Manhattan Beach : Inspection Charge Dropped

City Councilman Jim Walker persuaded the City Council this week to eliminate a $22.70 charge for inspections of replacement water heaters in single-family homes, saying that his mother and other “little old ladies” bear the brunt of such costs.

Walker, who has been trying to get rid of the fee for several years, said most residents get around the charge by installing new water heaters themselves and bypassing the city altogether. He said the only residents who get stuck paying the fee are those who call a plumber to replace the heater. His mother is one of those residents, he said.

City law requires that all residents obtain a plumbing permit when they replace a water heater--regardless of whether they do the work themselves--and that a city inspector check the installation, city officials said. Last year, the city charged $22.70 for the permit and inspection, a fee that was scheduled to increase to $23.90 when Walker made his motion to eliminate it.

Walker said he became aware of the problem when the plumber who replaced his mother’s water heater sent her a bill that included the city charges. He said that water heaters are a necessity of life and that the city should absorb the costs of inspecting them when they need to be replaced.

The council voted 3 to 2 in favor of Walker’s motion, with Mayor Gil Archuletta and Councilman Russell Lesser opposing.