San Bernardino County, CA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Code adopted
- 2025 California Plumbing Code
- Enforced by
- County Building Official
- Annual permit option
- for ongoing in-house maintenance work
- First infraction fine
- $50 to $100
- Applies to
- unincorporated county only
Summary
San Bernardino County adopts the 2025 California Plumbing Code by reference for the unincorporated area, so any plumbing installation, alteration, or repair needs a permit and inspection from the County Building Official before work starts.
A copy of the Uniform Plumbing Code, 2024 Edition, prepared and published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, with state amendments, also known as the 2025 California Plumbing Code, contained in Part 5 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, having been filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors of San Bernardino County, is hereby designated and adopted by reference as the Plumbing Code for the unincorporated area of San Bernardino County, subject to those amendments and limitations set forth in this Chapter 3.
Full Breakdown
The Board of Supervisors adopted the Uniform Plumbing Code, 2024 Edition, with state amendments (the 2025 California Plumbing Code, Title 24 Part 5) as the county's Plumbing Code for unincorporated territory. Contractors doing recurring maintenance on one property can instead get an annual permit under § 63.0804 if they run continuous in-house inspection under a qualified supervisor, filing a written report with the Building Official within 30 days of fiscal year-end. Permit fees run through Division 6 of Title 1.
Violations & Fines
Starting permitted plumbing work without first pulling the permit triggers past-due enforcement costs that must be paid before any permit issues, plus the general infraction penalty schedule of $50-$200 per violation, escalating on repeat offenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in unincorporated San Bernardino County?
Does this apply inside cities like Rancho Cucamonga or Victorville?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino County to another location·View the California building safety overview
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