Patience is a virtue - Right?

“Patience is a person's ability to wait something out or

endure something tedious, without getting riled up”.

From coast to coast there is a regulatory agency known as the “Building Department”. This agency is where you will go to obtain a building permit if it is necessary for your project – O.K. let’s stop right here.
That seems harmless enough right? If you are new to building or have not yet had the opportunity to get involved with this agency, let’s just say; when you cross the threshold of your local building department, you enter a place that on a good day can be most helpful and on a bad day can seem surreal and test the abilities of even the most patient person.
I will also say that not all building departments are created equal. Some building departments are friendly and some are openly hostile.

I once heard of a woman who was going to have a set of steps put onto the back of her house to give the second floor an emergency exit in case it was ever needed. Her neighbors suggested that she have them built and installed without a building permit, to save her some headache. She refused, stating that she wanted to follow the rules and would obtain the necessary permit herself. She did get the permit but was so exasperated and angry by the end of the process that she went out the front door screaming that she would never get another permit as long as she lived.

Unfortunately, that is not an isolated incident. Some building departments have a very poor reputation when it comes to how they treat the very public that makes their paychecks possible! As a general contractor, I had numerous opportunities to experience that not so pleasant side of this agency.
When it comes to building inspectors, I have had some very good ones who were friendly and helpful and some inspectors who, for whatever reason, wanted to flex their regulatory muscles and make life really difficult. A case in point:

I was the contractor on a home where the house had a half basement and half crawlspace. The foundation forms were ready. I called in for my inspection and didn’t expect any problems. The inspector showed up, pulled out the plans without looking at them, and flipped through the other paperwork as if looking for something in particular. He stated flatly that he could not approve the work since there was no “compaction letter”. I said “what do you mean, why would I have that?” to which he responded “the crawlspace was over dug and back-filled, you need to have a compaction test and a letter stating what the results were”. My hackles went up because he was assuming something without even looking at the plans or asking if that was what had been done. I had to argue with him and explain how, because of the way the excavation was done that we did not have to over dig the crawlspace area so there was no need for any compaction testing. He finally backed down and approved the work. In the years ahead, I had the opportunity to have this inspector many times, and sadly, this behavior was normal for him. He tried repeatedly to find ways to fail not just my work, but that of many other contractors. This is the kind of behavior that makes people leave the building department screaming that they will never come back.

So just what is the role of a building department supposed to be? In short, they enforce the building codes. When something needs to be built and it requires a permit, they are the agency that will review plans and make sure that all the applicable building codes are strictly adhered to. This review of plans will cover the building construction plans, plumbing, electrical and mechanical.
In addition to reviewing building plans, they make sure that contractors are qualified to have whatever license is specific to their field (*not all counties require a contractor to have a license.) In the county that I live in, they are also the agency to actually test for and issue that license. When inspections are to be made, they will usually be the ones to perform the inspections. They will either pass the work so the builder can continue, or fail the inspection until corrections are made. They will be the ones who ultimately give a C.O. which means “Certificate of Occupancy” which basically states that the work was done to their satisfaction and the home, office etc. is ready to be occupied. This is the agency that is given the task of ensuring public safety.

In defense of the building department, I will say that there is a need for accountability. Some people in the building trades try to cheat and cut corners which can put people in danger. They will lie and scheme and cheat customers out of their hard earned money and often leave the customer high and dry with only partially completed jobs. The building department is not a cure all for these types of individuals but they are in a position to help reduce the number of people who are affected by them. Sadly, as more people find it acceptable to lie, cheat and do sub-standard work, the watchful eye of regulatory agencies becomes more widespread. The building codes that they enforce have been developed as a framework of acceptable building practices to ensure uniformity in the building industry. Though not part of the building department, other entities that may have a direct impact on a building project can be:
1. City zoning
2. County zoning
3. Fire review
4. The department of transportation
5. The health department

If you think you may ever need to become involved with your local building department there are a few things that you can do to help reduce your stress before going through that door.

• Know what you are doing. In other words; know your craft or trade and do good quality work!
• Know the codes well that apply to your project.
• Be able to, or learn how to communicate clearly.
• If you don’t know everything that will be required of you, ASK and then make sure you do it.
• Have patience and remember that you are dealing with a regulatory agency. Never forget that part!

If you are unfamiliar with building codes and are interested in learning more, you may want to get a copy of the “International Residential Code” book. You can find one at the library without having to purchase one and see what it’s all about. Other code books are available as well for commercial building, electrical, plumbing and fire codes.

If you are interested in becoming a general contractor, or working in a field that requires a specialty license such as a plumber or electrician, you will need to become very familiar with the code book that applies to that field. If you ever have a difference of opinion with an inspector on a particular code, you will need to be able to explain why you think you are right in that particular situation. It’s really important to know how to read the codes and the “exceptions” properly.
If construction excites you then a code book offers not only a lot of great information for your trade but a lot of just great reading. If you are new to the trades, you can learn an amazing amount by simply opening it up and reading through it.

The links below can get you to these code books:

2015 International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings Jun 19, 2014
by International Code Council
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_22?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=international+residential+code+2015&sprefix=International+resident%2Cstripbooks%2C395

2015 International Building Code 1st Edition
by International Code Council (Author)
http://www.amazon.com/2015-International-Building-Code-Council/dp/1609834682/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443609764&sr=1-1&keywords=building+code+books

NFPA 70®: National Electrical Code® (NEC®), 2014 Edition 1st Edition
by National Fire Protection Association (Author), National Electrical Code Committee
http://www.amazon.com/NFPA-70%C2%AE-National-Electrical-Code%C2%AE/dp/1455906727/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443610644&sr=8-1&keywords=2014+nec+code+book

2015 ICC International Mechanical Code (IMC), Softcover
The IMC establishes minimum regulations for mechanical systems using prescriptive and performance-related provisions.
http://www.bnibooks.com/product/2015-icc-international-mechanical-code-imc-softcover?tc=932Y&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=international%20mechanical%20code&utm_campaign=icc-codes

2015 ICC International Fire Code (IFC), Softcover
The IFC contains regulations to safeguard life and property from fires and explosion hazards.
http://www.bnibooks.com/product/2015-icc-international-fire-code-ifc-softcover?tc=932Y&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=%2Bfire%20%2Bcode%20%2Bbook&utm_campaign=icc-codes