tmmaloney1
Member
Hello all, this is my first post here. I have a couple questions, mainly one, that I've tried to answer myself, but I wanted to put it out there for discussion. I'm a licensed Construction Supervisor in Massachusetts, and I work mainly in the residential field, 1 and 2 family dwellings. I've been licensed for over 10 years, so I'm not brand new to this, and I'm somewhat familiar with the 2009 IRC. However, I've never looked at the IBC, IEBC. Some subjects in this may be better suited for the IRC threads, I'm sorry for that.
Here's the story that the question/s relate to, any thoughts are welcome: I was asked to secure permit, and structurally repair 3 stacked porches on a 3-unit condo building, that contains 3 one bedroom units with 3 residents total in building. I went to pull the permit, and the inspector told me that anything over 2 units needs a structural engineer with a P.E. (or licensed design professional). That was not a big deal to me, but the customers obviously didn't want to spend the $1,500 that the P.E. charged. I insisted we hire the engineer, just for my own liability, peace of mind.
So the question or questions I have are:
Do 3 or more units of any kind require a P.E. or Architect. Please assume that the structure is less than 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space, because that's what the Massachusetts construction supervisors license lists as a cutoff point for the license.
My license is Unrestricted, and says right on the back "Buildings of any use group which contain less that 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space"
To me this should mean I don't need a P.E. I'm curious if I was had by the inspector.
Also, do I use the IRC or IBC (or IEBC) for this? Or both? I've read so many conflicting things, and I don't even own an IBC book because I use the IRC mainly. Massachusetts has it's own code book to be used with the IRC, "The Massachusetts book of Amendments to the IRC". I don't know how other states work.
I'll throw in some other random questions, please feel free to discuss any of the subjects listed, bring up other topics, or just ignore the questions. I try to do my own research, and I hope no one thinks I'm using the forum because I'm too lazy to research myself. Truth is I can't afford to buy all the books.
Is it true that we're currently using the 2009 code books, and this will change in 2015? (An inspector told me this)
On a 3 or more unit building, can I be fined for not having the IBC on site? (Another quote from an inspector) Just looking for a brief explanation of what books I need and when.
An inspector handed me a photocopied booklet from "The American Wood Council" book of design recommendations, and told me I had to follow that book when building a deck. Is this just his crazy idea? Or does the IRC or IBC or IEBC actually point to the American Wood Council as a guide, and why is a book of recommendations from a group other than the ICC mandatory? In that town, to build a deck on an existing house, he requires you to anchor the new deck joists to the interior joists, using brackets and a long threaded rod. If there is a finished ceiling in the way of accessing the interior joists then he tells you to rip it down. I know I can get an engineer to override him but don't think this should be necessary, and it drives the price up that much more. Who wants to pay for an engineer to build a 4' by 5' platform for a set of stairs.
Thanks to anyone for reading all of that if you're still with me, you must have patience. I'll keep my future posts more brief, and I'll spend more time reading old threads to answer my questions. I know the drill, please don't lecture me.
Here's the story that the question/s relate to, any thoughts are welcome: I was asked to secure permit, and structurally repair 3 stacked porches on a 3-unit condo building, that contains 3 one bedroom units with 3 residents total in building. I went to pull the permit, and the inspector told me that anything over 2 units needs a structural engineer with a P.E. (or licensed design professional). That was not a big deal to me, but the customers obviously didn't want to spend the $1,500 that the P.E. charged. I insisted we hire the engineer, just for my own liability, peace of mind.
So the question or questions I have are:
Do 3 or more units of any kind require a P.E. or Architect. Please assume that the structure is less than 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space, because that's what the Massachusetts construction supervisors license lists as a cutoff point for the license.
My license is Unrestricted, and says right on the back "Buildings of any use group which contain less that 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space"
To me this should mean I don't need a P.E. I'm curious if I was had by the inspector.
Also, do I use the IRC or IBC (or IEBC) for this? Or both? I've read so many conflicting things, and I don't even own an IBC book because I use the IRC mainly. Massachusetts has it's own code book to be used with the IRC, "The Massachusetts book of Amendments to the IRC". I don't know how other states work.
I'll throw in some other random questions, please feel free to discuss any of the subjects listed, bring up other topics, or just ignore the questions. I try to do my own research, and I hope no one thinks I'm using the forum because I'm too lazy to research myself. Truth is I can't afford to buy all the books.
Is it true that we're currently using the 2009 code books, and this will change in 2015? (An inspector told me this)
On a 3 or more unit building, can I be fined for not having the IBC on site? (Another quote from an inspector) Just looking for a brief explanation of what books I need and when.
An inspector handed me a photocopied booklet from "The American Wood Council" book of design recommendations, and told me I had to follow that book when building a deck. Is this just his crazy idea? Or does the IRC or IBC or IEBC actually point to the American Wood Council as a guide, and why is a book of recommendations from a group other than the ICC mandatory? In that town, to build a deck on an existing house, he requires you to anchor the new deck joists to the interior joists, using brackets and a long threaded rod. If there is a finished ceiling in the way of accessing the interior joists then he tells you to rip it down. I know I can get an engineer to override him but don't think this should be necessary, and it drives the price up that much more. Who wants to pay for an engineer to build a 4' by 5' platform for a set of stairs.
Thanks to anyone for reading all of that if you're still with me, you must have patience. I'll keep my future posts more brief, and I'll spend more time reading old threads to answer my questions. I know the drill, please don't lecture me.