MUST build tmy house to code

Started by Steve_B, July 21, 2012, 02:04:41 PM

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Steve_B



Going to be starting the build on the 20 x 30 with 1.5 stories in the next few months hopefully!

We live in South Carolina, and this will be my first ever house build... but I am very determined to do it, and live mortgage free when I move in

Planning on doing everything by myself EXCEPT for the electrical which I would farm out to a company


So the question is....

I know every county and state lives by different building codes they adopt and follow.... I know I can call them and ask what codes they follow and find the literature with countless pages of rules to follow

Is there a book or such that would be a "cheat sheet" of sorts that gives an individual as myself a "HOW TO" chapter by chapter to build certain aspects of the house? Such as a framing code section condensed, a roofing code section condensed, and so on?

I love the simplicity of the 20 x 30 plan on here, and it seems to be one of the easier houses to build, but the last thing I want to happen is have the building inspector come out and black flag me for something I did wrong or not up to code.... money is very tight for my family and could not afford the expense of throwing away any money by rebuilding or such

Please help

Steve
It's all about the kiddies I tell you...

offthegridcortland

A couple of things:

First: Most of the United States has adopted the International Building Code with certain adjustments in certain areas.  You can find out about those adjustments locally.  Such is the case in South Carolina with specific amendments you can check online.

Second:  Remember that "code" is really the building minimum.  So if you are building for your family, or any human you want to be safe for that matter, building to code is more than jumping through hoops, it's the least you want to do.

Third:  Typically, (and I have no idea how they do it in your county), you deal with a building inspector throughout the building process, so it's not like you'd build the whole building, be done, then find out you were not to code.  Typically you will pass different stages as you go along.

Books:

House Framing, by John Wagner.  If you really want to understand framing easily, I think this is the book.
Do it Yourself Housebuilding, by George Nash.  This pretty much covers it all.  Great book.  Just one book, this would be my choice.
From the Ground Up, by John Cole and Charles Wing.  My favorite book about house building.  A bit dated and certainly directed to a specific type of house.  Also a little touchy-feely, but I love it.  It gets to the heart of all that you seem to be pursuing.

I applaud your goals.  I get them.  I was able to turn my remodeling efforts in a New York City apartment into a paid-for house down here in Florida for my son and I after a divorce.  Tough times for me, but that home is mine.  No one can take it from me.  I love that.  Good luck with your dream.


flyingvan

Why aren't you doing the electrical?
Find what you love and let it kill you.

rick91351

I think once you get started and start facing the challenges of building you most likely will bite off the electrical.  To me it is the easiest to understand for some reason.  My weak suit ----- drum roll please ---- plumbing!!  But Ellen seems to have a grasp on that.  When I was gone a lot she would have to take the bull by the horns once in a while and did real good at it.   [cool] and she can also cook......   [hungry] 

As far as code and cheats or helps yes there are a verity of code helps out there.  Just do a little searching.   
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

flyingvan

I agree with Rick---if you just pick up the latest NEC code book at any of the big stores, it's not nearly as hard as plumbing.  They have code flipcharts there too for everything from foundations to framing to venting. 
If you concentrate on each stage one at a time the whole thing is less daunting. 
I've done all the work myself and the hardest thing for me is hanging doors
Find what you love and let it kill you.


Steve_B



First let me be clear in saying I did not in any way mean to cheat at building to code.... I am intent on building the whole house at or above what is recommended with no shortcuts!!!

I guess instead of saying "cheats" I should of said "cliff notes" if anyone remembers those things

I am definitely going to try the whole plumbing system myself and use PEX for the whole system... if it were still the olden days of copper with solder and sweating, then I would call in a plumber... but I am going to try it myself as all the videos I've seen make it look like childs play almost in popping on the connections and such

Now as far as electrical..... still leaning toward calling in a pro for that one as I hate working with or on house electricity ( maybe the fact I got shocked real bad when I was a kid by holding one prong on a plug while sticking it in the outlet??? )  I will install ceiling fans and lights, but not comfortable with running a whole house electrical system!

I have never built anything that has ever needed a building inspector to come out... so I guess I am scared of how he will act and what he will do

In general, are building inspectors thorough or do they just eyeball things and see if they look good or not?

Working with a very tight budget, I have nightmares of framing the whole first floor and having him say tear it down cause I did it wrong.... that scares me!!!
It's all about the kiddies I tell you...

Squirl

Is this what you are looking for?

http://publicecodes.citation.com/st/sc/st/b4v07/index.htm?bu=SC-P-2007-999999

I use the one for NY pretty regularly.  Any part of the build, you just click and read.

Let's say you want to start with the foundation. So you click chapter 4 foundation.  You have to start with the footing, so you click footings.  All the charts, sizing, soil values, and pictures to stay on the good side of most inspectors. 

http://publicecodes.citation.com/st/sc/st/b4v07/st_sc_st_b4v07_4_sec003.htm?bu=SC-P-2007-999999

rick91351

Please excuse my by my verbiage of cheats.  Sounds like Van flashed right on what I was referring to.  Just there are things out there so that you do not have to read the whole code book to build a house.  You will find a lot of it never applies to your build.  I am not one to advocates not following code.  If something comes up and I cannot figure it out.  Or to me it is a gray area I have the inspectors phone number and he can usually talk me right though a problem.  Right now however I am not doing anything and I hear he is busy inspecting wind mills.   [noidea'

Well I am about to pull permits to wire my shop but that is a state inspector.
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

flyingvan

See if you can set up a ride along with the local building inspector.  It's a great way to learn a lot, see how picky they are, and get to know them.  They aren't the enemy (there are probably exceptions I'm sure) The supply side of plumbing is easy.  It's the drain side that gets tricky---proper size drains, correct venting, correct slope, knowing where it's OK to wye off, etc....It's all in those code flip charts
Find what you love and let it kill you.


Don_P

The codebook is the cliff notes, I can guarantee memorizing it will not make you a carpenter, it is just a book full of cheat sheets, tables, rules, etc. You have to look through the plans and the codebook to find whether what you want to do is allowed and if so, how to do it. Any book you buy about the codebook is that author's snapshot in time, it is good insight but it needs to be checked against the real code. There is no substitute for the real thing.

In your build thread you mentioned building a pier and beam foundation, this is outside of the codebook. when I plan on doing something that is outside of prescriptive, codebook, I call the inspector or go in with drawings or whatever documentation he might want to see and discuss it beforehand. Sometimes he is comfortable with it, sometimes he has a good reason why I shouldn't do it, and sometimes he says, "that is fine but I'll need an engineer's stamp". 

If you post details of what you are doing beforehand some of us actually hone our knowledge by knowing or looking up the section of the codebook that discusses that detail. What happens so often is someone proudly posts a picture of what they just did, and after the fact, there isn't much to say that they will want to hear.

Steve_B


Don... when I do start the build I will keep it fully documented here for others to see and of course for others to help me with when I run into problems

I guess its a scarey thing when you set out by yourself to build an entire house for you and your family... but with all the insight here on this forum, it will help me and keep me going when I do start it!

I want to build the house, which is the 20 x 30 with 1.5 on concrete piers to keep the cost down versus doing a slab.... I do plan on using more piers then what the plan calls for as well

Are you saying building on top of concrete piers is not in the codebook??
It's all about the kiddies I tell you...

Don_P

Correct, it is an engineered foundation. The codebook basically outlines two ways to build. The simplest is to follow the prescriptive methods outlined in the residential codes. The other way is to engineer any parts that step outside of the codebook. I usually try to stay prescriptive. In your area I would lean towards a crawlspace or slab foundation myself. There is the codified law, what is enforced is... whatever the local building official enforces.

Squirl

Quote from: Steve_B on July 22, 2012, 06:01:36 PM

Are you saying building on top of concrete piers is not in the codebook??

You got it.  Some inspectors are O.K. with it.  Some flat out reject it.  Some require an engineer to approve it.

As a backup, a full footing and crawlspace is probably less expensive than a pier foundation but requires more labor.  A slab usually requires help and hired labor, but  saves on the floor.  As far as costs for a $30-40K full 1200 sq. ft. house, you are usually only talking a few hundred dollars difference between most of the options.

Steve_B

Quote from: Squirl on July 22, 2012, 06:34:16 PM
You got it.  Some inspectors are O.K. with it.  Some flat out reject it.  Some require an engineer to approve it.

As a backup, a full footing and crawlspace is probably less expensive than a pier foundation but requires more labor.  A slab usually requires help and hired labor, but  saves on the floor.  As far as costs for a $30-40K full 1200 sq. ft. house, you are usually only talking a few hundred dollars difference between most of the options.


Correct me if I am wrong here sir, as I prolly are wrong!

I was under the impression that a concrete slab, lets say 20 x 30 is somewheres in the $4,000 range in terms of concrete being poured and truck expenses...... where a concrete pier system is the cost of several sonotubes and several bags of concrete

What costs am I missing in the pier system?

I don't mind labor at all.... but my budget is very very tight
It's all about the kiddies I tell you...


alex trent

I think you should calculate the cost of pier build and rethink..  The bases you need ar 40 bucks each for starters...that is about $800 to start.

It is not as cheap as you think. And a lot more unknowna in building it.

I built my house on piers, so this is not a "I do not like them " thing. But I had a reason (big slope in land).

rick91351

I guess I am the one who is going to ask is your septic, well and power in?

Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

MountainDon

Quote from: Steve_B on July 22, 2012, 06:46:58 PM

What costs am I missing in the pier system?


But it is more than costs. None of us here are engineers, or at least no active member has revealed themselves to be a qualified/licensed structural engineer. Some active members are experienced careful carpenters, some of our members have learned by some of their own mistakes, some are more understanding than others of the forces that can be at work in a structure under the real world variety of weather conditions.

Remember that codes are minimums. There are a number of sources for online copies of the IRC. We have some listed in the General Topics Forum. States can and do make changes, additions and deletions. If you can find a copy of your states code online, make use of it. You will find no pier foundations listed as there are many variables that can enter into whether or not a pier system is viable for that particular location.

As Don_P stated so well, ask before acting. Try to work it all through on paper before turning any dirt.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

paul s

There is a great thing called "code check" the general one is laminated and is like a flio\p chart that wals u thru the whoe thing been on the market for years i used it in 95 when i built my house. building inspector just had to have one. do not know what the new editions look like but mine was a list of the 10 most common rrors in building in each catagory

Steve_B

Quote from: rick91351 on July 22, 2012, 07:20:42 PM
I guess I am the one who is going to ask is your septic, well and power in?

Heck, I do not even have a piece of land yet to build!

Went out today to look at 7 parcels of land with no luck at all or not even a consideration for wanting any of them.... they looked real good on the website, but when I got there in person, it was clear they were using false pictures of them online!

One lot online had a picture posted from a cross the street ith the street having a double yellow line in it..... and in person, it was literally a one lane street and the lot was VERY heavily wooded as opposed to slightly wooded online!

One lot did not even have road access as it was behind a house..... from being in real estate here in SC, that would be illegal to sell someone

Land search is not going so well!
It's all about the kiddies I tell you...

Squirl

Septic is usually first because it is the hardest to place on the land.  Also since you are on a budget spending $30K on a house and the possibility of a $20k septic later would not be pleasant.  If considering a slab, you will want your plumbing in place off the bat.

Yes.  You are missing a few thing on the cost of the piers vs slab.

Footings
Beams.
Brackets.
Bracing.
Skirting.
Subflooring.
Joists.

A slab skips all of that and will cost close to the same cost.  Slabs are best for fairly level sites.  $4000 for an entire house is a pretty good price.  That would be just a little more than the price to get the subfloor on and insulated for a 20x30.  The inspector would be happy and you would get all the steps done above in one shot.   Because the weight of the building is evenly distributed across a large surface, you shouldn't have to worry about the possibility of it shifting like with piers.

I do remember one South Carolina build that required an engineer stamp fore piers.
http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=11318.msg155573#msg155573
Great job.  By the time you pay the engineer, it probably would be cheaper and faster just to do a quickwall.  Don't be intimidated by other foundation types, especially if your building inspector is not friendly to piers.  Plenty of people here to help you walk through them.  If doing most of the labor yourself almost all options come out within a few hundred dollars of each other.  6 one way, a half a dozen the other.


Don_P

I did come home from your state today, from around Clemson through Gaffney... we're in peaches  [cool]
Spent the evening in Greenville along the river. Nice country up that way but a bit far to commute.

Steve_B


While on the subject of foundations....

Curious here.... reading about them on the site here and online, it seems everyone prefers pressure treated 6 x 6 over concrete piers

Any input or thoughts on this??
It's all about the kiddies I tell you...

Steve_B

Quote from: Squirl on July 22, 2012, 10:12:16 PM
Septic is usually first because it is the hardest to place on the land.  Also since you are on a budget spending $30K on a house and the possibility of a $20k septic later would not be pleasant.  If considering a slab, you will want your plumbing in place off the bat.


Agreed... and that was going to be priority number one when I get the land

All my friends and a few estimates for the county I will build in say between $1500 to $1800 tops for a septic install

Guess I am lucky with it being that cheap!
It's all about the kiddies I tell you...

Steve_B


Hey Squirl.... what is a quickwall I ask???
It's all about the kiddies I tell you...

Steve_B



Does anyone know if cinder blocks are allowed as a foundation for IRC building code?

I can't find any reference to them in there as for a yes or no
It's all about the kiddies I tell you...