Building Codes & Permits
Building Codes
Building codes are standards created to
ensure the structural safety of
buildings. They are established and
enforced by your local government,
usually through your city or county's
building department. Every state,
county, and local municipality has
adopted their codes from one of the
three nationally recognized building
codes: UBC (Uniform Building Code), BOCA
(Building Officials and Code
Administrators), and CABO (Council of
American Building Officials). The new
IRC (International Residential Code) is
a combination of the other three. All
are very similar in content. However,
many regions have additional, more
stringent regulations because of extreme
weather or geographic conditions. If you
live in the earthquake-prone areas of
the Pacific Coast or the hurricane risk
areas of the East Coast, Gulf Coast, or
Nevada, the greater Chicago area, New
Jersey, or many parts of New York, be
sure to inquire about the specifics of
these additional requirements.
Permits
Before you begin construction of your
home, you'll need to obtain a building
permit by demonstrating with your house
plan, and other documents, that your new
home will comply with all applicable
building codes. Depending on where you
live, this can be a simple process of
filling out a form, or it may require
additional steps if your area has
established patterns of hurricanes or
earthquakes. Building departments in
these high-risk areas typically require
you to hire a state-licensed structural
engineer to analyze your design and
produce additional drawings and
calculations, which you include in your
permit documentation. Many areas have
established energy codes. To comply with
these regulations, you usually fill out
a short form. Also, many building
departments require a professional stamp
from an engineer or architect who is
licensed in the state you plan to build
your home. Most building departments can
give you a handout with a checklist of
all the required documentation for your
permit.
Your House Plan
All house plans from Northeast Design
Drafting are designed to conform to the
local codes where the original house was
constructed. For most areas of the
country, your house plan from Northeast
Design Drafting includes all the
information (see What's Included) you'll
need to build your house-but not
necessarily everything you need to
obtain a building permit. Excluding
hurricane and earthquake requirements,
you will need to submit a site plan to
show the house's placement on your
property. For other local requirements,
you may, for example, need to resize
beams to accommodate roof loads specific
to your area, or if your lot is not
served by a sewer system, you may need a
septic design. Builders can usually help
you obtain these documents because they
are familiar with local codes and permit
process. If you need to modify
your house plan, hire only qualified
personnel that can make the revisions
according to your local codes. It will
save you time and money in the long
term.
The Fine Print
All construction drawings, products, or
services ordered through Northeast
Design Drafting are provided as is.
Northeast Design Drafting, is not liable
for incidental, consequential, special,
or indirect damages of any kind,
including, but not limited to, loss of
anticipated profits, business
opportunity, or other economic loss
arising out of the use of services,
products, or construction drawings
received from Northeast Design Drafting,
even if Northeast Design Drafting, has
been advised of the possibility of such
damage. |
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