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Water heater permit checklist — San Bernardino County, California
Assembled from San Bernardino County’s own published permit rules. Every line below is quoted from a city document and linked to it. Nothing here is generated, estimated, or inferred from another jurisdiction.
Do you need a permit?
San Bernardino County requires a permit for a water heater.
San Bernardino County publishes a dedicated flat 'Water heater' line in its plumbing fee schedule, and lists plumbing repairs among permit-requiring work, so a water heater replacement requires a permit — there is no in-kind exemption like Maricopa County's. California is strict here for seismic reasons: the California Plumbing Code requires water heaters to be strapped at upper and lower thirds, and replacement is the point at which that gets verified, along with expansion tanks, seismic bracing, drain pans, T&P relief piping and combustion air. Solar water heating systems have their own separate plan review and permit fees.
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Sources
- water heater — permit rules ↗verified August 2026
Other permits San Bernardino County publishes rules for
Listed because the city publishes a separate rule for each type — not because this project necessarily triggers one. Whether it does depends on your scope of work.
- Deck permit checklist
- Fence permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Retaining wall permit checklist
- Electrical work permit checklist
- General building work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with San Bernardino County before you build.