Who pays for the sewer lateral in Buellton, CA

Most relevant if you are repairing or replacing the pipe

• Before work on the pipePermit

  Who issues it:

  City of Buellton

  What it covers:

  any work on any sewer or drainage system, and uncovering, connecting to or altering any public sewer; no sewer may be covered until inspected and passed

  Buellton Municipal Code section 14.32.010 bars any person from disturbing a public sewer or its appurtenances, or from performing "any work on any sewer or drainage system without first obtaining a written permit from the city." Section 14.32.090 adds: "No sewer shall be covered at any point until it has been inspected and passed for acceptance."

  What to do: Before any work on a sewer lateral, get a written permit from the City of Buellton, leave the pipe uncovered until the City has inspected and passed it, and give written notice at least 24 hours before the inspection. To install or replace a lateral in the street, use a licensed, bonded contractor, and ask which authority issues the street excavation permit.

  Why this matters▸▾

  The City's code puts the whole lateral on the property, the wye or saddle on the main included, so a repair anywhere along it is the property's to arrange under a City permit. The person doing the work has to tell the City in writing, not less than 24 hours ahead, that it is ready for inspection. In the street, section 14.16.070 provides that "Only a properly licensed, bonded contractor may install lateral sewers in the public right-of-way and connect the same to city sewer lines", with a bond of at least $5,000 covering up to a year or $500 for a single installation, and the connection to the public sewer is made under the City inspector's supervision. Section 14.32.150 requires a separate permit from the city, state, county or other entity with jurisdiction to excavate in a public street. Section 14.32.120 puts all costs of the permitted work on the owner, and a permit lapses if work does not start within 60 days.

  Current wording dates from 1993 · Checked 26 Sep 2026 (5 weeks ago)

  Buellton Municipal Code chapter 14.32, Permits and Fees

  Also quoted:

  • Buellton Municipal Code section 14.16.070, Connection to public sewer
  • Buellton Municipal Code section 14.16.010, Permit