Sewer lateral rules differ between neighbouring California cities
33 California cities under 21 different regimes, several of them sharing a border. No single authority can tell you this, because each one only knows about itself.
What the comparison shows
- 12 of the 25 cities that require something regulate their own sewer laterals. The rest defer to a wider body (East Bay Regional Private Sewer Lateral Program, Ross Valley Sanitary District, Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County and 3 others), so the paperwork differs on either side of a city line.
- Berkeley, Mill Valley, Millbrae, Morgan Hill, Richmond, San Bruno, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, San Rafael, Santa Cruz, Ventura and Whittier run their own programmes, so a certificate issued under a neighbouring city's scheme is not the same document.
- In 8 of the 33 cities covered here the answer is that nothing is required when a property is sold: Danville, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Leandro and Walnut Creek. Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Leandro state so directly - worth knowing before paying for an inspection nobody is asking for.
- These requirements did not arrive together: Millbrae's dates from 2011 and Santa Cruz's from 2026. A property sold before the relevant date will not have been subject to it.
- Who owns the pipe is not settled either. Alameda, Albany, Benicia and 34 others maintain the lower lateral - the run between the property line and the main, which is the half needing the road opened. Alhambra, Anaheim, Apple Valley and 92 others state the owner is responsible for the whole length instead. None of them publishes that the others disagree, and a quote that crosses the property line means something different on each side of it.
City by city
What it takes to open the ground
Being told an inspection is required is not the same as knowing what the repair involves. These are the 112 permits BelowGrid has read in full, one row each rather than one per city, because a single trench can need two from two different bodies.
- 14 different notice periods apply to the same trench: 24 hours before any inspection, annually, at least 24 hours, at least 48 hours, at least 48 hours before inspection, before the work commences, in writing as soon as the work is ready for inspection, in writing before the District schedules the work, not less than 48 hours, one working day, seven business days where the permit carries that condition, twenty-four business hours to the Public Works Department, twenty-four hours before work commences and two business days. Satisfying one authority does not satisfy another, and none of these pages mentions any of the others. A further 95 of these authorities publish no notice period at all. Concord, Fremont, Fresno, Larkspur and Danville also want telling when the work is finished.
- Only 51 of the 112 authorities here say where their own ground starts, and they do not measure it the same way: Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (at the property line cleanout the District's own maintenance answer turns on), Alhambra (at the street, where the house connection sewer runs on to the public sewer - though the owner keeps the whole run), Arcadia (at the private property line, where the house connection sewer continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it), Benicia (at the property line, where the building sewer ends and the lateral sewer runs under the street to the main), Beverly Hills (at the property line, where the private sewer lateral runs under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it), Buena Park (at the street right-of-way line, where the house sewer meets the connecting sewer - though the owner keeps both), Carlsbad (at the public place - though the owner's lateral runs on to the main, and sits in the right-of-way under a revocable licence), Carson (at the property line, which is where the adopted code's house lateral begins), Corona (at the right-of-way, where a sewer the city has accepted becomes the city's), Delano (at the private property line, where the building sewer continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it), Downey (at the property line, which is where this code's house lateral begins), Elk Grove (at the cleanout, beyond which the District owns and maintains the lower lateral), Fountain Valley (at the private property line, where the lateral continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it), Fremont (two feet from the building's footprint decides which authority permits the work), Fullerton (at the right-of-way, where the City may at its own discretion take on the lateral's upkeep), Garden Grove (at the street or sidewalk the excavation chapter governs, with the owner's lateral running to the public sewer), Hanford (at the private property line, where the lateral continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it), Irvine (at the right-of-way line, beyond which the water district rebuilds the lower lateral for a house), La Habra (at the curb, where the house sewer meets the connecting sewer - though the owner keeps both), Lafayette (about 20-25 feet from the centre of the road, on most residential streets), Lawndale (at the property line, which is where the code's house lateral begins), Lynwood (at the public street - though the owner's lateral runs on past it to the connection with the public sewer), Monrovia (at the private property line, where the lateral continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it), Orange (nowhere on this run - the owner's lateral reaches the main and includes the junction), Palos Verdes Estates (at the property line, which is where the adopted code's house lateral begins), Pleasanton (at the edge of the street or easement, where the side sewer meets the service lateral - though the owner keeps both), Porterville (at the private property line, where the house connection continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it), Redwood City (the cleanout at the property line belongs to the owner, and work beyond the right-of-way line needs the second permit), Rialto (the owner's liability runs up to and including the connection with the public sewer, so the last few feet are in the street), San Diego (at the public right-of-way or easement boundary), San Jacinto (at the connection with the public sewer, with the owner's duty reaching into the right-of-way), Santa Maria (at the public right-of-way, where the side sewer becomes the lateral sewer - though the owner keeps both halves), Santa Paula (at the private property line, where the lateral continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it), Simi Valley (at the right-of-way line the encroachment chapter governs), Thousand Oaks (at the property line, where the building lateral becomes the service lateral - though the owner keeps both), Tulare (at the private property line, where the building sewer continues under the street to the public sewer - though the owner keeps all of it), Victorville (at the property line, beyond which the City maintains - so a repair that reaches the street may be on the City's length rather than the owner's), West Sacramento (at the City's cleanout for a single-family home, where the City's lower lateral begins), Woodland (at the property line or curb line, where the City's maintained length of the lateral begins), Yuba City (at the sidewalk and street - though the owner's lateral runs on to and includes the wye at the main), Costa Mesa (nowhere on this run - the owner's length reaches the main and includes the connection), Eastern Municipal Water District (at the roadbed, outside which private maintenance activity must stay unless the District directs it), San Francisco (at the trap), Apple Valley (at the property line cleanout, where the lateral continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it), Danville (approximately 10 feet from the face of the kerb, varying through the Town), Woodside (at the property-line cleanout, beyond which the Town maintains), Simi Valley (at the meter, which the District maintains up to and including), West Bay Sanitary District (at the Conforming Property Line Cleanout Assembly, on the house side of which the device is placed), West Bay Sanitary District (at a conforming cleanout within 5 feet of the property line, beyond which the District may clear the run and without which it does not), West Valley Sanitation District (at an accessible property line cleanout, from which the District maintains the lower lateral to the main) and Paramount (at the highway - though the owner's lateral runs on past the property line to the main-line sewer). The rest leave an owner to guess whether their trench is private.
- Campbell, Carson, Dublin, Hermosa Beach, Lawndale, Newark, Orange, Pleasant Hill, San Francisco and Moraga can refuse the work outright rather than price it: a street moratorium closes a recently resurfaced road to trenching, which turns on when the ROAD was last paved rather than on anything about the property.
- Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, Anaheim, Corona, Downey, Hermosa Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Habra, Larkspur, Lawndale, Long Beach, Newark, Palos Verdes Estates, Pleasanton, Rancho Cucamonga, Redondo Beach, Redwood City, Rialto, Salinas, San Diego, San Jacinto, San Jose, Santa Ana, Santa Maria, Simi Valley, Union City, Walnut Creek, Costa Mesa, San Francisco, Danville, Los Gatos, Ross, Union Sanitary District, Simi Valley and West Bay Sanitary District regulate WHO may do the work rather than only how: a contractor from the next town may have to register locally before a permit can be issued.
- Carson, Downey, Elk Grove, Garden Grove, Irvine, Larkspur, Norwalk, Orinda, Palos Verdes Estates, San Jacinto, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Santa Clarita, Los Gatos, Ross, Union Sanitary District and Union Sanitary District are the only 17 authorities here that tell residents another agency's permit is also needed. Everywhere else the second permit is something an owner has to discover, usually from whoever they hired.
| Who issues it | What it covers | Notice before work | Where public ground starts | Money held |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Contra Costa Sanitary District | any sewer work outside the building, on or off property | at least 24 hours | — | — |
| Central Contra Costa Sanitary District | new construction, new connections, and all repairs or replacements of a side sewer | — | at the property line cleanout the District's own maintenance answer turns on | — |
| City of Alhambra, Director of Public Works | any excavation or fill in, over or under the surface of a public street | — | at the street, where the house connection sewer runs on to the public sewer - though the owner keeps the whole run | — |
| City of Anaheim, the Inspector | constructing or altering a sewer in a public street, connecting a house sewer to a connecting sewer, and constructing or altering a private sewer on private property | — | — | — |
| City of Arcadia City Engineer - a sewer permit for constructing or altering a house connection sewer, with an insurance certificate for work in a street | any construction, alteration or use of a house connection sewer, on the lot or in the street | — | at the private property line, where the house connection sewer continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it | — |
| City of Bakersfield, the city engineer approving and the city issuing the sewer permit | any person desiring to connect to a sewer of the city, with direct attachment of a sewer six inches or smaller permitted only after the permit is obtained and the fees paid | — | — | no amount is published; all required fees must be paid before attachment, and where the city does the work itself between the improved right-of-way and the main the charge is on a time and materials basis rather than a quoted figure |
| City of Benicia - a written permit to construct a building sewer or lateral sewer or connect to a public sewer | constructing or replacing a building sewer or lateral sewer, and any connection with a public sewer | — | at the property line, where the building sewer ends and the lateral sewer runs under the street to the main | — |
| City of Beverly Hills Director of Public Works - a permit to connect to, tap or maintain a connection to a public sewer | connecting to, tapping or reworking a connection to the public sewer, including replacing a private sewer lateral | — | at the property line, where the private sewer lateral runs under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it | — |
| City of Buena Park, through the city engineer | breaking the surface of or excavating any highway, and installing or maintaining any pipe under one | — | at the street right-of-way line, where the house sewer meets the connecting sewer - though the owner keeps both | — |
| City of Campbell | all work in the public right-of-way, including a sanitary district's own trenching | — | — | a refundable Faithful Performance Deposit, with the simplified residential permit's fee published at $290.70 |
| City of Carlsbad - the Transportation Department for the right-of-way, the Utilities Director for the sewer itself | excavating or opening any public place, and entering, uncovering or tampering with any portion of the public sewer | — | at the public place - though the owner's lateral runs on to the main, and sits in the right-of-way under a revocable licence | — |
| City of Carson, through the Director of Public Works | excavating a roadway, which is where this city's code puts the lateral | — | at the property line, which is where the adopted code's house lateral begins | — |
| City of Chico | an initial connection to the sewer system, and increasing the number of dwelling units on premises already connected | — | — | an owner required to install a lateral in a public street is entitled to be reimbursed part of what it cost them |
| City of Clovis, the City Engineer | connecting any lot to a public sewer or house branch sewer, with the house branch itself supplied and constructed by City forces | — | — | front footage, oversize and house branch charges, all payable before the permit issues and all set in the Master Development Fee Schedule rather than in the code |
| City of Concord | connecting any premises to the sewer system, including reusing an existing unused lateral, which must meet city standards first | — | — | the applicable charges, payable before the permit issues |
| City of Corona, through the City Engineer | laying, reconstructing or repairing a sewer line in the right-of-way, and excavating or disturbing a street | — | at the right-of-way, where a sewer the city has accepted becomes the city's | — |
| City of Daly City | breaking up, cutting, excavating, disturbing or undermining any public street, sidewalk, curb, right-of-way or public utility area or easement | — | — | two payments and neither figure is published: a deposit with the city, and separately a nonrefundable fee to be established by the city council by resolution |
| City of Delano engineer or inspector - a written permit for any connection with, opening into or alteration of the public sewer | work that uncovers, connects with, opens into, alters or disturbs the public sewer, and any tap on a main line sewer | — | at the private property line, where the building sewer continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it | — |
| City of Downey, through the City Engineer | constructing, using or altering a public sewer, main line sewer or house lateral | — | at the property line, which is where this code's house lateral begins | — |
| City of Dublin | any excavation in a street, and placing a pipe under one | at least 24 hours | — | a cash deposit or surety bond fixed by the City Engineer as sufficient to restore the street, with no figure published |
| City of Elk Grove, through the Public Works Director | laying or maintaining a pipe in a street or right-of-way, and any excavation or cut in one | — | at the cleanout, beyond which the District owns and maintains the lower lateral | a performance guarantee under the construction in streets chapter, with no figure in the code |
| City of Emeryville | any repair, replacement or abandonment of a private lateral, and any verification test | — | — | — |
| City of Escondido, the Building Division for the repair permit and Field Engineering for the encroachment permit | any sewer lateral repair, including repairs on private property, with an additional encroachment permit where the work digs in a street or other public right-of-way | — | — | no amounts are published on the pages read |
| City of Fontana | uncovering, altering or disturbing any portion of the sewer system, which includes the City's own half and not only the owner's | — | — | a fee set by resolution, with no figure in the code |
| City of Fountain Valley - an encroachment permit for the street, and the city engineer's sewer connection permit for connection work | excavations in city streets and other construction closing part of the right-of-way, and sewer connection work | — | at the private property line, where the lateral continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it | — |
| City of Fremont, with Union Sanitary District beyond two feet | the first two feet from the building, and separately anything under the sidewalk or street | one working day | two feet from the building's footprint decides which authority permits the work | a bond or certificate of deposit as security |
| City of Fresno, across Public Works Engineering, Planning & Development and Utilities Billing & Collection | connecting a property to the City's sanitary sewer system, including abandoning an existing septic tank or cesspool | — | — | — |
| City of Fullerton, through the City Engineer | laying pipes in a street and repairing or altering a street or its appurtenances, and constructing or reconstructing a lateral sewer service in the right-of-way | twenty-four hours before work commences | at the right-of-way, where the City may at its own discretion take on the lateral's upkeep | a cash bond at the City Engineer's discretion, or a surety bond above five thousand dollars, held until final field inspection |
| City of Garden Grove | excavating a street or sidewalk for the installation, repair or removal of a pipe | — | at the street or sidewalk the excavation chapter governs, with the owner's lateral running to the public sewer | — |
| City of Gardena, Engineering Division | work on house laterals under a sewer permit, and excavation in the street under a separate encroachment permit from the same division | — | — | — |
| City of Glendale, the director of public works | connecting private property to any public sewer system of the city, excepting the systems of Los Angeles and Burbank that flow into it | — | — | an excavation fee for work in public streets, plus a connection fee that is fifty dollars and change where the main predates 1 January 1942 and a proportionate share of the main's construction cost where it does not |
| City of Hanford public works director - an encroachment permit for any excavation in a city street or right-of-way, with the excavation bond | any excavation in a public street, alley, sidewalk or right-of-way, including repairs to a sewer lateral there | — | at the private property line, where the lateral continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it | — |
| City of Hermosa Beach | all work in the right-of-way, with sewer lateral connection a named utility permit type | — | — | — |
| City of Hermosa Beach, superintendent of streets | excavating a public street, and altering or disturbing street curbing | — | — | an amount set by the superintendent of streets to cover restoring the excavated area, with the balance refunded |
| City of Huntington Beach | installing any pipe, apparatus, appliance or connection to any part of the City sewer system | — | — | — |
| City of Irvine, Chief Building Official | any excavation in the public right-of-way, and maintaining an encroachment in a public street | not less than 48 hours | at the right-of-way line, beyond which the water district rebuilds the lower lateral for a house | a cash deposit set by the Chief Building Official to cover restoration and inspection, with a surety bond at twice the estimated cost where required |
| City of Irvine, Chief Building Official | replacing or rearranging pipe, valves or fixtures; clearing a stoppage or repairing a leak does not | — | — | — |
| City of La Habra | repairing or replacing a house sewer or connecting sewer where the work requires excavation in the public right-of-way | — | at the curb, where the house sewer meets the connecting sewer - though the owner keeps both | — |
| City of Lafayette | any work or stored materials in the right-of-way | two business days | about 20-25 feet from the centre of the road, on most residential streets | typically $2,500, refundable, on top of a fee typically $247.50 |
| City of Larkspur, Public Works Department | any work in the public right-of-way, with water and sewer lateral repair named as its own emergency permit category in both trenchless and open-cut form | two business days | — | — |
| City of Lawndale public works department | excavating or disturbing any public street or right-of-way, which is where this city's code puts the lateral | seven business days where the permit carries that condition | at the property line, which is where the code's house lateral begins | a performance and removal bond in an amount set by the city engineer, with no figure in the code |
| City of Long Beach, the General Manager, through the Plumbing Division of the Planning and Building Department | constructing or altering a private sewer on private property or a sewer lateral, and separately any sewer within a public street | — | — | — |
| City of Los Altos | uncovering, connecting to, altering or disturbing any public sewer, and any work on a lateral or building sewer | — | — | — |
| City of Lynwood, City Engineer | commencing any work or placing any obstruction in or upon a public street, including parkways and sidewalks | — | at the public street - though the owner's lateral runs on past it to the connection with the public sewer | — |
| City of Merced, the city engineer | repairing any connection between a building or premises and the city sewer | — | — | the engineer's own estimate of the repair, including opening and repairing the street or alley, deposited before the permit issues; the City then does the work against the deposit and refunds the excess |
| City of Modesto, Land Development Engineering | all work performed in the City's right-of-way, with sewer lateral repair and installation named among the examples | — | — | no amount is published; the contractor must carry workers' compensation and liability insurance on file with the City, and permit costs are excluded from the Cost-Share Program's reimbursement |
| City of Monrovia street superintendent - a written permit for any excavation in or under a public place | any excavation in or under the street for installing, repairing or removing a pipe, including a sewer lateral | — | at the private property line, where the lateral continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it | — |
| City of Monte Sereno | any work within the right-of-way, under Title 8 chapter 3 of the City Code | — | — | — |
| City of Newark | any construction or obstruction in a public street or dedicated public easement | — | — | a performance bond of 120% of the approved cost estimate or $1,000, whichever is greater, plus 10% held through a one-year maintenance period |
| City of Norwalk - the City Engineer for the street, the Building Official for the pipe | excavating a street or public place, and constructing, altering, repairing or replacing a plumbing system | — | — | a surety bond or cash deposit set under the excavation chapter, with no figure in the code |
| City of Oakland | installing a lateral in private property or in the City right-of-way | at least 48 hours | — | — |
| City of Oceanside, Water Utilities Department | sewer house connection repairs or replacement where any portion of the work touches, extends into or encroaches upon a public right-of-way, and separately any work at all on the city's sanitary sewer system | — | — | no amounts are published on the pages read |
| City of Orange, Department of Public Works | excavating a public street for the installation, repair or removal of a pipe, and any excavation in the right-of-way | — | nowhere on this run - the owner's lateral reaches the main and includes the junction | a deposit calculated per square foot of excavation with a minimum, or a general deposit or surety bond instead |
| City of Orinda | excavation in the street or right-of-way | — | — | — |
| City of Oxnard, the city manager for connections and the public works department for abandonments | connecting private property to the sewer system, and abandoning a sewer lateral when a structure is demolished without replacement | — | — | a connection fee is required and no amount is published in the code; an owner who leaves a lateral unsealed may instead be charged the City's own cost of doing it, as a debt to the city |
| City of Palos Verdes Estates - the public works director for the street, the city engineer for the sewer | excavating a street, and separately constructing, using or altering a house lateral | — | at the property line, which is where the adopted code's house lateral begins | a trench cut cost recovery fee and deposits set by council resolution, with no figure in the code |
| City of Pasadena, Department of Public Works | all sewer repairs, including the installation of a pipe liner, whether or not an excavation in the public right-of-way is required | — | — | no permit fee is published; the code sets a separate charge of $7.50 for permission to connect where no Y or T has previously been installed, and the CCTV review carries a flat fee per the City's current general fee schedule |
| City of Piedmont | work on the private sewer lateral between the building and the City main, as a full or partial replacement | — | — | — |
| City of Pleasant Hill | work in the public right-of-way or easement | — | — | — |
| City of Pleasanton | constructing, installing, altering or repairing a side sewer, service lateral or trunk sewer, and any excavation in a public right-of-way | — | at the edge of the street or easement, where the side sewer meets the service lateral - though the owner keeps both | — |
| City of Porterville - a permit to construct a sewer in a street, alley or easement, or to connect onto the City sewer system | constructing a sewer in the street and connecting onto the City sewer, including replacing a house connection | — | at the private property line, where the house connection continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it | — |
| City of Rancho Cucamonga | any excavation or opening in a public place | 24 hours before any inspection | — | a cash deposit or equivalent at the city engineer's discretion, in an amount the city engineer sets, on top of a permit fee set by council resolution and waived for the water district |
| City of Redondo Beach, the Engineer | any connection with a public sewer of the City, and making one without a permit is unlawful to maintain as well as to make | — | — | — |
| City of Redwood City | repairing the sewer lateral, with a separate encroachment permit for work on, over or under a right-of-way | — | the cleanout at the property line belongs to the owner, and work beyond the right-of-way line needs the second permit | — |
| City of Rialto | any maintenance on the building sewer needing an excavation in the public right-of-way, and separately uncovering, connecting to, altering or disturbing any public sewer | — | the owner's liability runs up to and including the connection with the public sewer, so the last few feet are in the street | — |
| City of Salinas | uncovering, connecting to, altering or disturbing any public sewer, and separately installing a building sewer | — | — | — |
| City of San Diego | work within the public right-of-way or a water or sewer easement | — | at the public right-of-way or easement boundary | — |
| City of San Jacinto, through the superintendent | constructing, using or altering a public or house connection sewer; clearing a stoppage or repairing a leak is exempt unless the pipe is replaced in different material | in writing as soon as the work is ready for inspection | at the connection with the public sewer, with the owner's duty reaching into the right-of-way | a bond in a sum set by resolution of the city council, required of the registered contractor before a connection permit |
| City of San José, department of public works | any excavation in a public street to repair or clean a lateral sewer drain, with written permission required before the work | — | — | a general deposit against street damage, set in the council fee schedule, waived for a city-licensed master plumber |
| City of Santa Ana | any sewer connection | — | — | a fee set as the applicant's proportionate share of the cost of construction, computed from the net increase in fixture units, with the per-unit assessment set by council resolution and no figure published |
| City of Santa Clara | connecting any premises to the sewer system, with a separate connection for each building unless the Director permits sharing in writing | — | — | the established connection fees, payable before the permit issues; the City prices a City-laid lateral at $46,993 excluding the cleanout |
| City of Santa Maria, Public Works Department | installing, removing or reconstructing an underground pipeline on any public street or way | — | at the public right-of-way, where the side sewer becomes the lateral sewer - though the owner keeps both halves | — |
| City of Santa Monica, the Street Superintendent issuing and the Utilities Division making the connection | making, constructing, altering or repairing any house connection sewer or any portion of one, with clearing a stoppage exempt unless pipe is replaced or a street, sidewalk or sewer easement is excavated | — | — | no amounts are published; permit and inspection fees are set under section 7.04.510, a tapping or saddling fee is set by council resolution, and connecting to a house connection the City built requires paying the City's recorded construction cost before the permit issues |
| City of Santa Paula director - an encroachment permit for any encroachment or excavation in the right-of-way | any encroachment upon, over, under or within a right-of-way, including an excavation to repair a sewer lateral | — | at the private property line, where the lateral continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it | — |
| City of Santa Rosa, Water Engineering for encroachment permits and the Director of Utilities for work on a public sewer | any work in a public right of way or public utility easement, and separately any uncovering, connection, opening, alteration or disturbance of a public sewer | — | — | — |
| City of Simi Valley, Building Official | removing and replacing defective pipe, which the code counts as new work; clearing a stoppage or stopping a leak does not | — | — | — |
| City of Simi Valley, Director of Public Services | excavating a street, and repairing a pipe in, along, across or through one | before the work commences | at the right-of-way line the encroachment chapter governs | a cash deposit set by the Director of Public Works to cover restoring the right-of-way, released ninety days after completion |
| City of Thousand Oaks - the building official for the pipe, the City Engineer for the right-of-way | altering or repairing building service equipment, and excavating or placing a pipe within a right-of-way | twenty-four business hours to the Public Works Department | at the property line, where the building lateral becomes the service lateral - though the owner keeps both | — |
| City of Torrance, Community Development Department for the two permits and the Street Superintendent under the code | altering any public or house connection sewer in the City, split between a Plumbing Permit for the run from the building to the property line and a Construction & Excavation Permit for the run from the property line to the sewer main | — | — | — |
| City of Tulare General Manager - a written permit to alter or connect to the public sewer, or to install, alter or replace sewage facilities | installing, altering, relocating or replacing any part of the sewage facilities, and any opening into or connection with the public sewer | — | at the private property line, where the building sewer continues under the street to the public sewer - though the owner keeps all of it | — |
| City of Union City | construction or improvements in the public right-of-way | — | — | a faithful performance bond of 110% of the estimated cost of work, due before the permit issues |
| City of Ventura, Ventura Water and the Building and Safety Division | any sale of a property, with the inspection a condition precedent and the report going to the buyer and the city | — | — | — |
| City of Victorville | any repair on a building sewer, and a second right-of-way permit where the work encroaches on the public right-of-way | — | at the property line, beyond which the City maintains - so a repair that reaches the street may be on the City's length rather than the owner's | — |
| City of Visalia, the director | an initial connection to the sewer system, and increasing the number of dwelling units on premises already connected | — | — | the City installs all lateral sewers and their connections to the mains, and charges the property owner for the cost |
| City of Walnut Creek | any work in the public right of way | — | — | — |
| City of West Sacramento - a sewer permit for installing, altering or repairing any side sewer or building sewer, and a separate street excavation permit for work in a public street | any work on a lateral or building sewer, on the owner's land or in the street | — | at the City's cleanout for a single-family home, where the City's lower lateral begins | — |
| City of Woodland - a written permit, issued to contractors, for any connection with, opening into or alteration of the public sewer, and an encroachment permit for work in the right-of-way | work that uncovers, connects with, opens into or alters the public sewer, and any excavation in the right-of-way | — | at the property line or curb line, where the City's maintained length of the lateral begins | — |
| City of Yuba City | constructing a building sewer or service lateral, or connecting to a public sewer | — | at the sidewalk and street - though the owner's lateral runs on to and includes the wye at the main | — |
| Costa Mesa Sanitary District | a condominium conversion, a remodel over $25,000, an enlargement of 200 square feet or more, two or more added plumbing fixtures, or a sewage overflow | — | nowhere on this run - the owner's length reaches the main and includes the connection | — |
| County Engineer, under Los Angeles County's ordinance adopted by the City | constructing, using or altering any public sewer, main-line sewer or house lateral | — | — | — |
| Eastern Municipal Water District | modifying or relocating an existing sewer service lateral, and connecting a new one | in writing before the District schedules the work | at the roadbed, outside which private maintenance activity must stay unless the District directs it | inspection charges from the Consolidated Schedule of Rates, Fees and Charges, paid before authorisation, with no figure in the code |
| Los Angeles Board of Public Works | making, constructing, altering or repairing any house connection sewer or any part of one, but not clearing a stoppage unless that means replacing pipe or excavating in a street, sidewalk or easement | — | — | — |
| San Francisco Public Works | work past the trap, towards the roadway and up to the sewer main; the run between the property and the trap goes through general excavation instead | — | at the trap | a Street Excavation Bond of at least $25,000, maintained with the Department of Public Works |
| Sanitary District No. 5 of Marin County | the private lateral, on sale, on more than $50,000 of work in three years, or when the District works on the main or the road nearby | — | — | a residential permit of $235, plus a $57 trip fee where the site is not ready for a booked inspection |
| Town of Apple Valley - advance authorization to construct sewers or connect to the Town sewer system, and a connection permit for laterals | constructing or installing a sewer lateral and connecting it to the Town sewer | — | at the property line cleanout, where the lateral continues under the street to the main - though the owner keeps all of it | — |
| Town of Atherton | any work in the public right-of-way, with a named permit type for utility service connections including sewer | — | — | — |
| Town of Danville | any work in the public right of way | at least 48 hours | approximately 10 feet from the face of the kerb, varying through the Town | a security deposit, amount not published |
| Town of Fairfax | work or encroachment on a local agency right-of-way, with sewer improvement named on the form | — | — | — |
| Town of Los Gatos | temporary use of the public right-of-way for private construction, naming sewers twice | — | — | — |
| Town of Moraga | any construction in the public right-of-way | — | — | may be required, for repair of damaged paving |
| Town of Portola Valley | any work in the public right-of-way, naming trenching for utilities | — | — | fees and bonds both payable before work commences, with neither amount published |
| Town of Ross | any work in the public right-of-way, including the planting strip and driveway cut | — | — | — |
| Town of San Anselmo | any work in the Town's public right of way | — | — | — |
| Town of Woodside | uncovering, connecting to, altering or disturbing a public sewer | at least 48 hours before inspection | at the property-line cleanout, beyond which the Town maintains | fees and connection charges from the Town schedule, with no figure in the code |
| Union Sanitary District | demolishing a building served by the sewer, and capping or abandoning the lateral that served it | — | — | a $200 permit and inspection fee plus a $500 refundable deposit, returned on final inspection |
| Union Sanitary District | any work before it begins, including repairs on private property | — | — | — |
| Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8 | installing or replacing a backflow prevention assembly, and testing an existing one | annually | at the meter, which the District maintains up to and including | — |
| West Bay Sanitary District | rehabilitating or replacing a private sewer lateral, by open trench or trenchless method | — | — | a permit fee of $510 for an open-trench repair and $720 for a trenchless one, including the District's inspection |
| West Bay Sanitary District | installing a backflow prevention device where the floor sits less than twelve inches above the nearest upstream manhole | — | at the Conforming Property Line Cleanout Assembly, on the house side of which the device is placed | — |
| West Bay Sanitary District | uncovering, connecting to, altering or disturbing any public sewer or appurtenance | — | at a conforming cleanout within 5 feet of the property line, beyond which the District may clear the run and without which it does not | — |
| West Valley Sanitation District | connecting to the District's sanitary sewer system, which needs a sewer connection permit or a wastewater discharge permit | — | at an accessible property line cleanout, from which the District maintains the lower lateral to the main | — |
| the County Road Commissioner, named in Paramount's own streets title as the officer who issues it | any excavation, fill or obstruction, or other work of any nature, in, over, along, across or through any highway | — | at the highway - though the owner's lateral runs on past the property line to the main-line sewer | — |
An em dash means the authority publishes nothing on that point, which is not the same as there being nothing to meet. Ask before you dig.
Why it matters at a city line
A compliance certificate is issued under a particular programme. Where two adjacent cities answer to different bodies, a certificate from one is not the document the other asks for — even where the underlying inspection would have been identical.
Berkeley, Mill Valley, Millbrae, Morgan Hill, Rancho Palos Verdes, Richmond, San Bruno, San Leandro, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, San Rafael, Santa Cruz, Ventura, Whittier each regulate their own laterals, so a seller in one of them deals with that city rather than with a regional programme.
BelowGrid reports what each authority states. It does not advise which applies to a particular transaction, and a certificate’s validity is a question for the body that issued it.
How this was produced
Each city links to its own page, and each row links to the document it was read from. A city appears under the authority whose area covers it, which is not always the body that bills you for sewer service.
What this does not tell you
- This table compares the cities whose codes have been read. A city missing from it has not been read yet - ask it directly.
- In this state but not in the table, because nobody here has read their code yet: Alhambra, Anaheim, Apple Valley, Arcadia, Atherton, Bakersfield, and 123 more.
- Each row states the requirement at sale only. These programmes also have triggers at major remodelling and at changes to a water meter, which are not compared here.