Hawthorne, CA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- 2022 California Plumbing Code
- Legal basis
- Govt. Code §§ 50020, 50022.1-.10
- Appendices adopted
- A, B, D, I, J
- Adopting ordinance
- Ord. 2239 § 7, 2023
- Enforcement
- Permits withheld under § 15.75.010
- Penalty
- $1,000 fine / 6 months jail (§1.20.010)
Summary
Anyone installing, moving, or demolishing plumbing, sewers, septic systems, gas piping, or pool-heater gas outlets in Hawthorne works under the 2022 California Plumbing Code, adopted wholesale by Hawthorne Code § 15.24.010, with Appendices A, B, D, I, and J and a filed copy on record with the city clerk.
Pursuant to the provisions of Sections 50020, and 50022.1 to 50022.10, inclusive, of the Government Code of the state ... the rules, regulations, provisions and conditions set forth in that certain code entitled "2022 California Plumbing Code" including Appendices A, B, D, I, and J therein contained, promulgated and published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials of Ontario, California and the California Building Standards Commission ... are hereby established and adopted as the rules, regulations, and provisions and conditions to be observed and followed in the moving, removal, demolition, condemnation, maintenance and use of plumbing, house drainage, house sewers, sanitary sewers, cesspools, septic tanks, gas piping, gas water heater vents, swimming pools, and gas outlets for swimming pool heaters ... within the city. ... said code ... is hereby established and adopted by reference, and the same shall be designated, known and referred to as the "plumbing code" of and for the city.
Full Breakdown
10. The code was promulgated by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials of Ontario, California, and the California Building Standards Commission, and a full printed copy was ordered filed with the city clerk. The adopted code governs the moving, removal, demolition, condemnation, maintenance, and use of plumbing, house drainage, house sewers, sanitary sewers, cesspools, septic tanks, gas piping, gas water heater vents, swimming pools, and gas outlets for swimming pool heaters citywide, and Hawthorne specifically incorporates Chapter 1, Division II, Chapters 2 through 17, and those five appendices.
The chapter was last readopted by Ordinance 2239, Section 7, in 2023, replacing the prior plumbing code cycle. The Plumbing Code sits alongside seven other 2022 model codes Hawthorne adopted in the same 2023 omnibus update, including the Building Standards, Administrative, Mechanical, Energy, Electrical, Historical Building, Existing Building, Residential, and Green Building Standards Codes, all administered by the same building and safety department under Title 15. Any plumbing installation, alteration, or repair needs a permit issued against this adopted code before work begins.
Violations & Fines
Hawthorne's building and safety department enforces the adopted Plumbing Code under Section 15.75.010: the director withholds permits and certificates of occupancy whenever plan checks or field inspections show a project will not comply with the code, and no permit may issue for work that conflicts with Title 15. Beyond a permit hold, working without a required permit or against the adopted code is a misdemeanor under Section 1.20.010, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both, with each continuing day charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What plumbing code applies to work in Hawthorne?
What happens if I install plumbing without a permit?
Does Hawthorne modify the state plumbing code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawthorne
California rules heatmap·Compare Hawthorne to another location·View the California building safety overview
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