Heat Pump Codes, Standards, & Permitting

Codes & Standards

If you have any questions regarding specific codes and standards, please contact the respective local or governing agency.

Town of Truckee

Codes & Standards

Section 18.34.070(A)(2) Construction Materials and Methods

c. New construction and substantial improvements shall be constructed with electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing and air conditioning equipment and other service facilities that are designed and/or located to prevent water from entering or accumulating within the components during conditions of flooding.

Section 18.44.060(F) Residential air conditioning, refrigeration, and heating

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 18.44.040 (Exterior Noise Standards) where the intruding noise source is a residential air conditioning or a refrigeration system, heating system or associated equipment installed before the effective date of this Section, the exterior noise level shall not exceed 55 dB(A). For equipment installed after the effective date of this Section, the exterior noise level shall not exceed 50 dB(A).

Table 3-3: Required Setbacks – Residential Accessory Uses and Structures

Accessory Use/Structure

    • Air conditioning equipment/generators

Type of Setback

    • Sides, rear

Required Setback

    • As required for main structure

 

Water Heater Temperature/Pressure Relief Valve Termination Info

Permitting

If you are replacing an existing AC/HVAC system or installing a new one, please see the following minimum requirements:

  • Residential Permit Request Form (PDF) (or submitted online through eSuite).
  • The specifications of the existing system (tons, BTU).
  • The specifications of the new system (tons, BTU).
  • For a new installation, a site plan showing the proposed location will need to be reviewed and approved by the Planning Division.

If you are replacing an existing water heater or installing a new water heater, please see the following minimum requirements:

  • Residential Permit Request Form (PDF) (or submitted online through eSuite).
  • The specifications of the existing water heater (gallons or tankless).
  • The specifications of the new water heater (gallons or tankless).
  • If a new gas line is being installed, a gas schematic from a licensed plumber will be required.

For questions and more details, please visit the Town of Truckee’s Building & Safety Division website.

Codes & Standards

Single Family, duplex and Triplex Buildings

Section 6.85.030(A)(4b) Parking Requirements: v. Parking areas within a garage or carport may be reduced to 18 feet in length to accommodate stairs, HVAC and fire prevention equipment in the garage.

Multifamily

Section 6.85.030(B)(6b)(i) Equipment Screening: (I) Equipment to be screened includes, but is not limited to, all roof mounted equipment, air conditioners, heaters, utility meters, cable equipment, telephone entry boxes, backflow preventions, irrigation control valves, electrical transformers, pull boxes, and all ducting for air conditioning, heating, and blower systems.

Section 6.85.040(D)(5c) Finish Texture: ii. All utility and mechanical equipment, including HVAC units shall be colored in black, dark green or dark brown in non/low gloss finishes that minimize reflectivity if they are unscreened and open to public view.

General

6.65.170(B) Construction Materials and Methods: All new construction and substantial improvement shall be constructed:

3. With electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing and air conditioning equipment and other service facilities that are designed and/or located so as to prevent water from entering or accumulating within the components during conditions of flooding

Permitting

Permitting requirements for air conditioners and mini splits:

  • Include a drawing or site plan noting the setbacks, location, and dimensions of the outdoor Condenser Unit 
  • Provide information detailing how/where the outdoor condenser unit will be installed (on existing coverage, temporary pad, exempt stand, mounted to wall, etc.)
    • If you are creating new coverage, you must submit your project for a full Plan Review 
    • “Temporary Pads” are considered coverage (therefore must go through a full Plan Review)
    • Include manufacturer’s specs/installation instructions (and bracket information if mounting outdoor condenser unit to a wall; must meet 3:1 height reduction requirements, per TRPA)
    • If mounting outdoor condenser to a wall or on a stand, include a TRPA Q.E. Form: Qualified_Exempt_Activity_Application.pdf (trpa.gov)

For questions and for more details, please visit the City of South Lake Tahoe Building Permits & Inspections website.

Codes & Standards

One of the issues important to contractors that TRPA focuses on are changes in land cover. The TRPA Code of Ordinances includes an ‘Exemption for Non-Permanent Structures and Small Utility Installations’ (pg. 30-29). Subject to limitations listed under Section 30.4.6, non-permanent structures and small utility installations are exempt from the calculation of land coverage. Relevant limitations include Section 30.4.6(A)(2) and Section 30.4.6(A)(4), which state:

Section 30.4.6(A)(2) Exemption for Non-Permanent Structures and Small Utility Installations: For purposes of this provision only, small utility installations may include up to 30 square feet of coverage for any combination of the improvements listed below.  

  • HVAC installations 

Section 30.4.6(A)(4) Exemption for Non-Permanent Structures and Small Utility Installations: In addition, the following limitations apply: 

  • Exempted installations shall be on non-sensitive land;
  • Exempted installations shall not exceed two percent of the total amount of non-sensitive land on a parcel.
  • This exemption shall apply only to parcels with installed and maintained BMPs meeting TRPA requirements and the exempted non-permanent coverage shall also have BMPs installed and maintained to meet TRPA requirements; and 
  • This exemption shall not apply to structures or facilities used for access, parking, or storage of motorized vehicles.
  • Total coverage exempted for non-permanent structures and small utility installations shall not exceed 120 square feet total.

The TRPA Code of Ordinances also includes numerous design standards for buildings. It will be worth contacting TRPA early in the process to determine if the proposed location and color of heat pump HVAC systems will be required to be changed or screened to stay in compliance with the code.

Section 36.6.1(A) Screening Elements: The architectural design of a project shall include elements that screen from public view all external mechanical equipment, including refuse enclosures, electrical transformer pads and vaults, satellite receiving disks, communication equipment, and utility hardware on roofs, buildings, or the ground.

TRPA does not have any standards for electric water heaters, only gas powered heaters (Section 36.10)

Permitting

Include Qualified Exempt Activity Application. Qualified Exempt activities are generally minor improvements such as structural modifications, remodels, additions of non-permanent structures, or projects that do not create or relocate coverage as a part of the activity. All QE projects require a completed and signed Qualified Exempt Activities Declaration Form. Declarations for Qualified Exempt activities located within the City of South Lake Tahoe, Placer County, or El Dorado County can be submitted to the local building department. Declarations for Qualified Exempt activities located within Douglas or Washoe County will need to be submitted to TRPA. 

For additional questions and for more detail, please visit the TRPA website.

Codes and Standards

Section 15.52.170(B)(3) Construction materials and methods: All new construction and substantial improvements shall be constructed with electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing and air conditioning equipment and other service facilities that are designed and/or located a minimum of one foot above the base flood elevation so as to prevent water from entering or accumulating within the components during conditions of flooding.

Section 15.52.240(D)(3) Flood zone A building permit applicants (100-year floodplain): All electrical outlets, heating, venting and air condition (HVAC) units, hot water heaters, washing machines, dryers and like appliances must be elevated a minimum of one foot above the 100 year floodplain.

Section 17.54.150 Projections into required setbacks – Building features and equipment

Certain building, roof and wall features and building equipment, including, but not limited to… air conditioning equipment may extend into required setbacks as follows, where consistent with the requirements of the California Building Code and Chapter 15 as adopted in the Placer County Code.

  • Front Street-Side and Rear Setbacks. Such features and equipment may extend into any required front or rear setback a maximum of five feet; and may extend into any street-side setback a minimum of two and one-half feet provided that the extension is outside of a minimum twelve and one-half (12.5) foot multi-purpose easement or public utility easement that is adjacent to any public roadways or streets.
  • Side Setbacks. Such features and equipment may extend into any required side setback a maximum of two and one-half feet, provided that no such feature shall be permitted within two feet of any side lot line.
  • Enclosure of Equipment Required. When located within a required setback as allowed by this subsection, and within 10 feet of indoor/outdoor living areas on adjoining property, mechanical equipment that generates noise (such as air conditioning equipment) shall be enclosed as necessary to reduce noise at the property line to a maximum of 50 dBA at any time
  • Note. The provisions of this section apply to all building sites (including those created as a part of a planned residential development) unless this section was specifically excluded by the hearing body within the conditions of approval of the project.

Section 17.38.010(G) Business Park (BP) District

2. Mechanical Equipment, Screening Required. When located outside of a building, support equipment including air conditioning and heating devices, water and gas meters, but not including plumbing or exhaust vents, or chimneys, shall be screened to the height of the particular piece of equipment, as follows:

  • Roof-mounted Equipment. Shall be screened by architectural features from the view of streets abutting the site
  • Equipment at Grade. When located on the ground adjacent to a building, mechanical equipment shall be screened from the view from any street or surrounding properties by landscaping, a solid wall or fencing, as approved by the design/site review committee.

Permitting

Here is the general Placer County Residential Permit Form that can be filled out for both HVAC and hot water heat pumps. You may also submit E-Permits online here. More information on how to apply for a permit in Placer county can be found here.

For questions and more information, please visit the Placer County Building Services Division website.

Codes & Standards

Section 130.30.050(C) Projections into Required Setbacks

1. Cornices, window canopies, eaves, bay windows, or similar architectural features, which do not qualify as habitable area under the building code; heating and air conditioning equipment; and uncovered and unenclosed decks of 30 inches in height or less, excluding handrails, may extend into any required setback by not more than 50 percent provided that no such feature shall be allowed within three feet of any side lot line.

Section 130.32.050(A)(2) Construction materials and methods

c. With electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing and air conditioning equipment and other service facilities that are designed and/or located so as to prevent water from entering or accumulating within the components during conditions of flooding.

Permitting

All permitting guidance can be found here. Find your climate zone through tools found on this page.

Contractors can submit permits and payment via email with their E-TRAKiT system. More information here.

For questions and more information, please visit the El Dorado Building Permitting Services website.

Codes and Standards

Section L-II 4.2.5(G)(3) Architectural Features/Aboveground Utilities

Such features, including but not limited to cornices, eaves, roof overhangs, canopies, decks and unenclosed porches not more than 18 inches in height, bay windows, steps, stairways, fire escapes, landing places, fireplaces, propane tanks and heating or air conditioning units, may extend into front and rear yard setbacks by not more than five feet.

Section L-XII 1.5(A)(2c) Construction materials and methods

All new construction and substantial improvements of structures, including manufactured homes, shall be constructed with electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing and air conditioning equipment and other service facilities that are designed and/or located so as to prevent water from entering or accumulating within the components during conditions of flooding

Permitting

Nevada County uses an online portal, a guide on how to apply for a permit can be found here. Both HVAC and water heater retrofits are under the ‘Express’ type of permits. Apply online for permits here. General permitting info can be found here.

For questions and more information, visit the Nevada County Building Department website

Title 24

Title 24 sets high standards for HVAC systems, specifically air conditioning. These regulations are specified in Table 110.2-A and outline the minimum efficiency requirements for various types of air conditioners. For example, water-cooled AC units with a capacity between 65,000 Btu/h and 135,000 Btu/h must comply with minimum efficiency standards under these guidelines. Additionally, Title 24 mandates that air conditioning equipment sizes adhere to stringent efficiency standards, ensuring that cooling systems are appropriately sized to meet the needs of residential buildings while minimizing the energy consumed.

The code also mandates specific criteria for furnace efficiency using measurements such as annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). Heat pumps are not exempt from this detailed approach to promoting efficient operation of heating equipment either. They must have an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of at least 9.8 if their Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is equal or greater than 15.2. Moreover, Title 24 specifies minimum efficiency requirements based on air conditioning and heating equipment part sizes, ensuring that HVAC systems of varying capacities contribute to overall energy conservation efforts in California.

All newly installed central air conditioning systems and heat pumps must meet the minimum efficiency standard of 15 SEER.

California HVAC code requirements

New Builds

440.3(E) California Energy Code Requirements for Heat Pump Space Heaters and Their Readiness in Single-Family Buildings [CEC]

In single-family residential buildings that include one or two dwellings, each dwelling unit shall be provided with designated spaces, receptacles, branch circuits and circuit identifications as specified for heat pump space heaters in California Energy Code Section 150.0(t).

440.3(F) California Energy Code Requirements for Heat Pump Space Heaters and Their Readiness in Multifamily Buildings [CEC]

In multifamily buildings, each dwelling unit shall be provided with designated spaces, receptacles, branch circuits and circuit identifications as specified for heat pump space heaters in California Energy Code Section 160.9(a)

Residential forms for permitting (CF1R)

M1401.3 Sizing:

Heating and cooling equipment and appliances shall be sized in accordance with ACCA Manual S based on building loads calculated in accordance with ACCA Manual J or other approved heating and cooling calculation methodologies

Section E3902.2 Garage and accessory building receptacles. 125‐volt, single‐phase, 15 or 20 ampere receptacles installed in garages and grade‐level portions of unfinished accessory buildings used for storage or work areas shall have ground‐fault circuit‐interrupter protections for personnel. [210.8(A)(2) 

Exception: Single receptacle for a fixed in place heating appliance only (example: fuel‐fired FAU, heat pump or water heater) when located within an attached garage. 

Washoe County has adopted the 2018 International Residential Code, 2018 International Plumbing Code, 2018 International Mechanical Code and 2018 Uniform Mechanical Code, and which cover the code requirements for Residential and Commercial HVAC and Water Heater Requirements. Washoe County has also adopted several amendments regarding these codes through the 2018 Northern Nevada Amendments.

Building codes – adopted on June 13, 2023 adopted amendments to the Douglas County Building Codes effective June 30, 2023.

All amendments can be viewed here.

 

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