[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Commission of the City of Parsons 12-28-1990 by Ord. No. 5554 (Ch. 7, Art. VI of the 1985 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Building Trades Board — See Ch. 20, Art. VIII.
Adoption of International Plumbing Code — See Ch. 225.
Fees — See Ch. 307.
Water and wastewater system — See Ch. 580.
[Amended 1-16-2001 by Ord. No. 5902]
When used in this chapter, the following words or terms shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section:
APPRENTICE PLUMBER
Any person who is working at the trade in the employment of a licensed plumbing contractor and is under the direct supervision of a certified master plumber or certified journeyman plumber or a certified residential plumber.
JOURNEYMAN PLUMBER
Person having the necessary qualifications, training, experience and technical knowledge, under the direct supervision of a master plumber, to install and repair plumbing works and systems.
MASTER PLUMBER
Person having the necessary qualifications, training, experience and technical knowledge to properly plan, lay out and supervise the installation, maintenance, repair or the alteration of plumbing works and systems.
PLUMBING CONTRACTOR
Any person, firm, copartnership, corporation, association or combination thereof who or which undertakes or offers to undertake for another for hire the planning, laying out, supervising and installing or making alterations or additions and repairs in the installation of plumbing works and systems. No person, firm, company or corporation shall perform the duties of a plumber for hire or with or for another unless said person possesses a valid plumbing contractor's license or is an employee of a person, firm, company or corporation that possesses such a license.
RESIDENTIAL PLUMBER
Person having the necessary qualifications, training, experience and technical knowledge to install and repair plumbing works and systems in no more than a six-family dwelling.
[Amended 1-16-2001 by Ord. No. 5902]
Nothing in this chapter shall in any way relieve any plumber from responsibility for materials he/she furnishes or installs or impair in any way his/her liability for failure to use due care in protecting life and property in the subsequent use of plumbing installations made by him, nor shall the City be held as assuming liability by reason of any inspection authorized herein or certificate issued.
When the Plumbing Code heretofore adopted[1] shall use the term "Administrative Authority" the same shall be deemed to mean the Plumbing Inspector of the City of Parsons, Kansas, who shall be appointed by the City Manager of the City of Parsons, Kansas.
[1]
Editor's Note: See § 225-1 of this Code.
A. 
The Plumbing Inspector shall keep complete records of all permits issued, inspections made and certificates issued and all other official work performed under the provisions of this chapter. All necessary blanks and record books shall be provided by the City.
B. 
The Plumbing Inspector shall have the right and privilege to enter any building within the City within reasonable hours for the purpose of making inspections of gas or drainage piping or any fixture or water heating or treating equipment or appliance installations constructed or under construction in such building.
Plumbing systems for which a permit is required by this chapter shall be inspected by the Plumbing Inspector. No portion of any plumbing system intended to be concealed shall be concealed until inspected and approved.
[Amended 1-16-2001 by Ord. No. 5902]
An appeal may be taken from the order or decision of the Plumbing Inspector to the Building Trades Board. The decision of the Building Trades Board shall be final and binding. No appeal shall be allowed from any order or decision of the Plumbing Inspector unless the same is filed within 30 days of the decision or order.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 7-211, Board of Plumbing and Mechanical Examiners, which immediately followed this section, was deleted 1-16-2001 by Ord. No. 5902. See now Ch. 20, Art. VIII, Building Trades Board.
Every person, before entering upon any construction or erection of any plumbing system regulated by this chapter in any new building or any original installation in any building or any alteration in the City, shall obtain a permit from the Plumbing Inspector describing the proposed work before proceeding.
[Amended 11-15-2004 by Ord. No. 6023]
A permit required by this chapter shall only be issued to:
A. 
A plumbing contractor.
B. 
Any property owner of residential property who personally installs plumbing piping or equipment within or upon residential property owned by him or her, provided that the owner shall secure a permit, pay required fees, do work in accordance with this chapter, apply for an inspection and receive approval. Personal installation by an owner of residential property under this section shall be by himself or herself, for himself or herself, on his or her own property, without compensation, and no person shall be employed to assist him or her in any way on such work except a plumber or plumbing contractor licensed by the City.
[Added 11-15-2004 by Ord. No. 6023]
This chapter shall not be construed to relieve from or lessen the responsibility or liability of any party owning, operating, controlling or performing any plumbing construction for damages to persons or property caused by any defect therein, nor shall the City be held as assuming any such liability by reason of the inspection or reinspection authorized herein or the certificate of approval of any work or equipment authorized herein or by reason of any permit or license granted herein.
[Amended 1-16-2001 by Ord. No. 5902; 7-20-2009 by Ord. No. 6189; 6-15-2020 by Charter Ord. No. 36]
No person shall be issued an original or initial certificate unless he/she successfully passes an examination with a score of 70% or greater designated by K.S.A. § 12-1508 and amendments thereto. A certificate of competency from such examination shall be valid proof of the competency of a master, journeyman, or residential plumber, and the applicant shall be issued the appropriate license after which time a person has paid the appropriate fee as listed in §  467-12. Any person who holds a valid license or certificate issued by the City of Parsons on the effective date of this section as a master or journeyman plumber shall be considered to have valid proof of competency, and said person shall be allowed to renew the license or certificate so issued if the license or certificate to be renewed is otherwise current and shall be exempt from the examination requirements.
[Amended 1-16-2001 by Ord. No. 5902]
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in business as a plumbing contractor without a license from the City. It shall be unlawful to engage as a master, journeyman or residential plumber without a certificate from the City. No person shall be issued a license or certificate pursuant to this chapter unless he/she pays the appropriate fee listed below:
[Amended 6-15-2020 by Ord. No. 6468]
(1) 
Plumbing contractor's license: $50.
(2) 
Master plumbing certificate (with or without gas line certification): $35.
(3) 
Journeyman plumbing certificate (with or without gas line certification): $25.
(4) 
Master residential certificate (with or without gas line certification): $20.
(5) 
Journeyman residential certificate (with or without gas line certification): $20.
B. 
All such certificates and licenses shall be in effect to the end of the calendar year, at which time they may be renewed upon receipt of appropriate fees.
C. 
All fees shall be paid at the office of the City Clerk. The full amount of the required fee shall be paid at the time of issuance of the license irrespective of the date of issuance.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 7-232, Special qualifications for master plumber or journeyman plumber, which immediately followed this section, was deleted 1-16-2001 by Ord. No. 5902.
[Amended 1-16-2001 by Ord. No. 5902[1]]
Any person, firm or corporation desiring to engage in business as a plumbing contractor in this City shall pay a license fee as provided in § 467-12. Said license shall be issued by the City Clerk. The license fee required herein shall extend to master plumbers engaged in the business of plumbing within the City and shall likewise extend to plumbing contractors who have in their employ a master plumber. It is the intent and purpose of this section to require one license fee only for each person, firm or corporation engaging in the business of a plumbing contractor within the City as an individual unit.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
[Amended 8-19-1991 by Ord. No. 5571; 1-16-2001 by Ord. No. 5902]
Before a plumbing contractor's license is issued, the person making application shall have on file with the City Clerk a certificate of liability insurance and products liability insurance with a completed operations endorsement in the amount of $300,000. Said certificate shall require the insurance company to notify the City Clerk in the event of cancellation.
[Amended 1-16-2001 by Ord. No. 5902]
The Building Trades Board, upon five days' notice to the person holding any license or certificate as a plumber under the provisions of this chapter, may revoke such license or certificate if said licensee has been convicted in court of violating any of the provisions of the license, of if said license or certificate has been fraudulently obtained, or for failure to maintain insurance as required by this chapter, or for other good cause shown. In the case of revocation of the license or certificate, of any such licensee, no new license or certificate shall be issued to such person or any person on his behalf for a period of 90 days thereafter. Upon written notice filed with the City Clerk within 10 days after the action by the Building Trades Board is taken, said action of the Building Trades Board may be appealed to the governing body of the City of Parsons for hearing and review.
A. 
A license issued pursuant to this chapter shall be nontransferable. It shall be unlawful for any person to allow or permit his license to be used by another for the purpose of securing any permit required by this chapter.
B. 
All plumbing contractors licensed by the City shall display or post the required license in their place of business, and all persons licensed by the City to work in the plumbing trades shall carry their licenses on their persons and exhibit the same on demand of the City Building Inspector, his assistant or any officer of the City.
All trucks, trailers or other vehicles operated by any person licensed pursuant to this chapter for the transportation of the equipment or materials used by him in such licensed business shall have the name and address of such licensee displayed on both sides thereof in plain and legible figures and letters not less than two inches in height which shall be kept in such condition as to permit the same to be readily distinguished and read at a distance of at least 40 feet.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent City employees under the supervision of the City Manager from performing their duties on the water distribution system or the sewer system of the City of Parsons, confined to public right-of-way, streets, or alleys.
Gas utility companies or corporations which operate under a franchise to the City shall not be required to furnish the bond and license as required for a plumbing business because of the bond that is required under said franchise. This section applies to only those duties that the gas company is involved in confined to public right-of-way, streets or alleys.