N.Y.C. Admin. Code § EBC 504: Section EBC 504: Limited Plumbing Alterations

504.1 Filing.

Limited alterations made to a plumbing, fire suppression or fuel gas piping system or service shall be filed and performed by a licensed master plumber meeting the requirements of Article 408 of Title 28 of the Administrative Code.

504.2 Categories of work.

Limited plumbing alterations shall be limited to the types of work set forth in Sections 504.2.1 and 504.2.2.

504.2.1 Category 1.

An addition to an existing plumbing or fuel gas piping system or service where the total cost of the proposed Category 1 work in the building does not exceed $50,000 in any 12-month period and where the proposed work is limited to the following:

1. The addition of not more than 10 plumbing fixtures or fixture connections in a building within any 12-month period, including any associated plumbing necessary to serve such additional fixtures or fixture connections. The installation of the new fixtures shall be in compliance with Section 310.7 and not cause an existing system to become overloaded. If required, additional permits for construction shall be obtained in accordance with Section 105;

2. The installation of new fuel gas piping in conjunction with the addition of not more than 6 unit heaters or 6 infrared heaters;

3. The installation of new fuel gas piping in conjunction with the addition of gas appliances, when limited to:

3.1. Two Category 1 vented water heaters;

3.2. Gas pilots;

3.3. One gas barbecue in conjunction with an R-3 occupancy group; or

3.4. One pool heater in conjunction with an R-3 occupancy group;

4. The installation of new fuel gas piping to supply a lawfully existing appliance;

5. The installation of up to 5 new sprinkler heads supplied by an existing domestic water system within any 12-month period;

6. Installation of a new single domestic gas dryer that is vented directly through an exterior wall in a building occupied exclusively as a one- or two-family dwelling not more than 4 stories in height; as provided for in rules of the department. Clothes dryer exhaust shall be installed in accordance with Section 504 of the New York City Mechanical Code; and

7. The installation of piping serving electric water heaters. Electrical work shall be filed and performed in accordance with the New York City Electrical Code.

504.2.2 Category 2.

The repair, replacement of or alteration to an existing plumbing or fuel gas piping system that is not subject to cost or duration limitations and that is limited to the following:

1. The repair, replacement of or alteration of existing plumbing or fuel gas piping serving the same number of fixtures and appliances;

2. The in-kind replacement of plumbing fixtures and gas equipment. This shall not preclude plumbing work that is an ordinary repair or ordinary plumbing work from being filed as a limited alteration application;

3. The relocation of plumbing fixtures, and the replacement of plumbing fixtures that includes the installation and alteration of piping serving the fixture. This shall not preclude the relocation and replacement of plumbing fixtures that is an ordinary repair or ordinary plumbing work from being filed as a limited alteration application;

4. The installation or replacement of primary backflow preventers;

5. The installation of a fat, oil, and grease interceptor not exceeding a capacity of 200 lbs. (90 kg);

6. The replacement of a fat, oil, and grease interceptor with 1 having the same capacity and not exceeding a maximum of 1,000 lbs. (454 kg);

7. In-kind replacement of lawfully existing gas-fired appliances with a heat input of 3 million Btu/h (879 kW) or less;

8. Replacement of lawfully existing gas burners with a heat input of 3 million Btu/h (879 kW) or less;

9. Relocation of a lawfully existing gas burner/boiler within the same, unaltered fire-rated enclosure or room. Through-penetrations for piping shall be fire stopped in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 7 of the New York City Building Code. New through-penetrations for vents serving direct vent appliances shall be prohibited under category 2 work in buildings other than Occupancy Group R-3 not more than 4 stories in height;

10. Replacement of lawfully existing gas appliances with a heat input of 350,000 Btu/h (103 KW) or less with the following appliances that are vented directly through exterior walls serving buildings occupied exclusively as one- or two-family dwellings not more than 4 stories in height:

10.1 Boilers;

10.2 Water heaters;

10.3 Furnaces;

11. In-kind replacement of a lawfully existing direct-vent gas appliances with a heat input of 350,000 Btu/h (103 KW) or less with the following appliances that are vented directly through exterior walls:

11.1. Boilers;

11.2. Water heaters;

11.3. Furnaces;

12. Replacement of lawfully existing gas-fired domestic clothes dryers or pool heaters with a heat input of 350,000 Btu/h (103 KW) or less;

13. Installation of gas-fired salamanders for temporary heat during construction;

14. Placement of a registered gas-fired temporary boiler with associated gas piping at a site for emergency heating and/or hot water;

15. Replacement of up to 30 existing sprinkler heads providing that orifice sizes, type and deflector positions remain the same, and all such sprinkler heads are supplied by a domestic water system;

16. Rearrangement of not more than 20 sprinkler heads in areas classified in light hazard occupancy, as such term is defined in NFPA 13 as modified by Appendix Q of the New York City Building Code, provided such areas are already sprinklered and supplied by a domestic water system and such areas will remain in such occupancy;

17. Rearrangement of not more than 20 sprinkler heads in restaurant service areas classified in Group 1 ordinary hazard occupancy, as such term is defined by NFPA 13 as amended by Appendix Q of the New York City Building Code, provided such areas are already sprinklered and supplied by a domestic water system and such areas will remain in such occupancy; and

18. Rearrangement of not more than 20 sprinkler heads in mercantile areas classified in Group 2 ordinary hazard occupancy, as such term is defined by NFPA 13 as amended by Appendix Q of the New York City Building Code, provided such areas are already sprinklered and supplied by a domestic water system and such areas will remain in such occupancy.