Fire Hydrant Service in Santa Monica

Is it your hydrant or the city's?

A hydrant on your lot is yours. One at the curb usually isn't.

Santa Monica runs its own water system through the Water Resources Division of Public Works, so a leaking, damaged or struck hydrant on a public street is a matter for the city. Private hydrants are different. They sit on a private fire service main inside the property line, and keeping them working falls to the owner. That's the work we do.

What the annual inspection and flow test cover

NFPA 25 calls for private fire hydrants to be inspected and flow tested every year. On a typical visit, the technician checks:

• The barrel, caps and outlet threads, looking for cracks, leaks or missing caps.
• The operating nut. Does it turn, open the hydrant fully and close it tight?
• Drainage, so water doesn't sit in the barrel after use.
• Access. Nothing parked, planted or stacked in front of it.
• Flow, by opening the hydrant to full flow and recording what it delivers.

NFPA 291 sets out how that flow test is run, and it also sets the color code painted on hydrant bonnets to show each hydrant's flow class. Readings get written down. If something fails, see our fire hydrant repair in Santa Monica page, or set up a schedule through Santa Monica fire hydrant maintenance. For the test visit alone, go to annual fire hydrant testing in Santa Monica.

Who checks the work in Santa Monica

Santa Monica has its own fire department. It is a city department, separate from Los Angeles County Fire. The SMFD Fire Prevention Division inspects fire protection systems for compliance with the Santa Monica Fire Code. The yearly schedule above comes from NFPA 25, so before you plan around it, call Fire Prevention at (310) 458-8915 and ask what they expect at your address.

Who can do the work? In California, our jobs are done by Hedrick Fire Protection, which holds a C-16 fire protection contractor license and is licensed by the State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems.

Adding or moving a hydrant

New private hydrants and the underground mains that feed them fall under NFPA 24. Plans come first. In Santa Monica, plans for fire protection systems go to the SMFD Fire Prevention Division for plan review, and the department issues permits only after the fees are paid. Building permit applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026 have to meet the 2025 California Building Standards Code as amended by Santa Monica. Details are on our Santa Monica fire hydrant installations page.

Booking a hydrant visit

Tell us how many hydrants are on the property and when each was last tested. Photos help. Call (213) 568-0188 or email us at socal@1profire.com and we'll set a date. We cover Santa Monica street addresses in ZIP codes 90401 through 90405. Other services are on the Santa Monica fire protection page.

Santa Monica fire hydrant questions

Does Santa Monica require private hydrants to be tested every year?

NFPA 25 calls for annual inspection and flow testing of private hydrants. Confirm what applies to your property with the SMFD Fire Prevention Division at (310) 458-8915.

The hydrant at my curb is leaking. Can you fix it?

Usually not. Street hydrants are part of the city's water system, so report it to the City of Santa Monica. If the hydrant is on your property, we can help.

What does the bonnet color mean?

Under NFPA 291, the bonnet color shows the hydrant's flow class. A flow test tells you whether it still matches.

Is Santa Monica still in your service area?

Yes. Santa Monica is one of our listed service areas.