Building Regs Explained
Does this job need a permit? Which code applies? Check before you start.
There is no single US building code. A family of model codes (the IRC, IBC, NEC, IPC and IECC) gets adopted, and often amended, state by state and even city by city. What is legal in one town can fail inspection in the next. The concepts are national; the numbers are local. These guides teach the system, and the tools route you to what your own jurisdiction has adopted.
Which code applies
The model codes run on a three-year cycle, but they only have force once your jurisdiction adopts them, usually with local amendments. Always confirm the edition your AHJ enforces.
Do I need a permit?
Most structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and egress work needs a permit. Cosmetic work usually does not. When in doubt, ask the building department before you start, not after.
Inspections and the inspector
Rough-in is inspected before you cover it up, and the job ends with a final and a certificate of occupancy. The inspector's call is final in the field, but there is an appeals route.
Work done without a permit
An after-the-fact permit means exposing the work and bringing it up to current code, plus a penalty. Disclosure duties attach to the property when it sells.