and imported soils have proven to have a highly corrosive effect on metallic piping laid underground. The city prohibits the use of metallic gas piping underground without the approval of the city's chief building official and a soils analysis showing a level of (pH) that will not corrode metallic piping.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4604307; v5 updated 2025-12-09).
Full Breakdown
010(A) adopts Part 5, the California Plumbing Code, from the 2025 California Building Standards Code, along with Appendix A (sizing the water supply system), Appendix B (combination waste and vent systems), Appendix D (sizing storm water drainage systems), Appendix H (private sewage disposal systems), Appendix I (PEX tubing installation standards) and Appendix J (combustion and ventilation opening design). 5 because, as the code explains, high levels of acid (pH) found in many locations throughout the city from natural soils and imported soils have proven corrosive to metallic piping laid underground.
The amendment prohibits installing metallic gas piping underground without the approval of the city's chief building official, backed by a soils analysis showing a pH level that will not corrode the pipe. 010(C) leaves the fee schedule to a separate city council resolution rather than the ordinance text. Both sections have been amended together on each code cycle, most recently by Ordinance 1090, effective December 9, 2025, following Ordinance 1049 in 2022, Ordinance 1011 in 2019 and Ordinance 979 in 2016, each of which updated both the adoption and the local plumbing amendment in tandem.
Violations & Fines
Section 15.04.010(D) lets the city enforce Chapter 15.04, including the adopted Plumbing Code and the Section 15.04.020 gas-piping amendment, through any remedy set out in the California Building Standards Codes or in Brentwood Municipal Code Title 1 (General Provisions). Installing metallic gas piping underground without the chief building official's approval and a qualifying soils analysis is a direct violation of the local CPC 1208.5 amendment, independent of any base Plumbing Code violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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