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San Antonio board upholds 60‑day suspension of plumber’s registration after inspectors found unlicensed workers
Summary
The Building‑Related Fire Codes Appeals Advisory Board on July 2 upheld a 60‑day suspension for Juan J. Olivares after city inspectors reported unlicensed individuals working on plumbing at 115 Hardeman; the board denied Olivares’s appeal and discussed evidence linking the work to Anytime Plumbing and a contractor named Martinez.
The Building‑Related Fire Codes Appeals Advisory Board in San Antonio voted July 2 to uphold a 60‑day suspension of the plumbing registration at issue in an appeal by license holder Juan J. Olivares (license M2822).
Rachel Parrish, the board liaison with Development Services, said the suspension, issued 06/12/2025, was taken under section 10‑5A of the city code after inspectors found unlicensed workers at the 115 Hardeman job site. "We denied the registration in accordance with the provisions outlined in section 10‑5A of the city code," Parrish told the board.
Senior plumbing inspector Joe Hernandez testified that when he arrived he saw fittings and boxes of plumbing materials and observed two individuals installing a shower valve. "I did see fittings, fixture, fittings ... they were installing a ... shower valve," Hernandez said, and described a language barrier that prevented the workers from immediately producing licenses. He added that he stopped the inspection because he believed unlicensed persons were performing plumbing work.
Olivares told the board he and his licensed plumbers were not the ones working at the time of the inspection and that his trucks and license are normally clearly marked. "Those those are not mine," Olivares said, denying that the on‑site workers were his employees and asking the board to consider he had not knowingly used unlicensed labor.
Staff and inspectors said phone calls at the scene led to a Miguel (sometimes referenced as Martin) Martinez, who had previously been linked to on‑site work cited by the plumbing team. Joseph Bernal, Strike Team building chief, told the board the city had caught Martinez working without required permits in prior instances and that Anytime Plumbing confirmed Martinez worked for them. Senior inspector Danny Forky said the city had verified multiple encounters with the same company or individuals earlier in the year.
Board members debated whether the matter before them — the two unlicensed individuals observed during the inspection — could be separated from earlier plumbing work performed without permits and who bore responsibility when work is done under a master plumber permit. Parrish told members that the current hearing only concerned the presence of the two unlicensed workers during the inspection, not any earlier unpermitted work on the property.
John Martin moved to uphold the suspension and deny the appeal; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Chair Jack Upmore announced, "Motion carries." The board did not record an individual roll‑call vote in the hearing record.
The board’s action leaves the 60‑day suspension in place. Parrish said she will follow up with any procedural questions and that the city provides timelines and documentation associated with suspensions. The next procedural steps for the license holder beyond the board decision were not specified during the meeting.
