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Water Retrofit Upon Sale
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What is the Retrofit Upon Sale Ordinance?
(SMMC 7.18.050)
The City of Santa Monica requires all properties being sold to have water saving fixtures as a condition of escrow. A Compliance Certificate is issued to the escrow company upon verification.
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Please Note : there are other inspection and certificate requirements for Property Transfers separate from Retrofit Upon Sale. These include:
SMMC 7.10.050 p - Urban Runoff Post-Construction BMPs
Call 310-458-8223 to determine if this applies to the property being sold.
(Seller must inform buyer of BMPs on property using this form ;
buyer must acknowledge receipt.)
SMMC 9.08 Residential Building Record link to Building & Safety online permitting
(310) 458-8355
SMMC 8.08.200 - Bracing Water Heaters
SMMC 8.32.070 - Seismic Gas Shutoff
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What are Compliant Fixtures?
- Toilets: 1.6 gallons per flush or less
- Urinals: 1.0 gallon per flush or less
- Showers & Faucets: 2.5 gallons per minute or less
- Reverse osmosis systems must have shut-off valves
How Do I Comply?
Every property prior to being sold in Santa Monica must have:
- Water-saving toilets, urinals, showers, and faucets and a shut-off system for
reverse osmosis systems.
- A Retrofit Upon Sale Compliance Certificate each time the property is sold.
How Do I Get a Compliance Certificate?
Step 1: An application must be filled out and submitted each time a property sells, even if that property has received previous Compliance Certificates. Fill out an application either on-line or a hard copy. A certificate of compliance cannot be issued without an application.
Step 2: You need an inspection if:
- The building was constructed prior to 1994 and has not been issued a
Compliance Certificate- see Retrofit Upon Sale Certified Properties list below.
- Inspections can only be performed by a Certified Plumbing Contractor - see list below.
- Once our office receives an inspection form from the Certified Plumbing Contractor that shows the property is in compliance, a Compliance Certificate will be issued to the escrow company.
Step 3: You don’t need to do anything else but submit a completed application if:
- The building was constructed after 1993, or;
- The property was issued a Compliance Certificate for a previous sale - see Retrofit Upon Sale Certified Properties list below.
The Compliance Certificate will be mailed to the escrow company once the above steps are verified and if required, inspection results by a certified plumber show the property is in compliance.
Allow 7 business days to process. Certificates will be issued on Thursdays. City office is closed alternative Fridays.
Call (310) 458-8972 ext 1 if you have any questions.
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How Do I know if the Property Has Already Received a Compliance
Certificate?
Check to see if the property is on the list: Retrofit.Upon.Sale.Certified.Properties 
To
search for a property, click on the above link to open the file in your
web browser or in a PDF reader. Properties are listed in alphabetical
order by street name (numbers come before "A").
In the "Find"
field, circled in yellow below, type in the first part of the street
name, i.e. "20th" or "Yale" or the street number "1113" and hit Enter. Properties
are listed in order by address, low to high.
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How Do I Get an Inspection?
Inspections are required if the building was constructed prior to 1994 and has not been issued a Certificate of Compliance for a previous sale. Choose a plumbing company from this list: Certified-Plumbing-Contractors  to perform the inspection.
The plumber will inspect for water efficient fixtures including: toilets, urinals, showerheads, faucets and reverse osmosis systems, and may also inspect smoke detectors and water heater straps.
If the property fails the inspection, the owner is responsible for repairs, parts and costs necessary to meet compliance. A re-inspection is not required if Certified Plumbing Contractors perform the work
How Much Will It Cost?
$0 for the Compliance Certificate. Inspection fees will be charged by the independent plumbing companies. The cost of the inspection does not cover costs to install fixtures for compliance.
Exemptions
Exemptions include properties transferred between spouses or between parents and children; properties in foreclosure. Exemptions will be granted to buildings of local, state, or federally designated historical significance if fixtures, which match their historical architectural style, cannot be found.
It is unlawful to remove water-efficient fixtures once installed. Penalties will be imposed for failure to comply with this ordinance.
For details, call (310) 458-8972 ext 1. |
Last updated: Monday, 12/19/2011
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