Covina plumbing permits: the counter, Handout #14 and Handout #12

That wording comes from the City's Handout #14, the guide for residential mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits, effective January 1, 2026. Its purpose, the handout says, is to make sure work complies with the California Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical Codes. It is broad on purpose. The City does not publish a list of small jobs that are exempt, so if a job touches supply piping, drain and vent piping, gas piping or a water heater, ask the counter before you assume no permit is needed.

Here is how that plays out for common residential jobs:

Handout #14 calls this email address the inspection request line. It replaces the phone or online scheduling systems some cities use. A complete request is the fastest way to get on the schedule, so put all four items in the email: permit number, address, inspection code and type (for example, rough plumbing or final).

The rule that trips people up is the concealment rule. "No work is to be concealed without prior inspection approval." Pipe in a wall, trench or slab has to stay visible until the inspector signs off. Closing drywall over a new drain or backfilling a sewer trench before inspection can mean opening it back up.

Handout #14 says that for owner-occupied residences and for single-family or duplex rentals, either the owner or a contractor may apply for a plumbing permit. For other work, an appropriately licensed contractor applies. Handout #12 narrows it for water heaters: a C-36 plumbing contractor or an approved homeowner-builder.

The Contractors State License Board warns that an owner-builder "assume[s] full responsibility for all phases of your project," and that people who offer to guide owners through the owner-builder process for a fee may be breaking the law. If someone suggests you pull the permit yourself so they can do the work, that is a red flag. A licensed contractor should pull it. Our guide to checking a plumber's license shows how to confirm a C-36 license before you sign.

All work through our line is performed by independent CSLB-licensed C-36 plumbing contractors, and the City permit is pulled when the job requires one.

Sewer laterals

In Covina the homeowner owns the sewer lateral from the house to the City main, including under the sidewalk and street. Replacing or relining it is permitted work. Work in the public right of way can also involve Public Works. Call 811 at least two business days before digging so buried lines are marked. Our sewer lateral guide and sewer lateral repair page go deeper.

Gas lines

New gas piping for a range, dryer, outdoor kitchen or tankless heater is pressure tested and inspected before it is covered. Sizing matters: a tankless heater usually needs more gas than the tank it replaces. See our gas line plumber page.

Repipes

A whole-house repipe replaces old galvanized supply lines with PEX or copper. The new pipe is inspected while walls are still open, then patched. See whole-house repiping.