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"Bedroom"

We have run into this issue as well. Our approach is similar. If it looks like a bedroom, it becomes a bedroom.

The easy solution is to remove the closet.

Cold weather concreting... Is the inspector ordering you to do these things or just giving you some advice?
 
tmurray said:
We have run into this issue as well. Our approach is similar. If it looks like a bedroom, it becomes a bedroom.

The easy solution is to remove the closet.

Cold weather concreting... Is the inspector ordering you to do these things or just giving you some advice?
Click to expand...

Wants me to have everything on site before he will approve the foundation. We'll see how it goes, going to try and pour tomorrow.
 
kvnhrmn said:
It can't legally be a bedroom ever because of egress but they are saying I have to remove the closet.
Click to expand...

In your dreams, as soon as it's sold neither the Inspector or you control what is done in that space.

The inspector's crystal ball sez: It will become a bedroom eventually even if there's no EEO, smoke detector's, minimum 70 SF and that the ceilings meet the required height from FF. By taking out the closet, you eliminate all the aforementioned items that make it a bedroom. Who wants to sleep in the basement with that anyway.

Go ahead, put a garage door on the end of the house and tell us it's not a garage so you don't have to separate it from the rest of the house, see it never stops. Human's just don't want to be told what to do, that's why the code has exception to the rules.
 
LOL
"by taking out the closet you take out all the aforementioned items that make it a bedroom" that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. You put a bed in a small room with no closet and it's someones bedroom.
Exactly. If I ever sell it, the new owner could put beds in every room in the house closet or not. Crazy argument. Like I said, I'll remove the framing for the doors and magically it will no longer be anyones bedroom ever. If I could find an eye roll smiley this is where it would go :)
 
I have 2 "bedrooms" that do not have a closet in them. They have amoires.

master:SSI1672.jpg

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
kvnhrmn said:
If I ever sell it, the new owner could put beds in every room in the house closet or not.
Click to expand...
Here's my philosophy on code: "Code is about what is probable, not possible. Anything is possible". That's what it really comes down to. That's why I mentioned early on "give the blank plans to someone and have them label the rooms". Not really... because every knows what to expect. This is the hypothetical test that is supposed to make folks go "ahh... I get it". Chances are the living room, bathroom and kitchen where it's "possible" to sleep won't be labeled as bedrooms, while the unassuming small room in the basement likely would. Especially if it has a window, just not a compliant emergency escape and rescue opening window. This is the truth everyone understands, but no one want's to concede to. Egress windows are expensive. I know. I put one in my little basement room recently in my old house.
 
Damn! if I would have known how to spell Amoires, I would have put that in my post ;)
People could go round and round about this forever. I know some inspectors are just trying to cover themselves and some are just trying to prove the know exactly what the "code" says. So now a 9x10 room in a basement with a 2.5 foot by 5 foot offset that has no doors, and has NO windows, is definitely NOT a "bedroom", and I'm sure will NEVER be used as one. Got it.
 
And yes there are two other real bedrooms in the basement with legal egress windows, they may be expensive but worth it if you do actually want to use it as a bedroom and feel secure if the house is on fire on the main floor, people have a way out.
 
French have been using "A"'s for centuries to escape taxes (smiling). Just need to seismicly attach them these days.
 
This might help? IRC 2018 Modification R310.1 Emergency Escape and Rescue Openings are no longer required for bedrooms in basements when the dwelling unit is protected with an automatic fire sprinkler system and other conditions are met.
 
According to the CDA website (Click Here), they are using the 2012 International Residential Code.

No amendments noted. Politely ask for the code section requiring the closet be removed. An office can have a closet. A den can have a closet. A workroom can have a closet. Why even a storage room can have a closet. Unfortunately, many inspectors rely on what they have always known, or thought they knew, rather than look it up in the code book. If it is not in the adopted code, then there is no violation.

If you do not get a code section, or the answer that you hoped for, then ask to speak with the building official, Ted Lantzy, and he can help you. He is a reasonable fellow.
 
Inspector Gift said:
According to the CDA website (Click Here), they are using the 2012 International Residential Code.

No amendments noted. Politely ask for the code section requiring the closet be removed. An office can have a closet. A den can have a closet. A workroom can have a closet. Why even a storage room can have a closet. Unfortunately, many inspectors rely on what they have always known, or thought they knew, rather than look it up in the code book. If it is not in the adopted code, then there is no violation.

If you do not get a code section, or the answer that you hoped for, then ask to speak with the building official, Ted Lantzy, and he can help you. He is a reasonable fellow.
Click to expand...


YEA

“YES CLOSET”

“ Not Bedroom”


YES CLOSET”

“ Not Bedroom”



YES CLOSET”

“ Not Bedroom”
 
kvnhrmn said:
Can you give the section you are looking at that says a closet makes it a bedroom

I found it online in another cities revisions. I'm guessing they adopted the same "definition"
RB4-16:R202-Bedroom
(New)-MEDINA13116
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RB4-16 was disapproved by the IRC Building Committee. No assembly action; no public comment submitted; ergo not in the code.
 
ACI 306 is not referenced in the IRC and therefore not enforceable. This is not to say you shouldn't follow best practice to get a good job regardless of code. ACI 318 references in the IRC are limited to structural design even thought there is a section on prohibition on placing footers on frozen ground in the IRC. Again, best practice should prevail especially on your own house.
 
rogerpa said:
RB4-16 was disapproved by the IRC Building Committee. No assembly action; no public comment submitted; ergo not in the code.
Click to expand...

As someone who is not familiar with this process, is there somewhere I can look that documents this "disapproval"? It could be very helpful to me.
 
Had a plan for a finish basement project with a room with a closet. no window at all or smoke alarm. I questioned it on the plan review and owner said positively not a bedroom, so I let it go. Owner never called for inspections so I called a few years later and asked to do an inspection. That room had a made up bed and bedroom furniture in it! There were other code things wrong so I just told them that if the bedroom furniture was still there I would not pass the final on a reinspection. Next time I inspected it they had the mattress leaning against the wall and the bed frame was apart. Now it looks like storage and so I took a photo then passed the final.

What would you do?
 
ADAguy said:
Visit the ICC website for info on the code revision process.
Click to expand...

So, am I understanding correctly that this proposed 2015 amendment was just put forward by an individual, and that there is no record of what happened beyond that, but we can read that silence to mean it was rejected?
 
curiousaboutcode said:
So, am I understanding correctly that this proposed 2015 amendment was just put forward by an individual, and that there is no record of what happened beyond that, but we can read that silence to mean it was rejected?
Click to expand...

Wrong! The full history is posted starting with the proposed change. The result of the committee action give reason(s) for approval, modification, or disapproval. You have to read multiple documents to follow the history. https://www.iccsafe.org/codes-tech-support/codes/code-development/2015-2017-code-development-cycle/
 
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