Home improvements will trigger new rule on replacing plumbing fixtures in 2014

California homeowners saving up to overhaul that 1980s-era kitchen or build a porch off the family room face an additional cost in the new year: replacing plumbing fixtures throughout the house.

Starting Jan. 1, any improvement or alteration to a single-family home more than 20 years old will trigger a 2009 state law mandating the installation of water-saving toilets, shower heads and faucets.

Local government building officials, contractors and would-be home remodelers only recently started becoming aware of the rule. The exact impact is uncertain, with jurisdictions likely to interpret the replacement requirement differently. Some officials predict a run on building permits before years end.

We go down to the Capitol and ask them not to legislate our building code. And this is exactly why we do it, said Gene Paolini, Rosevilles chief building official. The way it reads is not real clear.

Water agencies were the main supporters of the 2009 law. Officials said the upcoming rule will, at relatively low cost, make a huge dent in the states urban water consumption and help the state meet a goal to reduce water use by 20 percent by 2020.

This is part of a larger effort to double-down on water conservation, said Dave Bolland of the Association of California Water Agencies. People will save money in the long run as water becomes more expensive in California, he said.

Contractors and building inspectors, though, warn that the requirement poses a major headache. Homeowners could rebel against the rule, either because they object to the look of low-flow fixtures or because of the requirements potential cost, and do the work without going through the permitting and inspection process.

Darius Baker, CEO of D&J Kitchens and Baths in Sacramento, said the rule could set back a remodeling industry still recovering from the recession.

From a remodeling perspective, its huge. People dont want to do something theyre told they have to do, particularly when it costs a lot of money, Baker said, adding that hes mentioned the upcoming rule on sales calls. Im just the messenger. And Im going to get shot like a hundred times.

The upcoming rule is the the latest government attempt to improve water conservation. Since the 1990s, new homes have had to include various water-saving features. Over subsequent years, the Legislature has approved laws setting low-flow standards for toilets, faucets and other products.

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Home improvements will trigger new rule on replacing plumbing fixtures in 2014