Selling an L.A. house: the plumbing paperwork
Los Angeles Retrofit on Resale plumbing rules require water-saving toilets and showerheads before a house in the city closes escrow, and LADWP wants a signed certificate. State fixture disclosure, seismic valve and strap rules run alongside.
From the Plumbing Across L.A. desk. Updated .
Several rules land on a seller at once, from LADWP, LADBS and state law. Each has its own form and timing. This covers the City of Los Angeles, and it is current as of November 2026; other cities have their own versions.
What does Retrofit on Resale require in Los Angeles?
Before a house in the City of Los Angeles is sold, its toilets, showerheads and any urinals must meet Ordinance No. 172075. LADWP's summary says the upgrades come before close of escrow. The ordinance says before a sale agreement or, where escrow is already under way, before it closes.
- Showerheads: low-flow, defined in the ordinance as 2.5 gallons per minute at most.
- Toilets in residential buildings: "low consumption" under a referenced plumbing standard. LADWP's form calls these ultra-low flush.
- Urinals: flushometer valves at 1.5 gallons per flush at most.
- Notice: the seller gives the buyer written notice and confirms compliance in the sale agreement.
A tank dam doesn't settle it: since January 1, 1999, a residential sale has needed every toilet to be low consumption. The ordinance excludes historical buildings and lets LADWP set other exemptions, so ask before relying on one.
The copy on LADWP's site dates from 1998 and may have been amended, so confirm the wording with LADWP or your escrow officer.
Who signs the LADWP Certificate of Compliance?
For a one- or two-family house or a single condo, three people sign: the buyer or buyer's agent, the seller or seller's agent, and a qualified person. The ordinance lists a contractor licensed in the proper class or a licensed real estate agent or broker, and the form also names certified retrofitters.
The signer states from personal knowledge that each fixture complies. LADWP's form, revised in 2013, lists a $15 fee for a single-family house, duplex or condo and asks for filing within 15 days of the inspection. Ask your escrow officer who is handling it, and whether LADWP has a newer form.
What does Civil Code 1101.4 add for California sellers?
It adds a statewide disclosure. Civil Code 1101.4 required noncompliant fixtures in single-family property to be replaced by January 1, 2017, and it requires the seller to tell the buyer in writing about that rule and whether the house has noncompliant fixtures. Section 1102.155 adds that the disclosure isn't a warranty.
Section 1101.3 sets the lines. Noncompliant means a toilet made to use more than 1.6 gallons per flush, a urinal over 1 gallon per flush, a showerhead over 2.5 gallons per minute, or an interior faucet over 2.2 gallons per minute.
The state list adds faucets, which the city ordinance doesn't name, and sets a stricter urinal limit, so passing one list doesn't prove you passed the other. The state law also applies to permit work: a single-family alteration needs noncompliant fixtures replaced before final permit approval. For multifamily and commercial property, Section 1101.5 set a January 1, 2019 date.
What other plumbing paperwork comes up at an L.A. sale?
Expect a seismic gas shutoff valve and water heater straps. The valve is a licensed job, and both have their own stories here.
| Item | Rule | Who deals with it |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets, showerheads, urinals | Ordinance 172075, Certificate of Compliance | LADWP; signer as listed above |
| Fixture disclosure | Civil Code 1101.4 and 1102.155 | Seller, in writing |
| Seismic gas valve | L.A. Municipal Code's seismic gas valve section | Licensed contractor, LADBS permit and inspection |
| Water heater strapping | Health and Safety Code 19211 | Seller certifies in writing |
| Residential Property Report | City of Los Angeles sale requirement | LADBS |
LADBS's selling page covers the valve, which is a City of Los Angeles rule rather than a statewide one. Health and Safety Code 19211 covers strapping across California, and the seller's certification can go in the usual transaction documents.
If you've pulled permits for a remodel, keep the finals with your sale papers.
Can a seller get the toilet rebate?
Possibly, if the old toilet flushes 1.6 gallons or more and the new one flushes 1.1 or less. LADWP's rebate pays $250 per unit per household, and only to the customer of record on the bill. Check the current rebate terms and apply before the account changes hands.
On your street
- Hills & Eastside Inside the city limits, count every fixture before you list, whatever the house's age.
- The Valley Los Angeles neighborhoods in the Valley follow Ordinance 172075; a separate city would not.
- Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank Outside the ordinance; Burbank Water and Power publishes its own retrofit requirement.
- Westside & Beach Santa Monica and Culver City are separate cities, so ask there, while state disclosure still applies.
- South L.A. & Inglewood The ordinance stops at Inglewood's line, so ask Inglewood about its own requirements.
- Long Beach & Harbor The ordinance reaches San Pedro and Wilmington but not Long Beach.
Who handles this
What this means by age of house
- Before 1930Fixtures may have been replaced, though not necessarily to today's limits. Ask LADWP about any historical-building exemption; see houses before 1930.
- 1930s–1940sAn old toilet or showerhead can fail the limits while working fine. Replacing one on fragile old pipe is a licensed plumber's call.
- 1950s–1960sA remodel may have left one original bathroom behind, so check each fixture separately.
- 1970s and newerDon't assume a house this age passes. Some older fixtures can run over 1.6 gallons per flush, so check the rating; see 1970s and newer.
Questions that come up
Must a 1.6-gallon toilet go before a sale?
Not under the state definition, which calls a toilet noncompliant above 1.6 gallons per flush. Confirm the city's standard with LADWP or your escrow officer.
Can a real estate agent sign the certificate?
For a one- or two-family house or a condo, the ordinance lists a licensed real estate agent or broker among those who may sign, on personal knowledge of each fixture.
Is the state rule only for sales?
No. The replacement date was January 1, 2017 for single-family houses, and alterations with a final permit also trigger it. Disclosure is the part tied to the sale.
What this was checked against
- Retrofit on Resale summary: LADWP
- Ordinance No. 172075 text: Los Angeles City Council, on LADWP's site
- Certificate of Compliance form, revised 2013: LADWP form
- Noncompliant fixture definitions: California Civil Code 1101.3
- Fixture replacement and disclosure: California Civil Code 1101.4
- Seller's disclosure wording: California Civil Code 1102.155
- Seismic valve rule and strapping statute (linked in the story): LADBS and state code
Sources read in November 2026. Rules and prices change: check the agency before you act.