National City Municipal Code Ch. 15.20 California Plumbing Code

Footnotes:

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Editor's note— Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, adopted November 18, 2025, amended Ch. 15.20 in its entirety, in effect repealing and reenacting said chapter to read as set out herein. The former Ch. 15.20, §§ 15.20.005—15.20.070, pertained to similar subject matter and derived from Ord. No. 2023-2513, §§ 1—2, adopted February 21, 2023.

Prior ordinance history—Ords. 1424, 1590, 1840, 1876, 1913, 1976, Sections 20 and 21 of 2018, 2047, 2115, 2163, 2208, 2285, 2305, 2010-2352, 2013-2391, 2017-2425, 2019-2474, and 2023-2513.

The City Council adopts and incorporates herein for the purpose of prescribing in the City of National City, regulations governing the erection, installation, alteration, repair, relocation, replacement, addition to, use or maintenance of any plumbing, gas, or drainage piping and systems or water heating or treating equipment in or on any building or structure or outdoors on any premises or property, the 2025 California Plumbing Code, including Administration Divisions I and II, California Code of Regulations Title 24, Part 5, and Table 2902.1 of the 2025 California Building Code. The City Council does specifically and expressly find and declare specific changes in variation for local amendments to the administrative provisions of the 2025 California Plumbing Code. Copies of all codes are filed in the office of the Building Official and are adopted and incorporated as if fully set forth in this chapter, and the provisions shall be controlling within the city limits.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

Chapter 1, Division I, "Administration" is adopted. Chapter 1, Division 11, "Administration" of the 2025 California Plumbing Code is adopted subject to the additions, amendments, and deletions contained in this chapter.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

Subsection 103.4 of the 2025 California Plumbing Code is amended to read as follows:

103.4 Right of Entry. When necessary to make inspection to enforce any of the provisions of this code, or when the Building Official has reasonable cause to believe that there exists in any building or upon any premises a condition or code violation which make such building or premises unsafe, dangerous or hazardous, the Building Official, or his or her designee, may request entry as specified in Chapter 1.12 of the National City Municipal Code.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

Subsection 107.1 of the 2025 California Plumbing Code is amended to read as follows:

107.1 General. In order to hear and decide appeals of orders, decisions, or determinations of the Building Official relative to the application and interpretation of this code, the City Council shall appoint an ad hoc Board of Appeals comprised of three (3) of members who are qualified by experience and training to pass upon matters pertaining to plumbing design, construction, and maintenance, and the public health aspects of plumbing systems and who are not employees of the City. Board members shall serve at the pleasure of the City Council. The Board shall comply with Rosenberg's Rules of Order in conducting their business and shall render written decisions and findings to the appellant with a copy to the Building Official. Decisions of the Board may be appealable to the City Council by the appellant or by the Building Official within thirty (30) days of the decision of the Board, by the filing of a written notice of appeal with the Director of Community Development stating the reasons for the appeal. The person filing the appeal and the opposing party shall be given at least ten (10) days' written (?) notice of the time and place of the hearing on the appeal.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

Subsection 106.3 of the 2025 California Plumbing Code is amended to read as follows:

106.3 Penalties. Violation of any provision of this code shall be punishable as a misdemeanor and shall carry the penalties as prescribed in Chapter 1.20 of the National City Municipal Code.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

Subsection 104.5.1 of the 2022 California Plumbing Code is amended to read as follows:

104.5.1 Work Commencing Before Permit Issuance. Any person who commences any work on a building, structure, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system before obtaining the necessary permits shall be subject to an administrative penalty equal to the inspection fee portion of the permit fee that would be required by this code if a permit were to be issued. The administrative penalty is in addition to a permit fee.

When a plan review is required for issuance of such permit, the plan review fee portion will not be subject to said penalty. The payment of such administrative penalty shall not exempt any person from compliance with all other provisions of this code or from any penalty prescribed by law.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

"Expiration"—Amended.

Subsection 104.4.3 of the 2022 California Plumbing Code is amended to read as follows:

104.4.3 Expiration. Every permit issued by the Building Official under the provisions of this code shall expire by limitation and become null and void if the building or work authorized by such permit is not commenced within twelve calendar months from the date of such permit issuance, or if the building or work authorized by such permit is stopped at any time after the work has commenced for a period of six calendar months, or if the building or work authorized by such permit exceeds three calendar years from the issuance date of the permit. Work shall be presumed to have commenced if the permittee has obtained a required inspection approval of work authorized by the permit by the Building Official within twelve calendar months of the date of permit issuance. Work shall be presumed to be stopped if the permittee has not obtained a required inspection approval of work by the Building Official within each six- month period upon the initial commencement of work authorized by such permit.

In order for work to be recommenced, a Permit Extension Request must be submitted in writing and approved by the Building Official. Eligibility for a permit extension is specified below.

1. For permits for which work has not commenced in the first twelve calendar months from the date of issuance, a permit extension may be obtained provided that:

A. No changes have been made or will be made in the original plans and specifications for such work;

B. The expiration has not exceeded three years from the original issuance date;

C. The same edition of the adopted codes is in effect as used in the initial plan check;

D. A fee equal to one-half the amount required for a new permit is paid; and

E. The permit, even if extended, shall expire three calendar years from the date of initial permit issuance.

2. For permits where work has commenced and was subsequently stopped as defined herein, a permit extension may be obtained provided that:

A. No changes have been made or will be made in the original plans and specifications for such work;

B. The expiration has not exceeded three years from the original issuance date;

C. A fee equal to one-half the amount required for a new permit is paid, except that where construction has progressed and has been approved to the point of requiring only a final inspection, a fee equal to one quarter the amount required for a new permit shall be paid; and

D. The permit, even if extended, shall expire three calendar years from the date of initial permit issuance.

3. For an extension of an unexpired permit, the permittee may apply for an extension of time within which work under that permit may be continued when for good and satisfactory reasons, as determined by the Building Official in his or her sole discretion, the permittee is unable to continue work within the time required by section 15.20.030. The Building Official may extend the time for action by the permittee for a period not exceeding six calendar months beyond the expiration date in effect at the time of the extension application, upon written request by the permittee showing that circumstances beyond the control of the permittee have prevented action from being taken.

4. Permits issued where the permittee has been deployed to a foreign country, may be held in abeyance until six months after the return of the permittee from his/her deployment, if necessary, upon application for such relief by the permittee.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

Subsection 104.3.4 is added to the 2025 California Plumbing Code is to read as follows

104.3.4 Permit Denial. The Building Official may deny the issuance of a building permit on any property where there exists an unsafe or substandard building as provided in Chapter 15.10 and 15.16 of the National City Municipal Code, or where there exists unlawful construction or a violation of the National City Municipal Code.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

Subsection 104.5 of the 2025 California Plumbing Code is amended to read as follows:

104.5 Fees. Fees shall be assessed in accordance with the current City of National City Fee Schedule.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

Subsection 104.6 is added to the 2025 California Plumbing Code to read as follows:

104.6 Placement of Permit. The building permit or a copy, the inspection record, and the approved plans shall all be kept on site until the completion of the project. The inspection record is to be kept on the job unless removed by the Building Official.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

Subsection 104.3.2 of the 2025 California Plumbing Code is amended to read as follows:

104.3.2 Plan Review Fees. Where a plan or other data is required to be submitted in accordance with Section 104.3.2, a plan review fee shall be paid at the time of submitting construction documents for review. The plan review fees shall be assessed in accordance with the current City of National City Fee Schedule. The plan review fees specified in this subsection are separate fees from the permit fees.

Where plans are incomplete or changes so as to require additional plan review, an additional plan review fee shall be charged in accordance with the current City of national City Fee Schedule.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

Subsection 105.2.6 of the 2025 California Plumbing Code is amended to read as follows:

105.2.6 Reinspections. A reinspection fee may be assessed for each inspection or reinspection when any of the following occurs:

1. The portion of work for which the inspection was called is not complete or the corrections previously required and called for are not made;

2. Calling for an inspection before the job is ready for such inspection or reinspection;

3. The inspection record card or the approved plans are not posted or otherwise available to the inspector;

4. Failure to provide access on the date for which the inspection is requested; or,

5. Deviating from the approved plans when such deviation or change required approval of the Building Official.

To obtain a re-inspection, the permittee shall pay the re-inspection fee in accordance with the current City of National City Fee Schedule. In instances where a re-inspection fee has been assessed, no further inspections shall be performed until the fees have been paid.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

Table 104.5 of Chapter 1, Division II of the 2025 California Plumbing Code, entitled "Plumbing Permit Fees," is deleted.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

Table 422.1 of Chapter 4, of the 2025 California Plumbing Code, entitled "Minimum Plumbing Facilities," is deleted.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)

Table 2902.1 of the 2025 California Building Code is adopted. Plumbing fixtures shall be provided for the type of occupancy and in the minimum number shown in Table 2902.1. Types of occupancies not shown in Table 2902.1 shall be considered individually by the Building Official. The number of occupants shall be determined by this code. Occupancy classification shall be determined in accordance with Chapter 3 of the 2025 California Building Code.

(Ord. No. 2025-2556, §§ 1—3, 11-18-2025)