Updates made to county housing codes

Published 12:57 pm Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Building permit applications submitted on or after July 1, 2016, will need to meet the requirements of the 2015 International Codes and Washington State Amendments. Please see the attached list of some of the significant changes. Chief Building Official, Fred Schaller, has added several specifications in red. The County will continue working on adding more specifications and links to other resources. If you would like to continue receiving information such as this, please sign up for our permitting and inspections news flashes and notifications. http://www.sanjuanco.com/list.aspx Select “News Flash” from the available lists, click on the envelope next to “Permitting & Inspections,” and follow the instructions to activate.

Some significant updates to the building code include:

R105.3.1.1: Existing buildings in flood hazard areas:

Determination of substantial improvement for existing buildings in flood hazard areas is now the responsibility of the building official. The related provisions are consolidated in Section R105.3.1.1.

R314: Smoke Alarms:

Battery-operated smoke alarms are permitted for satisfying the smoke alarm power requirements when alterations, repairs and additions occur. New provisions address smoke alarms installed near bathrooms and cooking appliances.

R315 Carbon Monoxide Alarms:

Carbon monoxide alarms now require connection to the house wiring system with battery backup. Exterior work no longer triggers carbon monoxide alarm provisions for existing buildings.

R322.1, R322.2 Flood Hazards:

This provision applies to existing buildings in flood hazard areas where 50 percent or more of the structure has damage and requires restoration. Minimum elevation allowed for dwellings in flood hazard areas is limited and the section defines a Coastal A zone.

For info, visit http://www.codepublishing.com/WA/SanJuanCounty/.