Lake Forest Municipal Code Ch. 8.16 California Plumbing Code

Note: Prior ordinance history: Ords. 103, 130 and 177.

California Plumbing Code, 2025 Edition (California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 5), based on the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code as published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, including Chapter 1, together with the amendments provided in this chapter, is hereby adopted by reference as the Plumbing Code of the City of Lake Forest, regulating erection, installation, alteration, repair, relocation, replacement, maintenance or use of plumbing systems within the City, of which Code not less than one copy has been made and is now filed in the office of the City Clerk; and the same is adopted and incorporated as fully as if set forth at length herein.

Whenever the term "Authority Having Jurisdiction" is used in this Code, it shall mean the Building Official of the City.

Whenever the terms "Building Official" and "assistants" are used in this Code, they shall be construed to mean the Director of Community Development for the City of Lake Forest or designated representative.

(Ord. 231 § 5, 2011; Ord. 258 § 5, 2013; Ord. 291 § 5, 2016; Ord. 326 § 5, 2019; Ord. 360 § 5, 2023; Ord. 382, 11/18/2025)

A. Section 104.5, "Fees," of Chapter 1 of the Plumbing Code is hereby amended to read as follows:

Section 104.5 Fees. Fees shall be assessed in accordance with the provisions of this section and as set forth by Resolution of the City Council.

Failure to pay fees and obtain a permit before commencing work shall be deemed a violation of this Code, except when it can be proven to the satisfaction of the Building Official that an emergency existed which made it impractical to first obtain the permit. A violation shall result in an assessment of double permit fees for work done prior to permit issuance. Payment of a double fee shall not relieve any person from fully complying with the requirements of this Code nor from any other penalties prescribed herein.

For the purpose of this section, a sanitary plumbing outlet on or to which a plumbing fixture or appliance may be set or attached shall be construed to be a fixture. Fees for reconnection and retest of existing plumbing systems in relocated buildings shall be based on the number of plumbing fixtures, gas systems, water heaters, or other appliances involved.

When a permit has been obtained to connect an existing building or existing work to the public sewer or to a new private disposal facility, backfilling of private sewage disposal facilities abandoned consequent to such connection is included in the building sewer permit.

B. Section 104.5.3, "Fee Refunds," of Chapter 1 of the Plumbing Code is hereby amended to read as follows:

104.5.3 Fee Refunds.

104.5.3.1 Refunds. Permit fee refunds will be made in an amount equal to 80 percent where work authorized by said permit has not commenced; except that no refund will be made for less than $30.00, and no refund will be made if one year has elapsed from the date of permit issuance.

104.5.3.2 Plan check fee refunds will be made in an amount equal to 80 percent if the request for such refund is received before the commencement of the first complete plan check; except that no refund will be made for less than $30.00, and no refund will be made if one year has elapsed from the date of plan check fee payment.

104.5.3.3 Permit and plan check fees will be refunded in their entirety when inadvertently paid for a project outside the jurisdiction of the City or as duplicate fees, except that no refund will be made if 1 year has elapsed from the date of payment.

C. Section 106.3, "Penalties," of Chapter 1 of the Plumbing Code is hereby amended to read as follows:

106.3 Violation and Penalties. Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this Code shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and each such person shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each and every day or portion thereof during which any violation of any of the provisions of this Code is committed, continued or permitted; and upon conviction of any such violation such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000.00 or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(Ord. 231 § 5, 2011; Ord. 258 § 5, 2013; Ord. 291 § 5, 2016; Ord. 326 § 5, 2019; Ord. 360 § 5, 2023; Ord. 382, 11/18/2025)