licensed plumber?

[fireman1173005]

I checked with the city that I live in and to install a sprinkler system on someone's property besides your own you must be a licensed plumber. So is everyone a licensed plumber that owns irrigation companies or is there a way around this?


Brian

[Wet_Boots]

Not hardly. Besides, what's your source of information?

[fireman1173005]

The city code enforcement officer. He said I would need a licensed plumber for the lines and a licensed electrician to do any electrical part.

[Wet_Boots]

The code officer did not tell you that the trades would be needed to install heads and zone valves. Plumbing and electrical work are subject to local rule. As far as electrical goes, there's a reason that indoor controllers work from plug-in transformers. No line-voltage wiring required.

[EagleLandscape]

Fireman,

I doubt that is the case...

[benjammin]

I checked with the city that I live in and to install a sprinkler system on someone's property besides your own you must be a licensed plumber. So is everyone a licensed plumber that owns irrigation companies or is there a way around this?


Brian

Here you have to be certified backflow installer. There are quite a few that aren't.
You don't have to be a licensced plumber.
A legal "work-around" for you would be to buddy up with a plumber and for a nominal fee have him sign-off as doing the oversight and final connection/inspection.

[GreenLight]

I checked with the city that I live in and to install a sprinkler system on someone's property besides your own you must be a licensed plumber. So is everyone a licensed plumber that owns irrigation companies or is there a way around this?


Brian

Make them show you the ordinance. We have had these jokers try the same thing in certain municipalities, most of the time they are misinterpreting the wording of the ordinance or the requirements.

Yes, it is true that most everywhere you are required some type of licensing to do taps and backflows. Generally once you get past the backflow it's fair game, always good to have a contractor's license obviously. Usually the guys who try to enforce this stuff don't understand the wording. In order to mess with the cities plumbing you have to be a licensed plumber, but generally once you get the tap and backflow in by a licensed installer, you are basically doing the exact same thing as attaching a hose pipe to a spicket.

[Mike Leary]

Use the plumbers to make the tap, the electricians to hard wire the clock; home free.:sleeping:

[fireman1173005]

Make them show you the ordinance. We have had these jokers try the same thing in certain municipalities, most of the time they are misinterpreting the wording of the ordinance or the requirements.

Yes, it is true that most everywhere you are required some type of licensing to do taps and backflows. Generally once you get past the backflow it's fair game, always good to have a contractor's license obviously. Usually the guys who try to enforce this stuff don't understand the wording. In order to mess with the cities plumbing you have to be a licensed plumber, but generally once you get the tap and backflow in by a licensed installer, you are basically doing the exact same thing as attaching a hose pipe to a spicket.

good Idea, nothing like putting them on the spot, if they can't show me then they can't enforce it because they are making it up!!!

[Mike Leary]

You're right about your comment, fireman; dump the the sigs on this forum, though.We really don't really care. :hammerhead:

[Waterbringer]

In Washington state, code is as follows:

Up to and including water meter: city/water purveyor
Between meter and the walls of your house: owner (fair game)
Walls of your house and everything in between: licensed plumber

Caveats: Backflow assemblies can only be tested by certified BF testers regardless of location. BF assemblies IN your house can be tested by BF testers, but only repaired by plumbers or BF testers with a specialty L & I license. Anyone tapping into your service line outside of your house does not have to be licensed, however I would obviously suggest having experienced, insured/bonded companies do this.

In theory, if you are tapping into your domestic line outside of your house, you can do the whole thing w/out a single license, other than having the BF assembly tested by a certified tester (and even then, only if your water district requires it, many don't). As for the electrical, as long as you are not tinkering with high voltage (ie 110v stuff, and not counting outlets of course) you should be fine with anyone doing the job, provided they know what they're doing.

At the company I work for, the boss himself has both plumbing and electrical licenses, but only for the rare occasions that he has a tricky/odd job. The rest of us are certified BF testers only.

Again, I'm only speaking for WA, so check with your states'/municipalities' rules and regs for the final word.

People who call licensed plumbers/electricians tend to be either A) in an emergency where they need the expertise and are actually willing to pay for it or B) rich, and can afford to toss money at stuff they aren't inclined to do themselves. There is, I suppose, a C) people-who-aren't-rich-but-want-to get-something-done-and-the-law-says-they-have-to-have-a-licensed-dude come-out-and-get-it-done group, but I'm guessing you aren't in this group, except for maybe the tap/backflow installation.

Good luck on doing it yourself. Just don't use Home Depot stuff. Really. Please don't do this.

[Mike Leary]

Money is not the point; sharing liability and expertise is.