Codes Rules Regulations Ordinances

Codes Changing for Climate Change

Codes Changing for Climate Change

Rules: M-19 and OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW: II-18 Hotter. Colder. Wetter. Dryer. This is called climate load, and it comes in an evermore random order. The need to design homes and buildings which can live through many decades of crazy weather i Read more
BUILDING CODES ARE OPEN TO INTERPRETATION, BUT ONLY BY THE BOSS PREMIUM

BUILDING CODES ARE OPEN TO INTERPRETATION, BUT ONLY BY THE BOSS

In the part of my career which could be called 'long ago' there was a point in time when see-through fireplaces were being built in homes in cities around mine, and in states surrounding mine, but not in my own home town. That's because the chief Read more
SEWER TAP WARNING – How Many Thrones May Your Castle Contain? PREMIUM

SEWER TAP WARNING – How Many Thrones May Your Castle Contain?

Tearing down an old house to build back a new one is a popular goal, especially in well established, highly sought after neighborhoods. It’s not any less expensive, but the adage ‘location-location-location’ makes it desirable, anyway. One Read more
Zoning PREMIUM

Zoning

Zoning is a process that helps a city or town or region put its land assets to best use for the primary interest and safety of its citizens, as well as uphold the overall value of the city and its attractiveness to future development and growth. Read more
Side Yard Set-Back Lines PREMIUM

Side Yard Set-Back Lines

This is about where a house can be built on a lot, and where the rules come from. The location where a home is allowed to be built on a lot, especially in a neighborhood, is often dictated by a document called PLAT RESTRICTIONS aka Protective Cove Read more
Townhome Renovation Includes Neighboring Exterior Common-Wall PREMIUM

Townhome Renovation Includes Neighboring Exterior Common-Wall

A recent addition & renovation project brings to mind the confusion that can go along with structures, like townhomes, which are built actually touching one another. On the inside, such dwelling units are separated by some substantial wall fr Read more
L-11 / PROPERTY – Choosing A Home Site : Boundaries, Building Lines, Conditions, Easements, Hazards, Ownership Privileges and Responsibilities PREMIUM

L-11 / PROPERTY – Choosing A Home Site : Boundaries, Building Lines, Conditions, Easements, Hazards, Ownership Privileges and Responsibilities

tSelect the Building Site Even more important than the home you are planning to build is the place where you plan to build it. Whether you intend to build on a lot in the middle of a subdivision, or the center of a vast country estate, if the sit Read more