What do i need to consider about Plumbing permits and regulations in Fremont, CA

Plumbing, Electrical, Mechanical

Permit Information

An electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permit is required for most work.   
An electrical permit is needed for any change to a wiring system.
Mechanical permit is needed to replace a furnace or add an air conditioning equipment, but not to make repairs to existing equipment.
A plumbing permit is obtained for any new plumbing work or for replacing a water heater.  
These permits are sometimes referred as trade permits. The work covered by these permits may be associated with a building permit for a project, or may stand alone for specific tasks. 

Why do you need these Permits?

California Code and the City of Fremont regulates job sites to ensure that it is safe and code compliant. City inspectors provide inspections for permitted projects to verify compliance with the appropriate code.
As well, permits and inspectors watch to safeguard persons and homes from jeopardy that may happen from improper installation. Examples of the benefits of pulling a permit include: 

Plumbing Permit

Inspections ensure that drainage systems, water piping, gas piping, and water heaters are all installed properly.
For a water heater, earthquake straps are inspected because they prevent structural damage and the gas pipe from rupturing during an earthquake.
Where can I get these permits?  
You can apply for a permit at the Development Services Center, in your city.


BG Plumbing

Fremont Plumber. Plumbers in Fremont CA, Gas lines installation and gas leak repair

I had a gas problem under our house and called 3 contractors to come out and give me an quote.  Tsanko was the first to respond, during the 1/2 window he gave me, and was right on time.  It took him a couple trips under the floor to find the leak, without having to pressurize the pipes because we could not insulate our stove as it was too big and heavy to move.  Tsanko was here about 2 hours checking all the branches and finally found it.  He gave me a very detailed explanation of what was wrong and what had to be done to fix it, along with an report of what went to what on my gas lines, which I didn't know.  T. knew I was bidding out the job to 2 other companies and never pressured me.  The bid he gave me seemed more than reasonable.The 2nd company came out and I described to him that the first plumber found the leak, so he didn't even had to look under the home himself. He took off and came back about 20 minutes after with an outrageous $1000 price for 4 hours of work.  Very unprofessional.The 3rd plumber came out and actually went under the home, but couldn't find the leak.  Said he'd have to pressurize the valve to locate it, and would need someone back to help move the stove to turn it off.  Since BG spent so much time already and had found the problem and was nice enough to explain everything to me, I awarded him the job.  He came back right on time the next day and got rid of the leak.  He checked every single spot all the way to the gas meter to make sure he repair everything.  I was very pleased with his work and his work ethic.  I'm very happy to have found T. and will no longer "bid" out the process if I ever have a problem again because now I "trust" him and would of course call him again, if we ever have another plumbing job.


K.R.
Fremont, CA  11/06/2011

I already have a plumber I can count on

Tsanko is so good. I had a bad upstairs shower valve, it was leaking quite a lot so I was getting nervous it was going to be a pricey fix. We opened up the back wall to see exactly where the leak was coming from, and we knew which place of the valves it was coming from. Then, I called several plumbers to give an estimate of the solution. Two of the contractors came, looked at the valve leak and said they want to swap out the entirefauset, which will also mean opening up more wall, maybe damaging our old rusty galvanized pipes, costing hundreds of dollars. (It's an old house) It would also take at least three hours.
T. came and said the fix is very simple, swap out the diverter stem, since that's the part the leak is coming from. I was having doubts since the other two contractors told me you'd have to swap out the entire valve, and he tolerably explained to me that the body itself is just a piece of brass, even if you swap out the brass, it's going to continue to leak. It's the stem that's leaking. It made sense and he fixed it in 30 minutes ending up a little more than a hundred. We tested it and there was no leaks.
Two days after, another leak starts in the same bathtub after my roommate showered, I was starting to have doubts about Tsanko's fix. However, I tested the shower, and couldn't reproduce the drip, and was completely stumped. I called him, and he came right away at 9pm at night, and he quickly diagnoseddiscovered the problem. The leak only shows up if the faucet is dripping slowly, and my roommate hadn't turned off the valve all the way. It was basically lack of caulking plus the back washer being worn out. He offered the easy solution of just caulking up the cracks. This visit was completely free!
I was impressed by a few things:
#1. Unlike the other contractors, he was able to exactly pinpoint the problem. I'm sure if the other plumbers swapped out the whole body, they would've fixed the problem as well, but that would've been expensive, and dangerous, since my pipes were old and I wasn't ready to swap out a bunch of pipes right then.
#2. BG explains the problem and can show me what's happening
#3. He came out in the evening as soon as I called, and that it would be no charge.
I now have a plumber I can count on explain things to me so I can understand exactly what's the problem and how to fix it. T is knowledgeable and willing to help. I've already recommended him to my friends.

Tracy W.
San Jose CA 10/05/2011