Commercial Plumber in San Francisco, CA

A Property Manager’s Guide to Plumbing in San Francisco

One agency for water and sewer

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) provides both drinking water and sewer service across the city. Its 24-hour line for water, sewer and power emergencies is 311, or (415) 701-2311 from outside San Francisco, and requests can also be filed at sf311.org or in the SF311 app. Water and sewer billing questions go to SFPUC Customer Service at 415-551-3000 during business hours. Save these with your building’s emergency contacts.

Sewer laterals: owned end to end, repaired in two parts

The SFPUC owns the sewer main; the property owner owns the entire lateral, including the upper lateral, lower lateral, vent and trap. The owner must have a licensed plumber or contractor inspect and maintain the whole line, including clearing and jetting, and the SFPUC recommends a proactive inspection at least every five years.

Repairs split at the curb. The upper lateral, from the building to the curb, is the owner’s to repair or replace under the San Francisco Plumbing Code. For the lower lateral, from the curb to the main, a plumber who finds a structural problem should report it through 311; the SFPUC then inspects it and, in most cases, repairs or replaces it at no extra cost to the owner. Where the sewer main runs through private property in an easement, the City does not maintain or repair laterals in that area.

New lateral work in the street needs a San Francisco Public Works side sewer permit, which covers the run from the trap to the main and requires a qualifying contractor license and a street excavation bond of at least $25,000; work between the building and the trap needs a General Excavation Permit instead. The SFPUC says a backwater valve isn’t required for most properties but may be needed where the lowest fixture drain sits below the lateral’s vent; DBI’s Plumbing Division can confirm. See commercial sewer repair.

Restaurants: the FOG Control Ordinance

San Francisco’s FOG Control Ordinance has been in the Public Works Code since 2011. SFPUC inspectors assign each food service establishment a FOG discharger category based on its cooking equipment and fixtures:

• Category 1: significant grease and no equipment. Must install an approved grease removal device (GRD) or gravity grease interceptor, within 60 days of notice from the City.
• Category 2: significant grease with equipment in place. The equipment must capture every grease-bearing line, be properly sized, installed, maintained and serviced; replacements must be GRDs, not passive traps.
• Category 3: less-significant grease. Any type of grease capturing equipment is allowed.
• Category 4: reheat or assemble-only kitchens. No equipment required.

Approved GRDs must be certified to ASME 112.14.3 and 112.14.4. New restaurants install a GRD before opening, remodels that raise grease output trigger a reassessment, and a new owner must contact the SFPUC to find out what’s required. Garbage grinders are prohibited. A business with its own water/sewer account that installs a GRD or gravity interceptor qualifies for a 14.2% reduction on the sewer service charge. Scheduled hydro jetting keeps the kitchen lines leading to the equipment open.

Backflow testing

The SFPUC Water Quality Division runs the city’s cross-connection control program. The City requires an assembly wherever a potential hazard is present; common cross-connections include fire sprinklers, irrigation, boilers, carbonation units and chemical feed equipment. Assemblies go near the meter (no more than 25 feet from it), at the hazard, or both. Each assembly is tested every year by a tester with a San Francisco Department of Public Health permit. The SFPUC mails a notice with a PIC number at the start of the month the test is due, and the tester must enter results in the program’s database within five calendar days. Late results bring a second notice with 15 days to comply, then possible fines or water shutoff. Removing, moving or replacing an assembly needs a DBI plumbing permit, and a moved or replaced assembly must be tested immediately. We install and repair the assemblies these rules require; see backflow preventers.

Permits for commercial plumbing work

The Department of Building Inspection (DBI) issues plumbing permits through the City’s PermitSF portal. A permit is needed before cutting into or replacing pipes that carry water or gas, particularly pipes that will be covered by a wall, and the work must be inspected before the pipes are covered. Contractors need a qualifying license (such as C-36, B or A) to apply. New boilers must also be registered after the plumbing permit is approved, and work on Port property needs a Port construction permit as well.

Water quality and water heaters

Up to 85% of San Francisco’s water comes from Hetch Hetchy, supplemented by Bay Area reservoirs and a small amount of local groundwater. The 2025 water quality report shows hardness of 8.1–112 ppm, averaging 62 ppm, so scale builds far more slowly than with South Bay well water. The water is disinfected with chloramine. See commercial water heaters.

Sources

SFPUC: Service alerts and 24-hour line · Sewer laterals · How to take care of your sewer lateral · Public sewer mains on private property · FOG control · FOG Control Ordinance fact sheet · Category 2 instructions · Consumer guide to backflow prevention · 2025 water quality report. City and County of San Francisco: Test your backflow assembly · Apply for a plumbing and mechanical permit. San Francisco Public Works: Side sewer permit. Checked October 2026.