Design & Code Review

Repairs, alterations, and additions of existing buildings and structures are generally governed by the International Existing Building Code (IEBC). After a building has been damaged, evaluating what level of repairs are required by the building code is commonly referred to as a “code review”. The repair design professional must be familiar with the IEBC requirements, state requirements, and any local jurisdictions that may apply. Depending on the type and extent of damage incurred, the repair may be as simple as replacing damaged components with like, kind, and quality components or as extensive as requiring large portions of the structure to be strengthened to resist building code required design loads.

When investigating an insured damage loss or a construction defect claim, the question of what level of repairs are required per the local building code is frequently at issue. To further complicate the issue, there are often competing interests at play between the insurance carrier, the insured, a general contractor, a subcontractor, a product supplier and/or a design professional. Local building officials only require that repairs meet the minimum building code requirements; however, an owner may go beyond the code minimum and desire to have improvements, betterments, or modernizations included with the repairs. It is important to engage an expert experienced in code reviews prior to agreeing to any such improvements, as sometimes the improvement (which is generally considered an alteration, not a repair) may trigger other additional required upgrades to the structure. In general, when considering the design of repairs to damaged or deficient buildings, the following types of questions will need to be addressed:

• What is the applicable building code and jurisdictional authority?
• What is the extent of damage and are any upgrades required?
• Must vintage structural or other building systems be removed and replaced?

Except for specific cases, the IEBC generally allows for vintage materials and building systems to remain in place. YA Group has experts who specialize in code reviews and can assist in navigating historical and modern building codes to:

Ensure code-compliance of repairs
Prevent unnecessary upgrades
Confirm where existing materials may remain in service
Communicate with building department officials to clarify any discrepancies

YA engineers and architects are intimately familiar with the national model building codes and with navigating the nuances of state and local jurisdictional requirements. We have experts involved in the code development process and are aware of recent and upcoming changes to the building codes that can impact repair designs. Our proficiency with historical building codes and methods of construction ensures that unnecessary code upgrades and needless removal of existing materials are avoided. In the complex maze of building code requirements, we find clarity.