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Showerheads, faucets, toilets · a decision

Do state fixture rules make you replace anything?

California's showerhead flow rate cap is 1.8 gpm for heads made since July 1, 2018; that rule governs sales, while a separate state law covers heads over 2.5 gpm in homes built on or before January 1, 1994.

VerdictDepends

1.8 gpm

California's cap for showerheads made on or after July 1, 2018, measured at 80 psi (California Energy Commission rules)

California homes built on or before Jan 1, 1994 had a retrofit duty, with exemptions; elsewhere, keep them.

Worked out by Where Your Gallons Go from 10 dated sources · numbers checked 11 November 2026

The answer by situation

  • Fixture already installed, outside CaliforniaUsually keepFederal limits and other states' sales rules cover products made or sold after a date; check city rules.
  • Buying a showerhead in California or Washington1.8 gpmCapped at 1.8 gpm at 80 psi, about 5.6 gallons less than 2.5 gpm per 8-minute shower.
  • Buying a toilet in California, Texas or Georgia1.28 gpfSales above 1.28 gpf ended in Georgia after July 1, 2012 and in California and Texas on January 1, 2014.
  • Replacing a broken fixture in GeorgiaMeet codeGeorgia counts replacing a failed faucet, showerhead, toilet or urinal as construction under its 2012 rule.
  • California home built on or before Jan 1, 1994ReplaceSingle-family deadline Jan 1, 2017 (multifamily 2019) for toilets over 1.6 gpf, heads over 2.5 gpm, faucets over 2.2 gpm.
Six chrome showerheads and three bathroom faucets lined up on white shelves
Six chrome showerheads and three bathroom faucets lined up on white shelves AI-generated picture

Do state rules apply to fixtures already in your home?

The sales limits do not; California's retrofit law does. State product limits, like 10 CFR 430.32 federally, cover fixtures made or sold after a date. California also requires property built on or before January 1, 1994 to replace high-flow fixtures, with narrow exemptions, Georgia applies its code when a failed fixture is replaced, and some cities add rules at sale or remodel, so check locally. The replace-or-wait page covers timing.

Does California make older homes replace fixtures?

Yes, for property built and available for use on or before January 1, 1994. Civil Code §§1101.1–1101.8 (SB 407, effective January 1, 2010, amended by AB 892, effective January 1, 2020) calls a toilet over 1.6 gpf, a showerhead over 2.5 gpm and an interior faucet over 2.2 gpm noncompliant (Civil Code article 1.4, archived copy of 22 Sep 2025). Single-family homes had to replace them by January 1, 2017, and multifamily and commercial property by January 1, 2019.

A permitted alteration to a single-family home also requires replacing them before final permit approval, and a seller must disclose in writing the requirement and whether the home still has any. Section 1101.7 exempts registered historical sites, property where a licensed plumber certifies replacement is not technically feasible, and buildings with water service permanently disconnected; section 1101.8 lets cities, counties and water suppliers go further.

What is California's showerhead flow rate, and what else does it limit?

Showerheads made on or after July 1, 2018 may flow no more than 1.8 gpm at 80 psi in California, counting every nozzle together. The same California Energy Commission rules cover faucets and toilets, some keyed to manufacture and others to sale.

California limits next to the federal ones
ProductFederal limitCalifornia limitCalifornia date and trigger
Showerhead2.5 gpm at 80 psi1.8 gpm at 80 psimade on or after July 1, 2018
Bathroom faucet and aerator2.2 gpm at 60 psi1.2 gpm at 60 psimade on or after July 1, 2016
Kitchen faucet and aerator2.2 gpm at 60 psi1.8 gpm, optional temporary 2.2sold on or after Jan 1, 2016
Toilet1.6 gpf1.28 gpfsold on or after Jan 1, 2014

Source under the table: California Energy Commission — Title 20 toilet, urinal, faucet and showerhead regulations (2015). Federal figures are from 10 CFR 430.32 for products made after Jan 1, 1994; each California figure applies from the date and trigger in the last column.

Which other states go below the federal numbers?

Texas and Georgia average dual-flush toilets as WaterSense does.

Why is Georgia different?

Its 2010 Water Stewardship Act requires high-efficiency fixtures in construction permitted from July 1, 2012, and counts swapping a failed or obsolete faucet, showerhead, toilet or urinal as construction. A broken toilet gives way to a WaterSense listed one at 1.28 gpf or less, a bathroom faucet to 1.5 gpm or less. Working ones stay.

What if your state is not on this list?

Federal limits apply, and other states may have their own rules; check your state energy or water agency. Local rules can reach installed equipment too: the Santa Clarita Valley required automatic water softeners removed by June 30, 2009 (Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, archived copy of 24 Feb 2026); see water softener water use.

When the answer flips

  • Your California home was built on or before January 1, 1994: high-flow toilets, heads and faucets were due for replacement by January 1, 2017 for single-family homes (2019 for multifamily), unless an exemption applies.
  • A Georgia fixture fails: its stand-in must meet the high-efficiency code.
  • Your city has its own ordinance: Colorado lets local governments set stricter fixture rules.
  • You buy a multi-nozzle shower in California: all outlets together count toward 1.8 gpm.

What to buy or ask a plumber

  • Look for the WaterSense label, which Colorado requires for new bathroom faucets, showerheads and tank toilets.
  • Read the rated flow at its stated pressure: showerheads at 80 psi, faucets at 60 psi.
  • Ask your plumber or building department which code edition and local rules apply to your job.

Also asked

Is a 2.5 gpm showerhead illegal to own in California?

No. The 1.8 gpm rule governs heads made from July 1, 2018, and the retrofit law counts only heads over 2.5 gpm as noncompliant.

Does a Texas home sale trigger a toilet upgrade?

Not under the state rule, which covers toilets sold from January 1, 2014. Ask your local building department about any city rule.

Does Colorado require WaterSense fixtures?

For new bathroom faucets, showerheads, urinals and tank toilets sold there, yes, since September 1, 2016. Kitchen faucets have a 1.8 gpm cap from January 1, 2021.

Does Washington set its own gallon numbers?

Not directly. It points to California's Title 20 as of January 1, 2018, so the figures match California's.

How we reached this

State rules were checked on 11 Nov 2026 against each state's statute or agency page. Colorado's session laws and California's retrofit article come from archived copies (Internet Archive), since current statute text was not available to confirm that day. California product figures are from the commission's 2015 adopted text, whose section numbers may differ from today's code. Shower gallons assume full rated flow. States not named are left to their own agencies.

Sources

  1. California Energy Commission — Toilet, Urinal, Faucet and Showerhead Regulations 2015 (TN 206010) · California limits and dates · checked 11 Nov 2026
  2. California Legislative Information — Civil Code §§1101.1–1101.8 (article 1.4) · retrofit for homes built on or before Jan 1, 1994, deadlines, permit and sale rules · archived copy of 22 Sep 2025, checked 11 Nov 2026
  3. eCFR — 10 CFR 430.32 · federal limits · checked 11 Nov 2026
  4. Colorado Session Laws 2014, ch. 384 (SB 14-103) · 2016 sales rule · archived copy of 11 Jun 2024, checked 11 Nov 2026
  5. Colorado HB 19-1231, signed act · reenactment and kitchen faucet cap · archived copy of 11 Mar 2025, checked 11 Nov 2026
  6. Washington State Legislature — RCW 19.260 · link to California Title 20 · checked 11 Nov 2026
  7. Texas Legislature — Health and Safety Code ch. 372 · toilet sales rule · checked 11 Nov 2026
  8. Georgia EPD — Georgia Water Stewardship Act · new construction and replacement rule · checked 11 Nov 2026
  9. Vermont General Assembly — 9 V.S.A. §2796 · faucet and showerhead sales rule · checked 11 Nov 2026
  10. Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County — Automatic Water Softeners in the SCV · softener removal order · archived copy of 24 Feb 2026, checked 11 Nov 2026

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