§ 14-59. Permits, inspections, fee and certificates.

(a)

Permits required. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, whether acting as principal, servant, agent or employee to do or cause to be done any plumbing work for which a permit is required within the city, without securing such a permit from the plumbing inspector of the city authorizing him to do so.

(b)

To whom permits may be issued. No permit shall be issued to any person, firm or corporation to do, or cause to be done, any construction or work regulated by this article, except to a person, firm or corporation holding a valid, unexpired and unrevoked plumber's license, except when and as otherwise hereinafter provided in this article.

(c)

Any permit required by this article may be issued to any person to do any construction or work regulated by this article in any dwelling or buildings of which such person is the bona fide owner, provided that said owner shall personally purchase all material and shall personally perform all labor in connection therewith, and provided that said owner can answer questions and draw such sketches as may be required by the plumbing inspector to show that he has sufficient knowledge and skill to install the plumbing work in a safe manner and according to the rules and regulations of this article.

(d)

Any person, firm or corporation (including the city) who is the bona fide owner of any premises, and who regularly employs one or more plumbers for work on this premises, who are registered according to this article, may obtain any permit required by this article.

(e)

Where the gas piping has been properly installed with properly sized outlets for the appliances, device or equipment to be connected, and where it does not require in excess of five feet of pipe to connect the gas burning appliance device, or equipment, any permit called for by this article may be obtained by any bonded licensed appliance dealer who has a person properly registered in accordance with the requirements of this article to do the work involved.

(f)

Any person, legally entitled to apply for and receive a permit shall make such application at the office of the plumbing inspector on forms provided for that purpose. He shall give a description of the character of the work proposed, including lot number, block number, name of addition or subdivision, street and house number of the premises where work is to be done, name of owner, kind of building, number of stories and a list of plumbing fixtures and appliances to be installed, and shall submit plans and specifications of the work to be done, where required by the plumbing inspector.

(g)

If the plumbing inspector determines that the plans, specifications, drawings, descriptions, or information furnished by the applicant are in compliance with this article pertaining to plumbers and plumbing, applicable in the city, he shall issue the permit applied for upon receipt of payment of the required fee as hereinafter fixed.

(h)

Cost of permit. Every applicant for a permit to install add to alter, relocate, or replace, plumbing, gas pipe, drainage system or part thereof, or to install, alter or relocate any appliance, fixture, device or apparatus, shall state in writing on the application form provided for that purpose, the character of work proposed to be done together with such information pertinent thereto, as the plumbing inspector may require. Such applicant shall pay to the city, for each permit issued and at the time of issuance, a fee in an amount as established by the mayor and city council from time to time. For the inspection of any plumbing or gas devices, appliances or equipment there shall be an hourly charge in an amount as established by the mayor and city council from time to time.

(i)

Duration of permit. If plumbing or gas work authorized under a permit is not commenced within 60 days after issuance of such permits, or if the work is commenced and then discontinued for a period of six months from the date of the issuance thereof, the permit shall become void, and no work shall be done on the premises until a new permit is issued and all permit fees are paid. No refunds shall be made for permits that have become void. Where circumstances beyond the control of the applicant requires that an extension of time be granted to complete the work, then, upon application, such permit may be extended at the discretion of the plumbing inspector for a period of not more than six months.

(j)

One permit shall be issued to one plumber on the same job. When one plumber completes the rough work, in whole or in part, on any plumbing job, and a second plumber is called upon to complete the work, in whole or in part, then, in that event, a separate permit is required, for which regular fees shall be paid for the work to be done. Each plumber shall be held responsible for only the work which he installed. Before the second plumber is issued a permit for the completion of a plumbing or gas job, the plumbing inspector shall first inspect the plumbing or gas work installed under the first permit and issue a certificate of approval of the work done under the first permit, if same is found to be installed in an approved manner. A second permit shall be invalid until, and unless, such certificate is given. The issuance of the second permit shall cancel the first permit and no refund of fees shall be made.

(k)

Notification. It shall be the duty of the person doing the work authorized by the permit to notify the plumbing inspector, orally or in writing, that said work is ready for inspection. Inspection shall be made within eight working hours (Saturdays, Sundays and holidays excluded) after the plumbing inspector has been notified that the work is ready for inspection.

(l)

Approval of roughing. When the rough plumbing or gas work has been completed on any premises and the plumbing inspector notified as set out in subsection (k) of this section, he shall cause an inspection to be made of the work while it is under test. If the said plumbing or gas work has been installed in accordance with the provisions of this article and withstands the prescribed test, the plumbing inspector shall sign the inspection approval card, noting thereon the date of approval. More than one rough inspection may be made without an additional charge when the type of progress of construction requires such inspection.

(m)

Final inspection. Upon the completion of all plumbing or gas work in any building or on any premises and the notification of the plumbing inspector as set out in subsection (k) of this section, the plumbing inspector shall cause an inspection to be made of the work. If such work is found to be correctly installed, replaced or repaired, and in accordance with the requirements of this article, the inspector shall sign the final inspection approval card, noting thereon the date of approval.

(n)

Notice of defects. If after any inspection (rough or final) and before issuance of an approval card, the plumbing or gas work is found to be faulty, incorrectly or defectively installed, the plumbing inspector shall notify the person authorized by the permit to do the work of the change to be made in order that the work will conform to the requirements of this article.

(o)

Reinspection and fee. For each and every reinspection made necessary by faulty, incorrectly or defectively installed plumbing, or gas work a reinspection fee as set out in subsection (h) of this section shall be paid by the person authorized by the permit to do the work.

(p)

Limits to correct defects. The person authorized by the permit to do the work shall, within 48 working hours from the date of notification, make or commence to make the changes ordered, and shall proceed with the work until the changes are completed. Upon completion thereof and payment of the reinspection fee, the plumbing inspector shall then cause a reinspection to be made and if said work is found to comply with the code, he shall sign the inspection card, noting thereon the date of approval of the work.

(q)

Continued notices of defects and reinspection. If the plumbing inspector should, upon reinspection, find the work incorrectly installed, he shall again notify the person authorized to do the work of the necessary changes, and shall collect an additional reinspection fee. If the required changes are not made within a reasonable time, the plumbing inspector shall refuse to issue to such person any additional permits until the faulty work has been corrected and approved.

(r)

Plumbing shall be approved. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to knowingly allow or permit water, gas or sewage to flow through water, gas or sewage piping that may have been installed, or such existing piping as may have been altered or repaired, or to use same, until such piping has been inspected, tested and approved by the plumbing inspector.

(Ord. No. 32, § VIII, 3-10-1964)