City Code

440.01 Minnesota Plumbing Code.  The Minnesota State Plumbing Code, adopted by Section 410 of this Code adopting the Minnesota State Building Code, shall be applicable to pertinent provisions of this Section.

440.02 Permit Required.  No person shall construct, reconstruct, extend, alter or repair any plumbing work, or install any plumbing fixture, or connect any plumbing work with a cesspool or the City sewage system or the City water system, or install water conditioning equipment without first obtaining a permit from the City.  The application for a permit shall be made to the Building Official on forms provided by the Building Official.  The Building Official may require that the application include full plans and specifications for the work.  The Building Official shall grant the permit upon finding that the work will comply with the State Plumbing Code and this Code.  No change in the work for which the permit has been issued may be made without the written consent of the Building Official.

440.03 License Required for Plumbing or Water Conditioning Work; Exception.

Subd. 1 License Required.  An applicant for a permit required by this Section must be duly licensed or registered in accordance with Section 430 of this Code.  In addition, no individual shall construct, reconstruct, extend, alter or repair any plumbing work or building drainage, or construct cesspools, or construct, reconstruct, or connect any building drainage with cesspools or the City sewage system or the City water system either directly or indirectly unless such individual holds a valid master, journeyman or apprentice plumbing license issued by the State Department of Health to do such work; provided that a registered apprentice plumber shall be permitted to do plumbing work only under the direct supervision of a journeyman plumber who is present on the work site.  No individual shall install water conditioning equipment unless such person holds a valid master or journeyman plumbing license or a water conditioning installer license issued by the State Department of Health.  No individual shall display any sign stating or implying that said person is carrying on the business of plumbing unless said individual holds a valid master plumber's license issued by the State.  No owner, lessee or occupant of any premises in the City, nor the representative or agent of any such owner, lessee or occupant, shall knowingly hire or otherwise engage any person to do plumbing work or water conditioning installation work on such premises who does not hold a valid license issued by the State.

Subd. 2 Exceptions.

A.      Any other provisions of this Section to the contrary notwithstanding and where permitted by State Law, permits may be issued to make repairs, additions, replacements, and alterations to any plumbing or drainage work or install water conditioning equipment in any single family dwelling structure used exclusively for living purposes or any buildings accessory thereto, provided that all such work in connection with it shall be performed only by the person who is the bona fide owner and occupant of such dwelling as the person's residence or a member of such owner-occupant's immediate family.  "Immediate family" includes only a parent, spouse, child by birth or adoption, and such child's spouse.

B.      Water service and building sewer lines may be installed by persons who complete the training for and earn a Pipe Layer Card, their assistants and contractors who employ them so long as there is at least one cardholder in each trench where work is proceeding, providing they are duly registered and licensed under Section 430 of this Code.”

C.      Water service and building sewer lines may be installed by persons who complete the training for and earn a Pipe Layer Card, their assistants and contractors who employ them so long as there is at least one cardholder in each trench where work is proceeding.

440.04 Fees and Surcharges.  Applications for permits pursuant to this Section shall be accompanied by the fees set out in Section 185 of this Code.

A. Other Permit Related Fees. Reinspection fees, inspections outside normal business hours, inspections for which no fee is specifically indicated and fees for additional plan review required by loss, changes, additions or revisions to plans shall be in the amounts set forth in Section 185 of this Code.

B. Investigation Fee. If work for which a permit is required by the Code has been commenced without first obtaining a permit, a special investigation shall be made before a permit may be issued for the work. An investigation fee, as authorized by MSBC Chapter 1300.0160 Subp. 8, shall be collected, and is in addition to the required permit fees. The investigation fee shall be equal to the permit fee.

C. Outside Consultant Fees. Plan review, inspections and/or consultation fees for outside consultants may be collected and shall comprise the actual costs to the City.

D. Surcharge. In addition to the fees charged pursuant to Subd. 1 of this Subsection, each applicant for a permit shall pay a surcharge to the City in the amount set forth in M.S. 16B.70 to be remitted to the State Department of Administration pursuant to M.S. 16B.70.

440.05 Refusal of Permit.  The Building Official shall refuse to issue any permit for the installation of any plumbing work or water conditioning installation work in any building in which a plumbing system has, in whole or in part, been installed contrary to City Code provisions in effect at the time of such installation until such illegally installed plumbing shall have been removed from it or brought into compliance with this Code and the Minnesota State Plumbing Code.

440.06 Work on Condemned Plumbing.  Whenever any plumbing has been condemned by the Sanitarian or authorized assistant, a copy of the notice sent by the Sanitarian to the agent, occupant, or person in charge or control of the premises where such plumbing has been condemned shall be filed with the Building Official by said Sanitarian, and all repairs, alterations and installations made on such condemned plumbing shall be made and done in accordance with this Section.  The plumber hired to perform such work shall secure a permit for such work as required by this Section and shall make such tests of the completed work as may be required by the Building Official.

440.07 Permit Required to Install Hot Water Heaters.  No person shall install or reinstall any hot water heater or a hot water storage tank in connection with a heating element connected to any water system, without first having obtained a permit from the Building Official.

440.08 When Permit Not Required.  Permits will not be required for repairing leaks in water pipes or for repairs of faucets or valves.

440.09 Additional Regulations for Plumbing Installation.  The following additional regulations shall apply to all plumbing work:

Subd. 1 Minimum Depth.  The minimum depth of house water service lines shall be seven feet.

Subd. 2 Manholes.  All sewer services being cut into manholes where required shall be inside drops of cast iron with the pipe strapped to the manhole wall and painted with two coats of INERTOL POXITAR paint or equal.

Subd. 3 Laying Lines.  All sewer shall be laid with an even pitch without sags or bows.  Grades of sewer shall be one inch per eight feet minimum and one inch per two feet maximum.  All lines shall be laid on firm ground with back-fill, well compacted.

Subd. 4 Meters.  Meters shall be set at least one foot above the floor and not over four feet above it.  There must be a gate or ball valve on each side of the meter.

Subd. 5 Water Services Through Buildings.  All water services passing through a portion of the building shall be run under the floor or slab to the location of the meter.

Subd. 6 Curb Boxes.  Curb boxes must be brought up to grade and must be plumb and operable after backfilling.

Subd. 7 Ditches.  All ditches shall be left open until after inspection.

Subd. 8 Safety Regulations.  The following safety regulations are applicable whenever the plumbing work requires the digging of ditches or holes more than four feet deep:

A.  There must be at least two workers on each job at all times when work is in progress;

B.  All hand dug holes must be protected from collapse from the top to bottom as they are dug;

C.  All machine dug holes or ditches with perpendicular side walls must be shored or braced from top to bottom for their entire length. Metal box frames with 3/4" plywood sides or 3/4" plywood with metal jack spreaders spaced every three feet on center horizontally and vertically are acceptable as shoring.  All frames or shoring must be left in the excavation until after inspection;

D.  Unshored holes and ditches are acceptable only if the sides are sloped one foot out for every one and one half feet in depth.  A seven foot ditch must be 11'4" across the top, an eight foot ditch must be 12'8" across the top, and a nine foot ditch must be 14 feet across the top, assuming a two foot width across the bottom;

E.  All materials shall be kept back at least two feet from the edge of the ditch.  All rocks or large frozen pieces must be piled far enough back to prevent their rolling back into the ditch;