El Dorado County, CA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted plumbing code
- 2009 Uniform Plumbing Code (IAPMO)
- Local amendment
- Sec. 110.16.170, permit exemption cross-reference
- Exemption source
- CBC Appendix Ch. 1, Sec. 105.2
- Permit expiration
- 2 years, renewable twice for 1 year
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- Fee authority
- Set by Board of Supervisors resolution
Summary
El Dorado County enforces plumbing work under the 2009 Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted by reference with a local amendment in Sec. 110.16.170 that ties plumbing permit exemptions to the same short list used for building permits.
Sec. 110.16.170. - Uniform Plumbing Code Chapter 1 Section 108.4, permits, fees, applications, and inspections. Chapter 1 Section 108.4.1 exception (1) of the Uniform Plumbing Code is amended: Work exempt from permits as specified in the California Building Code Appendix Chapter 1 Section 105.2.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 2 exemption list, the same narrow agricultural-building carve-out used for building permits generally. In practice this means nearly all plumbing installation, alteration, or repair work in unincorporated El Dorado County needs its own permit from the Building Safety Division; the only exemption tracks the Sec. 060 agricultural-building exception, and that exception itself only applies where 'no electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work or equipment is included' in the exempt structure. Because Sec. 16, the chapter's general amendments in Sec. 020 govern plumbing permits too: the Building Official is the El Dorado County Building Official, fees for plumbing permits are set by Board of Supervisors resolution rather than the model code's own fee tables, and a plumbing permit expires two years from issuance if the work is not completed and finaled, renewable twice for one year each only where a governmental agency caused the delay.
Sec. 070 further blocks issuance of any permit for a building with plumbing fixtures until the applicant shows an adequate potable water supply and an approved sewage disposal system through the Department of Environmental Management or the public sewer provider.
Violations & Fines
Plumbing work performed without the required permit is a misdemeanor under Sec. 110.16.020(C), punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in County jail, or both, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense; the Building Official or District Attorney can instead reduce it to an infraction with a $500 maximum fine. The Building Official may post a stop-work order and record a notice of noncompliance with the County Recorder until the permit and final inspection are obtained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which plumbing code applies in unincorporated El Dorado County?
Is any plumbing work exempt from a permit in El Dorado County?
How long is a plumbing permit valid before it expires?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Dorado County
California rules heatmap·Compare El Dorado County to another location·View the California building safety overview
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