CRCA POLICIES FOR IRC

The following are the Centre Region Code Administrations policies on specific installations and conditions. These items are either not addressed clearly or at all in the code. These policies are based on staff meetings, reviewing installation guides, use of materials, product evaluation reports, referenced standards in the code, and consulting local design professionals.

Footers:

  1. If re-bar is indicated on the plans, per American Concrete Institute (ACI), it must have a minimum of 2” clearance from the edge of the form or soil, be in place at the time of the inspection and supported with chairs 3” off the bottom of the footer. All splices, including corners, shall be lapped a minimum of 15” (unless specified by a registered design professional).
  2. Column footer thickness must be a minimum of half the least dimension (unless otherwise specified by a design professional).
  3. When stepping footers the height of the step can be no more than 3/4" of the length of the upper level footer. (See attached step footer illustration.)
  4. When installing footers parallel to an excavation you must have undisturbed soil at a 45° angle from the bottom of the top footer to the bottom of the lower footer (unless on solid rock).
  5. All footers must be formed or trenched to dimensions indicated on approved plans.

Foundation:

  1. If vertical re-bar is required in poured concrete foundation walls in order to comply with the height of backfill, CRCA must do an inspection prior to pouring the concrete. All the forms and re-bar shall be in place at the time of the inspection.
  2. Prior to scheduling a foundation inspection, the foundation drain pipe with a minimum of 6” of crushed stone covering the pipe and an approved filter membrane shall be installed.

Plumbing Under Slab:

  1. All floor drains in basements must terminate at one of the following locations:
    1. Public sewer
    2. A sump pump in the basement that discharges to the public sewer or daylight
    3. Daylight outside the foundation Plumbing Under Slab
  2. Garage floor drains must terminate outside the foundation to daylight or a sump.
  3. When sump pumps and sewage ejector are installed they must be completely operational at the time of the final inspection.

Plumbing & HVAC:

  1. PVC is only permitted to run perpendicular through cold air returns.
  2. Thermo-pan is not permitted to be used as fireblocking (unless listed, labeled and approved by the CRCA).
  3. Access panels for hydro massage tubs are not permitted to be ceramic tile panels glued or caulked in place.
  4. HVAC ducts for supply and returns for each room or floor will be sized to the corresponding inches with an air duct calculator (ductolator) set at point one(.1) when the size is not specified on the heat loss calculations.
  5. Drain, waste and vent systems in remodeling jobs that consist of 3 fittings or less are not required to be tested. Call CRCA if you are not sure if you will have to perform a test. The piping still requires a visual inspection prior to covering.
  6. All bath exhaust ducts must be flexible or rigid metal or a minimum of schedule 20 pvc.
  7. Vertical trunk lines, other than metal, for HVAC are not permitted to be run more than 2 stories in height. (Example: maximum vertical rise from basement is to, but not through, second floor ceiling). If riser exceeds limit, install metal duct from basement to attic, or install fire dampers at the top and bottom of vertical rise, per manufacturers installation guide.
  8. When natural ventilation cannot be met through operable windows or exterior doors for rooms in basement finishes, a properly sized exhaust fan can be used to meet the requirements.
  9. When installing ground source heat pump loops, the installation guide for the unit is required to be submitted for review prior to the inspection, and the BTU’s of the unit shall be written in permanent marker on the equipment label at final inspection.
  10. Replacement of all water heaters and furnaces require a building permit and inspections, even direct replacement.

Framing:

  1. The following are products not listed in the code that are approved as fireblocking materials:
    1. Spray foam products are permitted to be used as fire blocking for spaces up to 1-1/4”.
    2. Unfaced fiberglass or any product that meets or exceeds ASTM-E136 or ASTM-E84.
  2. Fireblocking is not required in floor joist cavities of “bonus rooms” in line with the knee wall above, providing that there is access to the knee wall area.
  3. Drywall is required under stairways in basements when both sides of the stairs are enclosed. This is considered storage space.
  4. Jack studs supporting headers, beams and girders must be continuous from the bottom plate to the bottom of the header, beam or girder. It may not be interrupted by the rough sill.
  5. Ice protection is required to be installed, per the code, on all roof eaves attached to the house. This includes porches and unfinished or unheated spaces.
  6. Roofs connecting the house to garages (i.e., breezeways or porch roofs) must have a drywall separation in the roof area or ceiling of the garage.
  7. All sides of “I-joists” shall be fireblocked with sufficient thickness of approved fireblocking material (i.e., tub trap framing). Note: minimum thickness of “I-joist” is usually 3/8” OSB and the minimum required thickness for fireblocking is 3/4".

Final Inspection:

  1. A step ladder of adequate height shall be on the job site at the time of the final inspection in order to access the attic.

Note: As of 2004, a handrail shall be provided on at least one side of each continuous run of treads or flight with four or more risers.”

Plans:

  1. All plans submitted for review for additions and new houses must be to conventional scale and be accurate in regards to dimensions and plan view layout.
  2. If plans are reversed, all text and dimensions must be reversed and legible. Should the plans get reversed in the field, after the permit has been issued, two new sets of plans shall be submitted for review and approval, prior to scheduling any inspections.
  3. Any structure over 500 square feet, or more than one floor on grade level, shall require a building permit with two full sets of plans including footings, foundation, framing, etc. (including pre-manufactured or “drop-off sheds”).

State Wide Code Requirements:

  1. The following structures do not require a building permit if the structure has a building area of less than 500 square feet, is accessory to a detached one-family dwelling and is not more than one floor on grade level:
    • Carports
    • Detached private garages
    • Greenhouses
    • Sheds
    *Note:
    1. Any electrical, plumbing or mechanical work associated with these structures requires a building permit.
    2. A change of use of these structures also may require a building permit.
  2. Any “Agricultural Building”, as defined by the UCC, is exempt from a building permit. An exemption form shall be filed with CRCA (Download Agricultural Building Exemption Form).
    3. *Note:
    1. Any electrical, plumbing or mechanical work associated with these structures requires a building permit.
    2. Any change of use of these structures shall require a building permit.