Los Angeles Municipal Code § 64.15 Permit and Inspection Fees

(a) An applicant for issuance of a permit pursuant to the provisions of Section 64.12 of this Code shall pay to the Bureau of Engineering, in addition to all other required fees and charges, the following fees where applicable: (Amended by Ord. No. 188,752, Eff. 12/7/25.)

1. A fee as set forth in Section 61.16 of this Code for every permit seeking a connection to an existing sewer line at the property line or to an existing storm drain or catch basin; and

2. An inspection fee of $2.84 for each linear foot of connection laid, re-laid, or for exposing a sewer housing connection pipe or a storm drain construction pipe in any public place or public right-of-way. The determination of the total amount of an inspection fee owed pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision shall be determined by an inspection of the site, and the inspection fee owed shall be paid in conjunction with the collection of trench resurfacing charges owed pursuant to the provisions of Subsection (b) of Section 62.05 of this Code.

(b) Where an applicant for issuance of a permit pursuant to the provisions of Section 64.12 of this Code seeks to connect to a sewer line that was constructed at no expense to an owner of the property for which the connection is sought, and the purpose of the connection is not to replace any existing house connection sewer, the Bureau of Engineering shall charge and collect, in addition to all other required fees and charges, a fee as set forth in Section 61.16 of this Code for each linear foot of house connection to be constructed. (Amended by Ord. No. 188,752, Eff. 12/7/25.)

(c) No Industrial Waste Sewer or Storm Drain Connection Permit will be issued unless the applicant has complied with the provisions of Section 64.30. When the provisions of Section 64.11.2 or Section 64.16.1 are applicable, no Sewer House Connection Permit will be issued until the applicant has complied therewith. No Special Drainage Connection Permit will be issued until the applicant has complied with all conditions established by the Board. No House Connection Permit (other than for repairs) and no Industrial Waste Sewer Connection Permit will be issued until the applicant has paid a sewerage facilities charge in accordance with Section 64.11.3. (Amended by Ord. No. 140,189, Eff. 5/11/70.)

(d) Where the is no existing Y or opening in the main line sewer, storm drain or catch basin, an additional tapping fee must be prepaid in accordance with Section 64.20 of this Code before any permit will be issued under this section. (Amended by Ord. No. 112,719, Eff. 2/28/59. )

(e) Before any permit is issued pursuant to Section 64.12 under which an excavation tunnel or the laying of sewer or storm drain pipe in any public street, public place or public easement is contemplated, the applicant must have a policy of protective liability insurance and either a cash deposit or surety bond on file with the Board in accordance with the provisions of Section 64.15.1. (Amended by Ord. No. 122,639, Eff. 9/15/62.)

(f) If the Bureau of Engineering or the Bureau of Contract Administration requires inspections for the issuance of any permit issued pursuant to the provisions of Section 64.12 or for oversight of the permitted project, the Bureau of Engineering shall charge and collect Special Inspection Charges pursuant to the provisions of Section 62.05 (a)(1)(cc). (Amended by Ord. No. 182,237, Eff. 9/28/12.)

(g) If the Bureau of Engineering is required, pursuant to issuance of a permit pursuant to the provisions of Section 64.12 or for oversight of the permitted project, to provide services not ordinarily required with respect to such permits, the Bureau shall charge and collect the actual costs of providing its services and a deposit of such costs as determined and collected pursuant to the provisions of Sections 61.14 and 61.15. (Amended by Ord. No. 182,237, Eff. 9/28/12.)

(h) No permit to connect which is subject to the provisions of Section 64.11.3(c) shall be added until the applicant has provided the City with proof of payment of the sewer connection fee required by the Los Angeles County Sanitation District in whose facilities sewage from the subject property is treated. (Added by Ord. No. 157,145, Eff. 11/22/82.)

(i) (Added by Ord. No. 178,958, Eff. 8/19/07.) There is hereby established, a requirement that the City perform a Sewer Capacity Availability Review (SCAR) when any person seeks a permit to connect one or more properties to the City’s sewer collection system, or proposes additional discharge through their existing public sewer connection, or wishes to obtain a SCAR in anticipation of a future sewer connection and that future connection or that proposed or future development is anticipated to generate 10,000 gallons or more of sewage per day. A SCAR is an analysis of the existing sewer collection system to determine if there is adequate capacity existing in the sewer collection system to safely convey the newly generated sewage to the appropriate sewage treatment plant. All costs incurred by the City in performing a SCAR shall be recovered through a SCAR fee as follows:

1. For any SCAR for a proposed sewer connection or possible future sewer connection and/or proposed development or future development that pursuant to the City’s sewage generation tables will generate

10,000 gallons or more of sewage per day, or proposes to discharge, pursuant to the City’s sewage generation tables, 10,000 gallons of additional sewage per day through their existing public sewer connection, a fee titled “Sewer Capacity Availability Review Fee” (SCARF) to cover the cost of SCAR shall be paid to the Board by the applicant before the SCAR is conducted.

2. The SCAR Fee or SCARF shall be based on the level of engineering analysis and data collection required to complete the SCAR. The SCARF amounts are:

Proposed Sewer Discharge SCAR Fee

(gallons per day) or SCARF
10,000 - 50,000 $1,300
50,001 - 100,000 $1,815
100,001 - 200,000 $2,075
200,001 - 350,000 $2,335
350,001 - 500,000 $2,600
> 500,000 $2,850

(j) All fees collected pursuant to this section, excluding storm drain revenues which shall be deposited into the General Fund, shall be deposited into the Sewer Construction and Maintenance Fund established by Section 64.19.2 of this Code, such monies to be expended for purposes set forth in said section and to provide for appropriate refunds relative to such fees. Storm drain revenues are monies collected from imposition of storm drain connection permit fees, special drainage connection fees and those fees imposed pursuant to Subsections (d), (e), as it relates to storm drains, and (g) of this section. (Added by Ord. No. 162,864, Eff. 11/22/87; Former Subsec. (i) relettered by Ord. No. 178,958, Eff. 8/19/07.)

(Amended by Ord. No. 122,639, Eff. 9/15/62.)

(a) Liability Insurance.

1. Required. Except as otherwise provided in this article, a permit required by Section 64.12 under which an excavation, tunnel or the laying of sewer or storm drain pipe in any public street, public place or
public easement is contemplated, will not be issued until the applicant has filed with the City Engineer a policy of protective liability insurance in which the City has been named as insured or coinsured with the
permittee. The policy of insurance shall insure the City and its officers and employees while acting within the scope of their duties, against all claims arising out of or in connection with the operations of the
permittee, or any contractor or subcontractor of the permittee, pursuant to the permit.

2. Amounts. (Amended by Ord. No. 153,469, Eff. 6/1/80.)

Bodily Injury $250,000 each person
$500,000 each occurrence
$500,000 aggregate products and completed operations

Property Damage $100,000 each occurrence.
$250,000 aggregate

A combined single limit policy with aggregate limits in the amount of $1 million will be considered equivalent to the required minimum limits.

3. Coverage. Such policy of insurance shall provide coverage at least as broad as that provided in the Standard Form approved by the National Bureau of Casualty Underwriters, together with such endorsements
as are required to cover the risks involved.

(b) Deposits. (Amended by Ord. No. 180,158, Eff. 10/4/08.)

1. Required. Except as otherwise provided in this article, a permit required by Section 64.12 under which an excavation, tunnel or the laying of sewer or storm drain pipe in any public street or public easement is

contemplated, will not be issued until the applicant has deposited with the Board not less than $10,000 in cash which shall remain on deposit with the Board for not less than six months from the date of the last permit issued to the depositor thereof. Such deposit will be held to insure the faithful and proper performance of the work and the payment of all charges required by Sections 64.12 to 64.22 inclusive, and the Board is hereby empowered to deduct from the cash deposit all sums due for charges hereunder and for any and all damages accruing to this City by reason of faulty, defective or incomplete work by the permittee.

2. Surety Bond in Lieu of Deposit. Whenever in this section a cash bond in the amount of $10,000 or over is required, the applicant may provide in lieu of such cash deposit, a good and sufficient bond in an

amount equal to the amount of such cash deposit, payable to this City, executed by the applicant as the principal and by a reliable surety company qualified to do business in California and the City of Los Angeles, which bond is satisfactory to this City. Such bond shall be deposited with and held by the City to insure the faithful and proper performance of the work and the payment of all charges required by Sections 64.12 to 64.22 inclusive, upon the same terms as those required by the cash deposit, in lieu of which, the bond is executed. The Board is hereby empowered to demand and receive payment from the bond for all sums due for charges hereunder and for any and all damages accruing to this City by reason of faulty, defective or incomplete work by the permittee.

3. Increase in Bond Amount. On July 1, 2009, the amount set forth in subsections 64.15.1(b)1. and 64.15.1(b)2. for both the required cash deposit and surety bond shall increase from $10,000 to $20,000. On

July 1, 2011, the amounts for both the required cash deposit and surety bond shall increase from $20,000 to $25,000 and on each July 1 starting in 2012, the amount of both the required cash deposit and surety bond shall increase annually by the percentage amount of the increase in the consumer price index for the previous calendar year rounded up to the nearest $100. Starting in 2012, all current Bonded Sewer Contractors shall be notified each year by April 1 of the new bonding requirements and the need to have a new bond in the correct amount in place by July 1.