[Adopted 12-21-1983 by Ord. No. 1558]
In order to protect the public health, the Ridley
Township Commissioners find it to be in the best interest of the residents
of the municipality that persons who engage in plumbing and operating
as plumbers are required to obtain a license from the municipality
for such purpose, to the end that only responsible and qualified persons
shall be permitted to engage in such business in said municipality.
For application of these rules and regulations,
terms shall be defined and used herein as follows:
A person registered as a beginner to learn plumbing.
The Municipal Board of Health or Health Officer.
A person who has qualified for and obtained a journeyman
plumber's license.
A person who has qualified for and obtained a master plumber's
license.
A person who is registered and licensed to install plumbing
or to make minor repairs to an existing plumbing system.
The work or business of installing systems of piping for
water supply or removal of liquid and waterborne wastes or making
minor repairs to existing plumbing systems. "Plumbing" is also used
to describe the installed fixtures and piping of a building.
The official representative of the Board of Health who appoints
and delegates responsibility to him for enforcing provisions of the
Municipal Plumbing Code.
No person, firm or corporation carrying on the
business of plumbing shall allow his or their name to be used by any
person, directly or indirectly, either to obtain a permit or permits
or to do any work under his or their license.
[Amended 10-25-2000 by Ord. No. 1808]
A performance bond in the amount as set from
time to time by resolution of the Board of Commissioners shall be
filed by a registered master plumber before obtaining a permit to
do plumbing under provisions of this article. Said performance bond
shall relieve the municipality of liability for any damage to persons
or property and guarantee that work will be performed according to
agreement, together with the performance bond. The registered master
plumber shall file a certificate providing liability insurance in
the amounts as set from time to time by resolution of the Board of
Commissioners, plus property damage in the amount as set from time
to time by resolution of the Board of Commissioners.
A.
To qualify to become a Plumbing Official for the Board of Health,
an applicant shall have been, among other prerequisites, certified
as a Plumbing Inspector by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department
of Labor and Industry, under its Uniform Construction Code.
[Amended 2-25-2015 by Ord. No. 2015]
B.
While serving in his official capacity, a Plumbing
Official shall not engage in or be connected, directly or indirectly,
with the plumbing business, except upon approval of the Board of Health.
C.
The Plumbing Official shall serve at the will and
desire of the elected officials.
A.
Appointment. A Board of Examiners may be appointed
by the Board of Health to consist of the Plumbing Official and three
master plumbers with at least 10 years' experience who are not employed
by the municipality. The master plumbers shall serve for a period
of two years unless removed prior thereto by the Board of Health.
Appointments shall be made so that each term of one master plumber
shall end on December 31 of each year.
B.
Compensation. The master plumber shall receive a fee
as set from time to time by resolution of the Board of Commissioners
for each session at which examinations are held, but shall not receive
for such services more than the amount set from time to time by resolution
of the Board of Commissioners in any calendar month.
[Amended 10-25-2000 by Ord. No. 1808]
C.
Duties. The Board of Examiners, if appointed, shall
adopt reasonable rules and regulations governing examinations, which
shall be approved by the Board of Health, conduct examinations of
applicants for master and journeyman plumbers' licenses within one
month of receipt of applications therefor and, by majority vote, approve
or reject each applicant. The Board of Examiners shall keep an accurate
record of all of its official transactions and shall render such reports
and statistics as the Board of Health may require. The Board of Examiners
shall adopt necessary rules for the discharge of its duties, which
shall be approved by the Board of Health.
A.
License required. It shall be unlawful for any person
to engage in the business of plumbing as a master plumber without
having first obtained a license from the Board of Health. Application
shall be made on a form furnished by the Board and shall set forth
the name of the applicant; the names of the members of the firm, if
a partnership; or the officers of the corporation, if incorporated;
and the location or locations where the business of the applicant
is to be conducted, together with any other information the Board
of Health may require.
B.
To qualify to take the examination to become a master
plumber, an applicant shall have worked a minimum of two years as
a journeyman plumber.
C.
The applicant shall submit to an examination by the
Board of Examiners; provided, however, that a master plumber holding
a license issued by any municipality approved by the Plumbing Official
shall not be required to submit to such examination. If, after proper
examination, the applicant shall be found to be competent, this fact
shall be certified to the Board of Health, which shall thereupon issue
a license to him. A license shall entitle an applicant to engage in
the business of plumbing for the period of one calendar year, or fractional
part thereof, following the date of such examination, unless revoked
by the Board of Health. Permission, if granted by the Plumbing Official,
shall entitle a nonresident applicant to execute the work or contract
for which application was made.
D.
The examination and approval of one member of a partnership
or officer, superintendent or foreman of a corporation shall be deemed
sufficient for the issuance of a master plumber's license to such
partnership or corporation.
E.
License fees.
(1)
For conducting an examination and issuing a license
to a master plumber, a fee as listed on the plumbing permit fee schedule
made a part of this article shall be paid, which shall cover the license
fee for the remainder of the calendar year in which the license is
issued. Retake of the master plumber's examination shall not be permitted
until 90 days have elapsed since the previous examination and upon
payment of a fee as listed on the plumbing permit fee schedule made
a part of this article. Additional retakes shall not be permitted,
except on approval of the Board of Health. A master plumber holding
a license from another municipality approved by the Plumbing Official
need not take the examination but shall pay a minimum registration
fee as listed on the plumbing permit fee schedule made a part of this
article.
(2)
Annually thereafter every holder of a master plumber's
license shall, between the first and 31st day of December, surrender
his license for the current year and pay a renewal fee as listed on
the plumbing permit fee schedule made a part of this article, and
he shall thereupon receive a license for the next calendar year. Failure
of any resident master plumber to surrender his old license and pay
his annual license fee within the time herein specified shall result
in the termination of his license, and no permission for plumbing
work hereunder shall be granted to him until after he has obtained
a new license. In addition, he shall not be allowed to complete any
work authorized under permission therefor.
F.
Revocation of license.
(1)
Any master plumber's license granted hereunder may
be revoked by the Board of Health for violation of any part of this
article, for refusing or neglecting to make the necessary corrections
to work not approved by the Plumbing Official or for any other sufficient
cause, after hearing before the Board of Health at a time and place
of which at least five days' notice shall be given to the licensee.
The Board of Health may, after hearing, upon reasonable cause, revoke
the license or suspend the same for a specified period.
(2)
No master plumber whose license has been revoked for
cause may obtain another license for a period of one year from the
date of revocation of his license.
G.
Misrepresentation. It shall be unlawful for any person
who does not have a master plumber's license issued by the Board of
Health to engage in or to represent himself as engaged in the business
of plumbing in this municipality or to use the words "master plumber,"plumber"
or "plumbing" in any form of advertising or to display a sign containing
these words, or any of them, in the municipality.
H.
Change of place of business. Immediate notice (within
30 days) shall be given by any licensee hereunder to the Board of
Health of any change of his place of business. Upon retirement from
business, a licensee shall forthwith surrender his certificate of
license.
I.
Employment of unlicensed journeyman plumbers. No master
plumber shall employ a journeyman plumber who has not obtained a license
as a journeyman plumber.
J.
License for institutions. A person certified as competent
by the Board of Examiners may be licensed as a master plumber for
the care, alteration or addition of the plumbing system of a designated
manufacturing or mercantile building, institution, hotel, apartment
or similar building where the continuous services of a master plumber
are required and receive a certificate of license, but in such case
the person so licensed shall not be permitted to do any plumbing work
in any building or buildings other than those for which he is specifically
licensed.
A.
License required. It shall be unlawful for any person
to engage in the trade of plumbing as an employee, either as a journeyman
plumber or master plumber, without first having obtained a license
from the Board of Health. Application shall be made on a form furnished
by the Board of Health and shall set forth the name and address of
the applicant together with any other information the Board of Health
may require.
B.
To qualify to take the examination to become a journeyman
plumber, an applicant shall have worked a minimum of four years as
an apprentice plumber.
C.
Examination. Before any journeyman plumber's license
is issued, the applicant shall submit to an examination by a Board
of Examiners; provided, however, that a journeyman plumber holding
a license issued by any municipality approved by the Plumbing Official
shall not be required to submit to such examination. If, after a proper
examination, the applicant shall be found to be competent, this fact
shall be certified to the Board of Health, which shall thereupon issue
a license to him. The license shall entitle him to engage in plumbing
as a journeyman plumber for the period of one calendar year, or fractional
part thereof, following the date of such examination, unless revoked
by the Board of Health.
D.
License fee.
(1)
For conducting an examination and issuing a license
to a journeyman plumber, a fee as listed on the plumbing permit fee
schedule made a part of this article shall be paid which shall cover
the license fee for the remainder of the calendar year in which the
license is issued. Retake of the journeyman plumber's examination
shall not be permitted until 90 days have elapsed since the previous
examination and upon payment of a fee as listed on the permit fee
schedule made a part of this article. Additional retakes shall not
be permitted, except on approval of the Board of Health. A journeyman
plumber holding a license from another municipality approved by the
Plumbing Official need not take the examination but shall pay a minimum
fee as listed on the plumbing permit fee schedule made a part of this
article for one calendar year or fractional part thereof.
(2)
Annually thereafter every holder of a journeyman plumber's
license shall, between the first and 31st day of December, surrender
his license for the current year and pay a minimum fee as listed on
the plumbing permit fee schedule made a part of this article, and
he shall thereupon receive a license for the next calendar year. Failure
of any journeyman plumber to surrender his old license and pay his
annual fee within the time herein specified shall result in the termination
of his license. The license may be renewed upon written application
to the Board of Health, together with satisfactory reasons for failure
to renew the license within the time specified.
To qualify to work as an apprentice plumber,
an applicant shall register with the Board of Health and pay a registration
fee as listed on the plumbing permit fee schedule made a part of this
article.
Every master plumber doing work in the municipality
shall have his truck clearly marked with his name and business address.
[Amended 11-16-1988 by Ord. No. 1639; 10-25-2000 by Ord. No.
1808]
Any person who knowingly and willfully violates
any provisions of this article, in addition to any administrative
penalty otherwise applicable thereto, upon conviction thereof by a
court of competent jurisdiction of this state, shall be punished by
a fine not to exceed $1,000, plus costs of prosecution, for each separate
violation, and in default of payment thereof, be imprisoned for a
term not exceeding 30 days.
[Amended 4-22-1992 by Ord. No. 1684; 10-25-2000 by Ord. No.
1808]
The fee schedule for plumbing permits shall
be as set from time to time by resolution of the Board of Commissioners.
