Novato, CA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Section 106.1 of the administrative provisions in Novato Municipal Code § 4-1.3 requires any owner or authorized agent who will erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace a plumbing system or component to apply to the building official and obtain the permit first. Section 4-1.4.5 adopts the 2025 California Plumbing Code, deletes Chapter 1, Division II (Administration) from that code, substitutes Section 4-1.3, and adopts every plumbing code appendix by reference. It also rewrites Section 713.4: the public sewer is considered not available when that sewer, or a building or exterior drainage facility connected to it, is more than 300 feet from a proposed building or exterior drainage facility on a lot that abuts and is served by the sewer.

Section 106.2 exempts four kinds of plumbing work from a permit: stopping leaks in drains, water, soil, waste or vent pipes (replacing a defective concealed trap or pipe with new material counts as new work needing a permit and inspection); clearing stoppages or repairing leaks in pipes, valves or fixtures and removing and reinstalling water closets, so long as no valves, pipes or fixtures are replaced or rearranged; exterior rainwater catchment for non-spray irrigation up to 5,000 gallons, on grade, with no electrical power or makeup water connection; and spray-irrigation catchment up to 360 gallons. An exemption never authorizes work that violates the code.

Under Section 106.3 the application is filed online or in person through the building department's portal or form. It must identify the work, locate the land by legal description, assessor's parcel number or street address, state the use and occupancy, attach construction documents, give the estimated value, and carry the applicant's signature. Section 106.1.1 lets the building official issue an annual permit for alterations to an approved plumbing installation to a business that regularly employs qualified tradespersons on premises it owns or operates, and Section 106.1.2 requires that holder to keep a detailed record of the work. Emergency repairs need an application by the next building department working business day (Section 106.2.1). The permit holder must tell the building official when work is ready for inspection (Section 110.5).