Why is a permit required for something this routine?
Because a water heater is two hazards in one appliance. It is a pressure vessel holding forty to fifty gallons of very hot water, and on gas models it is a combustion appliance venting exhaust. Get the relief valve, the venting or the seismic anchoring wrong and the failure modes are scalding, carbon monoxide, or a full tank coming loose in an earthquake.
The permit is not the point. The inspection is. The permit is how the inspection gets scheduled.
What does California require for seismic strapping?
California Health and Safety Code, Division 13, Part 3, Chapter 2, Article 8 requires that new and replacement water heaters, and existing residential water heaters, be braced, anchored or strapped to resist falling or horizontal displacement from earthquake motion, at minimum in accordance with the California Plumbing Code.
The plumbing code specifies two strapping points: one within the upper third of the tank and one within the lower third.
Two straps, upper third and lower third. A single strap around the middle is a common sight in older installations and it does not meet the requirement. Neither does plumber's tape wrapped a couple of times around the tank.
What does the inspector actually look at?
- Two seismic straps, correctly positioned in the upper and lower third of the tank
- The temperature and pressure relief valve, and its discharge line, terminating correctly
- Thermal expansion control where the system is closed
- Venting on gas units, including type, slope, clearances and combustion air
- Gas connection and shutoff
- Correct drain pan and drain line where the location requires one
- Clearance around the unit for service access
- Elevation of the ignition source in a garage, where local code requires it
What happens if the replacement was never permitted?
Nothing, right up until it matters. Then it matters in three places.
- Selling the house. Unpermitted work commonly surfaces in escrow and gets negotiated against you, or has to be retroactively permitted on a deadline
- An insurance claim. If an unpermitted installation contributes to a loss, the claim gets a much harder look
- The next inspection. Any future permitted work in the same area can put an inspector in front of the unpermitted installation
A contractor who suggests skipping the permit is proposing to skip the inspection, which is the part that protects you. That is worth noticing about how they will approach the rest of the job.
Does this apply to tankless too?
Yes, and a tankless conversion usually involves more permitted work rather than less. Tankless units fire at a much higher input rate than a comparable tank, so the existing gas line is frequently undersized for the load and has to be upsized. The venting is different as well, since most tankless units require their own sealed vent rather than the existing flue.
Seismic strapping is a tank requirement specifically, since it exists to stop a heavy full vessel toppling. A wall-mounted tankless unit is instead mounted to structure per its own instructions.
Who pulls the permit, you or the contractor?
A licensed contractor pulls it under their own license, and that is what you want. When a homeowner pulls an owner-builder permit for work a contractor performs, the homeowner takes on responsibilities that would otherwise sit with the licensed contractor.
If a contractor asks you to pull the permit yourself for work they are doing, ask why. It is occasionally legitimate. More often it means something about their license, their bond or their insurance.
Common questions
How much does a water heater permit cost in California?
It is set by your local building department and varies by jurisdiction, so check with your city or county directly. It is a small fraction of the installation cost, and a licensed contractor normally handles the fee and the scheduling as part of the job.
Can I replace my own water heater in California?
A homeowner can perform work on their own residence and pull an owner-builder permit for it. Whether that is a good idea for a gas appliance with venting, combustion air and seismic requirements is a separate question, and getting the venting wrong on a gas unit is a carbon monoxide risk.
Do I need two straps or is one enough?
Two. The plumbing code calls for one strapping point within the upper third of the tank and one within the lower third. A single mid-tank strap does not meet it.
Does an existing water heater have to be brought up to code?
The strapping requirement in California applies to existing residential water heaters, not only new installations. Other elements of current code generally apply when the unit is replaced rather than retroactively.
How long does a water heater last?
A conventional tank commonly runs eight to twelve years. Hard water shortens that, and an anode rod that was never replaced shortens it further, which is a real factor in inland Riverside County.
My tank is leaking from the bottom. Can it be repaired?
If the leak is at a fitting or a valve, usually yes. If it is coming from the body of the tank, the tank has rusted through and it gets replaced. There is no patch for that and it does not get better.
Sources
The factual claims on this page come from these. Check them yourself rather than taking a contractor's word for it.