Home Building HELP! #1 Building code

I have spent the majority of my career in and around construction and materials. I decided to give the creator mode on LinkedIn a try, to share some nuggets with anyone interested in building a home of their own. To answer some questions people might have and share my opinion on the process of building. To make it easier to take in, I am going to break it down into parts of the process I have used and experienced personally. This is not meant to be a replacement of professional help or the bible of building. Just some understanding as I have seen and used for myself.

Building code is the standard set for construction. There are variations of codes from International all the way down to local municipal codes. International Building Code is the baseline for general construction practices and local municipalities adopt sections or additional components that fit them specifically. I live along the Gulf Coast so our codes are more refined to strengthen homes from hurricanes, Other parts of the country use others to account for snow, tornadoes etc. Strangely enough, there are still areas that might not have a building code at all. (Crazy right!) Building departments inspect/verify that these codes are enforced through the construction process. It is a level of protection that your investment is being built to "a standard"

You may hear the terms, "it's to code, minimum code requirements, done by the book" These are all good but you must also understand what that means. My best description is "This is the very least you have to do to comply" You can't do any less than this, it's the lowest you can go". You may also hear the term, "Exceeds building code". This generally means it is better than the absolute minimum. It is always a good idea to ask and document the level of quality with materials and labor you are getting for your new home project. Local building departments provide certain levels of protection which are good for the home owner. They make sure your builder (if you use one) is licensed & Insured and by that, he is qualified to contract with you to build in your area. You can ask your local building department, whether it is a city or county department, if a potential builder is in fact licensed and insured. The builder cannot pull permits without it.

Please be aware that building departments don't advise on the quality of materials or labor that went into your project outside of enforcing the minimum requirements set by the adopted code where you build. You should be aware of what is being used and the quality of the work provided by your builder and their subcontractors. Most builders subcontract phases of your project to other companies that specialize in that phase of the project. (site work, foundation, framing, cabinets, flooring etc) Most of these subs know what they must do to meet these requirements. In many cases these subs must be licensed as well. Plumbers, Electricians, HVAC etc are all typically (but not always) required to have industry specific licensing, and insurance to perform their work. They too may be required to pull permits in your area as well.

Your builder should verify this and provide you with any information you ask for.

Building codes and building departments are a good thing for the construction industry, as long as you understand their limitations. They are not there to share opinion, or manage your project. They are there to ensure you get the absolute minimum required to pass their inspections and comply with the standards that have been established. The rest is up to you and your builder.

If you have any comments or questions, please let me know. I hope this will help someone better understand the process of home building and help through the adventure. i for one enjoy it and seeing the end result.