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One city allows ABS pipe and 5 minutes away it is a not permitted.
One city code specifies 17 gauge ground joint sink traps and all the adjacent have no such requirement.
Or a permit and inspection for a 10 x 10 garden shed and the next one doesn't.
My biggest issue is with Home Inspectors and here is why...
My local Chief Building Official has confirmed code is determined at the time of original construction as long as there are no subsequent alterations and the construction is in good repair.
I helped a friend sell a Alameda Victorian with historic designation... the Home Inspector cited just about everything that made the home historic as a code violation.
Not enough outlets, windows too small for room size, narrow hallways width, no tempered or safety glass in low windows, hand rails too low or non-existent, legal permitted basement had low ceiling height, a lead bend for the pull chain toilet... etc.
One a the biggest offenders are Federal Buildings... like Post Offices
Because they are Federal Buildings, city codes from construction to zoning to parking do not apply.
Last edited by Ultrarunner; 07-01-2014 at 11:50 AM..
One city allows ABS pipe and 5 minutes away it is a not permitted.
One city code specifies 17 gauge ground joint sink traps and all the adjacent have no such requirement.
Or a permit and inspection for a 10 x 10 garden shed and the next one doesn't.
My biggest issue is with Home Inspectors and here is why...
My local Chief Building Official has confirmed code is determined at the time of original construction as long as there are no subsequent alterations and the construction is in good repair.
I helped a friend sell a Alameda Victorian with historic designation... the Home Inspector cited just about everything that made the home historic as a code violation.
Not enough outlets, windows too small for room size, narrow hallways width, no tempered or safety glass in low windows, hand rails too low or non-existent, legal permitted basement had low ceiling height, a lead bend for the pull chain toilet... etc.
One a the biggest offenders are Federal Buildings... like Post Offices
Because they are Federal Buildings, city codes from construction to zoning to parking do not apply.
Yep, that chef inspector has it right- as to the intent.
That "home inspector" wasn't a "home inspector"- he was a dealbreaker. Any inspector that has a 5cent brain would know that an antique/historical home was probably built BEFORE there were any codes to speak of; and would surely mention that today's codes would not apply.
I've argued this point over and over- I've encouraged people to hire private inspectors for potential buys and warned them that most inspectors are clueless of codes from 20yrs ago. But the house should be approached with those values insight.
In many areas, ours Arizona and those in California, when you sell a house nowadays you are required by law to bring it to current code before closing. And it can be costly.
NEVER have I had to bring an entire home up to new code...
Lets see... you would need to replace the foundation, maybe the studs, then add shear walls, electrical system, windows for egress, eliminate the wood burning fireplace, insulate top to bottom... just for starters.
Title 24 would/could be a huge undertaking and it only deals with energy efficiency.
Now if your refering to strapping the water heater and adding smoke and CO detectors that is not the whole house...
Here it is, straight up: You are wrong. Apparently you either didn't read what I posted earlier, or you are deliberately misleading people about the actual law in place in CA.
Let's try this one more time. Here is an excerpt from the law. Note that there are 3 independent requirements specified in the law, one which applies to upgrades to existing single family residences after Jan 1 2014, a second that applies to all SFR property owners after Jan 1 2017, and a third that applies to sellers of SFR properties after Jan 1 2017.
1101.4. (a) On and after January 1, 2014, for all building alterations or improvements to single-family residential real property, as a condition for issuance of a certificate of final completion and occupancy or final permit approval by the local building department, the permit applicant shall replace all noncompliant plumbing fixtures with water-conserving plumbing fixtures.
(b) On or before January 1, 2017, noncompliant plumbing fixtures in any single-family residential real property shall be replaced by the property owner with water-conserving plumbing fixtures.
(c) On and after January 1, 2017, a seller or transferor of single-family residential real property shall disclose in writing to the prospective purchaser or transferee the requirements of subdivision (b) and whether the real
property includes any noncompliant plumbing fixtures.
See that little paragraph 1101.4 (b) - it's a requirement for EVERYONE regardless of whether they are upgrading their home, or whether they are selling their home. There is no "if you pull a permit" or "if you are selling your home" clauses in there. Everyone must upgrade all their non compliant plumbing fixtures or they are breaking the law. Period.
Dave
This is crazy. And Maryland tried to do it.
I happened to have a meeting last night at our 4 year old Town Hall. It has 7 restrooms for a 4000 sq.ft. building on two stories. Why? Because it's a public building and the restrooms are based on sq. footage and occupancy capacity. One of our issues when building it (replacing a smaller one story building) was bringing it up to ADA compliance, which the other one wasn't.
The office areas are actually smaller and the only added space from the old one is a larger file storage area and a shared office for Code Enforcement/Town Engineer/Public Works Supervisor.
ADA compliance for doorways/hall width/restroom area pushed us into a second story for out meetings chamber. Which then meant you had to have an elevator and 4 of the 7 restrooms.
Two things I pushed for since we had to have a bigger building was a small conference room (10x12) and a shower (which actually means 8 restrooms although that one is not really open to the public).
Getting back to another post, whoever posted it is correct, the relevant code is the one in effect when the building was built. Many younger inspectors, for one reason or another, don't know that (or ignore it). Hell, the electrical code changes every couple years, let alone plumbing and insulation requirements. If someone has to bring a house up to code every time there's a code change there would be constant construction everywhere.
Having spent time in CA I do agree that water heaters should be tied down, that's common sense out there and should be required when a house changes hands.
Having spent time in CA I do agree that water heaters should be tied down, that's common sense out there and should be required when a house changes hands.
I don't have a problem with that sort of requirement, because the cost benefit tradeoff is significant. Tying down a water heater is an easy DIY thing for most people, and the materials only cost a few bucks. Similarly, CA also has a requirement that all homes be fitted with carbon monoxide detectors. Again, easy to do yourself and not very costly, perhaps 10 or 15 bucks each.
I don't mind a code requirement that new construction use water saving fixtures, or that bath remodels use them. It's the requirement to retrofit your entire home that I find onerous. I also think it's crazy to mandate low flow faucets, since the water flow out of a faucet is ultimately under the user's control anyway.
We stop when this cost out weighs human life. Care to place a value on that? Code updates are not done willy nilly, and are a result of a problem, resolution, and then change. Wisdom comes from lifes lessons. When should we quit learning?
I completely agree. I've lived in my current house, which was built by a contractor for his own use, and there were some scary things when we bought it.
#1 on the scary list was the light switch in the shower. Yes, in. We also had to have some wiring redone when we learned that the electric oven, electric cooktop, and electric dryer were all on the same 15 amp circuit.
In many areas, ours Arizona and those in California, when you sell a house nowadays you are required by law to bring it to current code before closing. And it can be costly.
That's flat out Hogwash-
Maybe you should choose your words more carefully- as Ultra said, smoke detectors are one thing...
Which reminds me about a thread no too long ago- someone doing a basement finish and the AHJ was requiring smoke detectors throughout the house... Even though the PERMIT WAS ONLY FOR THE BASEMENT!
That's flat out Hogwash- Maybe you should choose your words more carefully- as Ultra said, smoke detectors are one thing...
Which reminds me about a thread no too long ago- someone doing a basement finish and the AHJ was requiring smoke detectors throughout the house... Even though the PERMIT WAS ONLY FOR THE BASEMENT!
I don't thinks so. There was a house in our neighborhood a few years ago that the homeowner built onto a older house 2 rooms. A DIY job. When they went to sell the inspector found concrete floor problems, cracked walls, warped ceiling, doors that were smaller than standard, improper electrical and plumbing plus other DIY problem items. The house was tagged unfit for living and the owner had to tear everything down, get a permit, a licensed contractor and paid a heavy fine for trying to skirt the system.
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