PSB LBO case studies
PSB LBO · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Licensed Building Official (LBO) credential, administered through the state/regional testing body commonly referred to as the PSB, is a professional certification for people who administer and enforce building codes at the jurisdiction level. It signals that a candidate can run a code-enforcement office: issuing permits, reviewing plans, conducting inspections, interpreting code, and exercising legal authority fairly. The PSB LBO case studies are 5 cases and about 3,808 words.
1Code Edition Vesting at Permit Application
On June 28, 2024, a developer submits a permit application for a 6-story, 75,000-square-foot hotel (Type IIIB) to the City of Riverton. The city adopted the 2021 IBC effective July 1, 2024, with a 180-day transition period: projects with a "complete" application submitted before July 1 may use the 2018 IBC.
762 words, about 4 min2Plan Review: Mixed-Use Egress and Accessibility Conflicts
A plan reviewer receives a permit application for a 4-story mixed-use building: first story restaurant (Group A-3, 120 occupants), stories 2–4 offices (Group B, 80 occupants each). The building is Type VA, fully sprinklered.
795 words, about 4 min3Field Inspection: Missing Anchor Bolts and Unpermitted Deck
During the framing inspection of a 3-story, 24-unit wood-frame apartment building (Type VB, sprinklered), the inspector discovers that anchor bolts at the base of a 20-foot-long shear wall on the first floor are missing. The contractor has already installed drywall on the interior side and proposes to install epoxy anchors from the exterior, covering the deficiency.
723 words, about 4 min4Mezzanine Addition in Existing Office Building
An owner of a 3-story, 45,000-square-foot existing office building (Type IIB, fully sprinklered) wants to add a 2,500-square-foot mezzanine within the first story for a conference room (Group A-3, 80 occupants). The mezzanine will be open to the first floor.
749 words, about 4 min5Occupancy Classification: Daycare, Assembly, and Office in Type VB
A single-story Type VB building (wood frame, unprotected) contains three tenant spaces: a daycare for 30 children ages 2–5, a community room with 49 occupants (no fixed seats), and a real estate office with 15 occupants. The building is not sprinklered.
779 words, about 4 min