San Ramon, CA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

San Ramon adopts the California Plumbing Code (Title 24 Part 5) through its municipal code and the Contra Costa County Building Division administers permitting. Plumbing permits are required for: water heater installation or replacement (including tankless conversions), new or relocated fixtures, repiping, sewer lateral repair or replacement, gas line modifications or new gas appliances, water softeners, water service line work, and backflow prevention device installation. All water heaters must meet current seismic strapping, T&P relief valve, expansion tank, and venting requirements. Tankless water heater conversions require electrical and gas upgrades documented in the permit. San Ramon water service is split between the Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) serving most of the city and East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) in some areas; each has separate service requirements. Sewer work connecting to the main is permitted by Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San), which requires a separate lateral permit and compaction testing for trenches. Licensed C-36 plumbing contractors must perform most work; owner-builders may perform work on their primary residence. CalGreen requires low-flow fixtures (1.28 gpf toilets, 1.2 gpm lavatory faucets, 1.8 gpm kitchen faucets) on new installations. Inspection sequence typically includes rough, top-out, and final.