01-23-2014, 02:38 PM
With regard to owner builder situations, IMO, building departments need to implement a simpler code for such scenarios where the factual minimal safe standards are met and not the "industry mandated standard". An owner builder need not meet the rigors of repetitive engineering that essentially causes a known building technique to be engineer checked millions and million of times for no purpose but to verify what was known 300 million homes ago. Thus an owner builder should need provide nothing more than a simple hand drawn plan in the most basic plan depth and arrangement and inspections should be optional for a owner builder. A different safety net needs to be implemented and would provide a new profession within the industry that is long over due. The owner builder guideline removals are for the simple fact that many safe homes exist today that do not currently meet to the "industry mandated standard" that were built say 5-10-20 etc. years ago and all of them need to be graded. Without that its essentially creating a false sense of integrity of a "permitted home" vs. other older "permitted homes" and non-permitted. They are all very different things in some cases and in others an owner built home may exceed the industry standard by several factors ( I know mine does as a former builder of 35 years). A national grading system should be adopted for all homes regardless of when built or under what legal circumstances. Sub standard graded homes could be assigned to any home regardless of when or how built and such homes would not necessarily be subject to condemnation. A national grading system is the only way to provide factual value and integrity in a home, who and under what legal status the home is built is useless presumptive boloney.
Those engaged in the occupation of building would still be subject to municipal inspections should the municipality elect to preform the function or it may be specialty contracted out to privately controlled inspection firms who would be held liable to a reasonable extent for their rating of a home.
- Armed citizens provide security of a free State.
Those engaged in the occupation of building would still be subject to municipal inspections should the municipality elect to preform the function or it may be specialty contracted out to privately controlled inspection firms who would be held liable to a reasonable extent for their rating of a home.
- Armed citizens provide security of a free State.