About the area
Where the Hill Section sits
Wikipedia describes the Hill Section as an area of high-priced homes, many remodeled or newly built, with steep hills that give panoramic ocean and city views. Local real estate guides place it south of Manhattan Beach Boulevard, west of Sepulveda to Ardmore Avenue, bordering Hermosa Beach to the south.
City-Data's estimates give the Hill Section about 5,200 residents, with detached houses at roughly 86 percent of its units, the highest share among Manhattan Beach neighborhoods it lists. These are estimates, so use them as a rough guide.
How a slope changes plumbing, in general terms
Water pressure depends partly on how far a house sits above or below the water main. A house well below the main may see high pressure, and one well above it may see low pressure.
A gauge on an outdoor hose bib tells you what you actually have. The California Plumbing Code, which is based on the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), calls for a pressure regulator above 80 psi, so you should have one if readings run high. Ask for a reading if fixtures hammer or valves fail.
Sewer lines also depend on fall. A house below the street may have fixtures lower than the next upstream manhole, and the California Plumbing Code can require a backwater valve in that case. We do not claim this applies to any particular house. A camera inspection and the building department can confirm.
Pressure, drain or heater problem on a hillside lot?
Call and tell us whether the house sits above or below the street.
What to tell us about a hillside house
- Where the garage and the street are.
Steep driveways limit where a crew can park and carry equipment. Say how many steps or how much slope is between the street and the door.
- Which floor the problem is on.
A basement or lower-level bathroom behaves differently from an upper floor. A backup in a lower fixture can point to the line outside. See sewer line cleaning.
- Signs of pressure trouble.
Banging pipes, a toilet that keeps running or a faucet that sprays all point to pressure. Faucet repair and toilet repair often start there.
- Where the water heater is.
Large homes may have more than one. For a leak or failure, start with water heater repair.
Nearby town
The Hill Section meets Hermosa Beach
The southern edge of the Hill Section borders Hermosa Beach, and the two are separate cities with different rules, water systems and building departments. If your address is south of the line, see plumbing in Hermosa Beach.
For a large or complex house, ask the Manhattan Beach Community Development or building department what a job needs. We do not state permit rules, and we make no claim about sewer or water conditions on any hillside street.
Sources: Wikipedia, Manhattan Beach, Manhattan Knolls, Manhattan Beach areas (real estate guide), City-Data, Manhattan Beach neighborhoods
On the map
Hill Section in Manhattan Beach
FAQs
Hill Section plumbing questions
Local guides place it south of Manhattan Beach Boulevard, from Sepulveda Boulevard west to Ardmore Avenue, bordering Hermosa Beach on the south. Wikipedia describes steep hills with ocean and city views.
It can. Pressure depends partly on how far the house sits above or below the water main. A gauge on a hose bib gives a real reading. Readings above 80 psi commonly call for a regulator.
A house with fixtures below the next upstream manhole can need one under the plumbing code. We cannot say that for your address. A camera inspection and the building department can confirm.
Tell us about the slope, the steps and where a van can park. It helps the crew bring the right tools in one trip.
Hermosa Beach is directly south. See plumbing in Hermosa Beach. If your address is near the line, give dispatch the street and number.
Back to Manhattan Beach plumbing and the nearby towns we serve.