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Needs urgent advice

Youstina said:
Im building my home and my contractor has added the pantry in the middle of the living room and he says it is important for support
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I attached another photo and the house plans, i think he added this pantry to cover the duct work
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Just another confused situation.

BPco was close to correct: "Is it just a coincidence that this was posted on April 1?"
 
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I prefer the layout as it is built, although it’s a shame the face of the pantry doesn’t align with the laundry.
 
Looking at the posted plans, don’t see the name of an AoR. Just the gc. Looks like design took precedence over function, and he realized during construction that he had a problem.
 
Hello all, just wanted to update , i reached the framing inspector who gave the approval and he told me it is not load bearing and it can be removed, and those plans i attached before are already the ones approved by the codes department , i think he just added it to cover the duct work running under LVL , going to remove it , thank you all
 
Youstina said:
Hello all, just wanted to update , i reached the framing inspector who gave the approval and he told me it is not load bearing and it can be removed, and those plans i attached before are already the ones approved by the codes department , i think he just added it to cover the duct work running under LVL , going to remove it , thank you all
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So who wasted money on the installation of an LVL if it is not load bearing and why did the framer deviate from the approved plans? Where is the revision before inspection? How did the inspector sign off on this? He could do a partial inspection pending the changes.
 
I would say where I live, the building department won't care if you move (or add or delete) a non-load bearing wall as long as it doesn't compromise fire, thermal, egress, etc. requirements. Just curious if this sort of deviation from the plans in other places is really an issue?
 
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bill1952 said:
I would say where I live, the building department won't care if you move (or add or delete) a non-load bearing wall as long as it doesn't compromise fire, thermal, egress, etc. requirements. Just curious if this sort of deviation from the plans in other places is really an issue?
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The legal documents for the structure on file at the building department must match what is built. At least get as-builts.
 
jar546 said:
The legal documents for the structure on file at the building department must match what is built. At least get as-builts.
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From my owner/builder view, that's probably a good goal. I suspect in many rural areas, like where I live, it's not the case. If load bearing elements are close to where shown on plan, and building has not slipped into set backs (though moved a lot), pretty sure it will be approved at inspections. Interesting to learn of the differences between jurisdictions.
 
bill1952 said:
I would say where I live, the building department won't care if you move (or add or delete) a non-load bearing wall as long as it doesn't compromise fire, thermal, egress, etc. requirements. Just curious if this sort of deviation from the plans in other places is really an issue?
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It is not much of an issue, except that the builder is rarely competent enough to see every potential code issue, so when they move the non-load bearing wall, they interfere with some other code provision that we would have caught in plan review. Then, they get a major attitude when you catch it on final inspection. For that reason, we try to discourage changing things without approval.
 
[A] 107.4 Amended construction documents. Work shall be installed in accordance with the approved construction documents, and any changes made during construction that are not in compliance with the approved construction documents shall be resubmitted for approval as an amended set of construction documents.
 
jar546 said:
that are not in compliance with the approved construction documents
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What does that mean? If same size and meets code, is it in compliance even if non-load bearing elements vary? Add an opening in an interior wall? Delete one? Vary kitchen cabinets? Put a larger door in?

It would be clearer if it required not varying from the approved documents.
 
bill1952 said:
What does that mean? If same size and meets code, is it in compliance even if non-load bearing elements vary? Add an opening in an interior wall? Delete one? Vary kitchen cabinets? Put a larger door in?

It would be clearer if it required not varying from the approved documents.
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If construction does not match the approved drawings, you need a revision with BD approval. I don't understand the confusion. Do you not have approved framing drawings for new homes?
 
I don't believe the word "compliance with the drawings" means "exactly as drawn". A bad choice of words in a code if intent is an exact match. Compliance to me means to meet the intent, not replicate.

I'm still curious how common your interpretation is. Certainly not in my very limited experiences.
 
bill1952 said:
I don't believe the word "compliance with the drawings" means "exactly as drawn". A bad choice of words in a code if intent is an exact match. Compliance to me means to meet the intent, not replicate.

I'm still curious how common your interpretation is. Certainly not in my very limited experiences.
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If the construction does not meet the approved drawings which are archived as legal documents, then we have a code violations that needs to be corrected. This is especially true of framing changes. Still not sure how this is not obvious.
 
I inspected a four story dormitory at a private university. None of the dorm rooms had a private bathroom. A representative from the school came to me with a request to add a private bathroom to a dorm room for a student that suffered from cystic fibrosis. It was too late to go through plan check again as we were ready for the under-slab inspection. That bathroom is not on any set of plans.

I admit that I did a wrong thing there ... but was it a bad thing? The kid needed a bathroom and his life was already difficult enough.
 
e hilton said:
I bet it was built to code.
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Oh no!! The anal crowd is adamant that if it is not on the plans there is a definite code violation. Don't get me wrong, I would not argue against that. It's just that sometimes I don't care. Understand that you're not always going to have good choices but you have to find a way forward none the less.
 
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