General Requirements and Administration
General Requirements and Administration
The R5 exam tests how a residential project moves from application to occupancy under the administrative chapter. Expect questions on permit triggers, submittal documents, inspection stages, certificates, and the building official's enforcement powers.
Core rules
- A permit is required before constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving, demolishing, or changing the occupancy of a structure. Ordinary repairs and certain accessory structures are exempt, but exemptions are narrow and do not waive code compliance.
- Construction documents must show the scope, structural design, means of egress, fire separation, and energy details needed for review. The building official may require additional documentation.
- Required inspections commonly include footing/foundation, framing, rough-in, insulation, and final. Work must remain accessible until inspected and approved.
- A certificate of occupancy is required before a building is occupied or a changed use is established. A temporary certificate may be issued for a limited time.
- The building official may issue stop-work orders, revoke permits, and order unsafe structures corrected. The board of appeals hears appeals of interpretations, not code changes.
Worked example
A homeowner proposes a 240-square-foot detached storage building. The exemption for one-story detached accessory structures is limited to 200 square feet. Because 240 square feet exceeds that limit, a permit is required. The plan must show footing, framing, and egress details, and the project needs footing, framing, and final inspections. The "no permit" answer is wrong even though the building is small and unoccupied.
Traps
Do not treat a building permit as a substitute for a certificate of occupancy. Do not assume that an inspection request equals approval. Do not approve work that is covered before inspection. Remember that the board of appeals interprets the code; it does not grant waivers from adopted requirements.