What does Scottsdale require to submit a grease interceptor for permit?

The guidelines carry ten minimum submittal requirements. In short:

1. 1Plans may need to be prepared and stamped by an Arizona registrant.
2. 2An interceptor cannot be installed "at risk", meaning before approval.
3. 3The interceptor is single-user only.
4. 4A list of all kitchen equipment.
5. 5The location of kitchen equipment, floor drains, floor sinks and service sinks.
6. 6Drain and vent sizes when possible.
7. 7No dishwasher connected to a grease trap.
8. 8Interceptor calculations under Ordinance 4550 and Resolution 12501, using the city's method.
9. 9For a gravity interceptor, site plans and civil drawings, two copies of all documents, and all setbacks and public utility easements shown.
10. 10All work by a licensed plumbing contractor under Registrar of Contractors requirements.

• At risk: the guidelines do not define the phrase. In permitting it generally means starting work before the city approves the plans, and the guidelines prohibit it for interceptors.
• Arizona registrant: an engineer or architect registered in Arizona. The guidelines say plans "may be required" to be stamped, so it depends on the job. The text does not list the triggers.
• Public utility easement (PUE): a strip of the property reserved for utilities. The guidelines ask gravity tank site plans to show every setback and PUE.

It covers owners and tenants who install or replace a grease trap or interceptor, and the design and plumbing team they hire. Under the city's guidelines an owner cannot do the work alone, because item 10 requires a licensed plumbing contractor. It also does not replace the city's other plan-review items for the rest of the tenant improvement.

A new sushi bar in a shopping center. The designer produces an equipment layout and worksheet. Because the design needs a gravity tank, the civil sheets showing setbacks and easements go in the first submittal instead of arriving in a correction round.

An old restaurant that fails an inspection. The city's replacement guide says a violation must be fixed within the time on the inspection report, and the inspection form gives the option of 30 days for plan review and permits plus 60 days for installation. Those are form options, not code deadlines.

The edge case: the paper guide is old. The Grease Trap Replacement Guide is dated December 2013 and cites the 2012 IPC and code section 31-168. Scottsdale now uses the 2021 IPC amended by Section 31-85, so treat the guide as a process outline and the current guidelines as the rule.

1. 1Fill out the city's Grease Interceptor Size Determination Worksheet with the plumber. It is the last page of the guidelines PDF.
2. 2Assemble the drawings: equipment list, fixture and drain layout, drain and vent sizes, and for gravity units the site and civil sheets.
3. 3Use the current submittal process linked from Scottsdale's One Stop Shop; confirm whether the city requires digital documents or paper copies for your project.
4. 4Wait for approval before ordering or setting the tank. After a permit is issued, projects started in the SPUR portal schedule inspections there.
5. 5Ask the city's Industrial Pretreatment group about the guidelines, using the current contact information on the city website.

• "We can set the tank and file the drawings after." Item 2 forbids at-risk installation.
• "A trap is fine for a small kitchen with a dish machine." Item 7 and IPC 1003.3.5.1 both say no.
• "The 2013 replacement guide is the current rule." It predates the 2021 IPC amendments and cites a section that has since been replaced.

This page summarizes the city's guidelines. The city's published guidelines and adopted code govern.