Pasadena, CA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- PMC §§14.03.060.A, 14.03.060.B.4
- Adopted code
- 2025 California Plumbing Code §104.2
- Enforcing office
- Building Official, Planning & Community Development
- Exempt work
- Stoppage clearing, fixture reinstall without repiping
- Permit expires
- 24 mo. (SFR/duplex), 36 mo. (other)
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail
- Effective
- Ord. No. 7461 §4, Nov. 10, 2025
Summary
Pasadena requires a separate plumbing permit for plumbing work regulated by the city's Building Code, issued by the Building Official in the Planning and Community Development Department under Municipal Code Section 14.03.060. Minor repairs, like clearing a stoppage or fixing a leaking valve without rearranging pipes, are exempt, but replacing a defective trap, drain, or vent pipe is treated as new work requiring both a permit and inspection.
Unless otherwise exempted, separate plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits will be required for actions and installations that are regulated by this code. ... 4.Plumbing Permits: A plumbing permit shall not be required for the following in addition to the requirements of the California Plumbing Code section 104.2:a.The stopping of leaks in drains, soil, waste or vent pipe. If any concealed trap, drainpipe, soil, waste or vent pipe become defective and it becomes necessary to remove and replace the same with new material, the same shall be considered as new work and a permit shall be procured and inspection made as provided in this code.b.The clearing of stoppages or the repairing of leaks in pipes, valves or fixtures, nor for the removal and reinstallation of water closets, provided such repairs do not involve or require the replacement or rearrangement of valves, pipes or fixtures.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Municipal Code Section 14.03.060.A sets the baseline: no building, structure, or building service equipment regulated by the code may be erected, altered, repaired, moved, installed, or removed without a permit from the Building Official, and 'unless otherwise exempted, separate plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits will be required for actions and installations that are regulated by this code.' The 2025 California Plumbing Code, adopted citywide under Section 14.04.010, sets the technical standards a permitted plumbing job must meet.
Section 14.03.060.B.4 carves out two narrow exemptions on top of California Plumbing Code Section 104.2: stopping a leak in a drain, soil, waste, or vent pipe (unless the defective pipe must be removed and replaced, which counts as new work needing a permit and inspection), and clearing a stoppage or repairing a leak in a pipe, valve, or fixture, including reinstalling a water closet, as long as no valve or pipe is rearranged or replaced.
The Building Official, housed in the Planning and Community Development Department, reviews the application, issues the permit once fees under Section 14.03.100 are paid, and inspects the work under Section 14.03.110 before it can be covered or concealed. Permits expire if work is not completed within the time limits set in Section 14.03.080: 24 months for a single-family or duplex job, 36 months for multi-family or non-residential work, with up to two six-month extensions available for a fee equal to 2% of project valuation or $1,000, whichever is greater.
Violations & Fines
Doing plumbing work without a permit triggers an investigation fee under Section 14.03.100.E equal to the permit fee that would have applied, on top of the permit fee itself once the work is legalized. Section 14.03.050 makes any violation of the Building Standards Administrative Code a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to fix a leaking pipe in Pasadena?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
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