¹553.05 County plumbing inspectors; employment, qualifications, duties; exemption of certain municipalities and districts.--

1. (1) Each county in this state, acting through its board of county commissioners may, at the discretion of the board, employ one or more plumbing inspectors to inspect all plumbing installed within such county, except when exempted by this subsection. Each said plumbing inspector must be a practical plumber of not less than 10 years' experience and shall not be connected with the plumbing business in any manner after such employment. The plumbing inspector shall be under the direct supervision of the board of county commissioners or its designee, and the inspector's salary shall be determined by the board. The plumbing inspector shall be qualified to perform duties in matters pertaining to the gathering of evidence in any violation of the provisions of this part, swearing out warrants, appearing before courts in prosecution, and any other matters pertaining to the enforcement of the provisions of this part, but the inspector shall not be entitled to receive any witness or other fees out of the fine and forfeiture fund of any county on account of testifying as a witness or any other services rendered under this part. It is the duty of the plumbing inspector to inspect plumbing in the county with respect to mode of installation, materials used, workmanship employed, plumbing code specifications met, and testing used, all to comply with and conform with the minimum requirements of the State Plumbing Code and the laws of the state in regard to plumbing. Each county, acting through its board of county commissioners, may exempt from county plumbing inspection municipalities and legislatively created governing, service, or sanitary districts which:

   1. (a) Have in existence or which enact plumbing code ordinances meeting or surpassing the minimum requirements for plumbing as set out in the State Plumbing Code;
   2. (b) Hire only plumbing inspectors who meet the minimum requirements and qualifications of this subsection; and
   3. (c) Conduct inspections complying with the minimum state requirements.
2. (2) Two or more counties may jointly hire one or more plumbing inspectors to act as inspectors or inspector for such counties.
3. (3) It is the duty of the plumbing inspectors in municipalities and legislatively created governing, service, or sanitary districts which have been exempted from county plumbing inspection by the board of county commissioners, to inspect plumbing in their respective corporate limits with respect to mode of installation, materials used, workmanship employed, plumbing code specifications met, and testing used, all to comply with the minimum requirements of the State Plumbing Code and the laws of the state and the ordinances of the particular municipality or district in regard to plumbing. Municipalities and legislatively created governing, service, or sanitary districts which have been exempted from county plumbing inspection by the board of county commissioners are hereby authorized to use their own inspection system, provided the municipalities and districts comply with the minimum requirements of this part. Nothing herein shall prohibit such municipalities and districts from enacting more stringent requirements in regard to plumbing and inspection than are set out in this part.

4. (4) If the board of county commissioners of any county so desires it may designate a qualified municipal or governing, service, or sanitary district plumbing inspector as its county plumbing inspector.

   ¹Note.--Repealed by s. 68, ch. 98-287, "[e]ffective upon the approval by the Legislature of the adoption of the Florida Building Code by the Florida Building Commission."

History.--ss. 5, 7, ch. 26904, 1951; s. 1, ch. 28181, 1953; s. 4, ch. 89-139; s. 800, ch. 97-103; s. 68, ch. 98-287.