Monterey, CA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- 2025 California Plumbing Code
- Backwater valve trigger
- Trap outlet under 2 feet above manhole rim
- Required equipment
- Backwater valve, relief vent, cleanout
- Cleanout placement
- Within 1 foot of ground surface
- Enforcing officer
- Building Official orders plug/cap
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under § 9-66
Summary
Monterey enforces the 2025 California Plumbing Code for permitted plumbing work, adopted at Monterey City Code § 9-0.1, and adds a local backwater-valve rule at § 9-2: any fixture trap sitting less than two feet above the nearest upstream manhole rim must have an approved backwater valve, relief vent and cleanout installed in the building sewer.
Except as amended by this chapter and Chapter 13 of this code, the following model codes, sometimes referred to in this Chapter as “technical codes,” are hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein: ... 5.2025 California Plumbing Code; ... Section 710.1.1 is added to read as follows:710.1.1 Backwater Valves. In every case where the outlet of a trap for a plumbing fixture is installed or located at an elevation which is less than two feet (2’) above the rim of the nearest manhole uphill from the point of connection of the building sewer to the public sewer in any new or existing drainage system, approved types of backwater valve, relief vent and cleanout shall be installed in the building sewer at the point of lowest elevation of the ground surface of the building site outside of the building or at such other location as is permitted by the Building Official, providing that any such location, the elevation of the ground surface is not less than two feet (2’) below the lowest trap outlet served by the building sewer.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3721, passed July 7, 2026).
Full Breakdown
1 alongside the city's other technical codes. The City adds one significant local amendment at § 9-2: wherever a plumbing fixture's trap outlet sits less than two feet above the rim of the nearest manhole uphill from where the building sewer connects to the public sewer, in either a new or an existing drainage system, the property must have an approved backwater valve, relief vent and cleanout installed in the building sewer at the lowest point of the ground surface outside the building, or at another location the Building Official permits, so long as that alternate location is still at least two feet below the lowest served trap outlet.
' Once the Building Official identifies such a site, the code empowers the office to order the outlet plugged, capped, or brought into compliance immediately. Because low-lying fixture traps are common near Monterey's flat, near-sea-level neighborhoods, this backwater-valve rule is one of the plumbing permit reviewer's standard checks. 06, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Installing or maintaining a low-lying fixture trap without the required backwater valve, relief vent and cleanout under Monterey City Code § 9-2 is a misdemeanor under § 9-66, fined per § 1-1.06. The Building Official can order an out-of-compliance outlet plugged, capped or corrected immediately, and each day of continued violation is a separate offense enforceable through the City's Administrative Remedies Ordinance or as a public nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Monterey require backwater valves on plumbing permits?
What plumbing code does Monterey enforce?
What happens if my property has an unprotected low trap outlet?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey to another location·View the California building safety overview
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Plumbing Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Monterey County handle plumbing permits.