scope:

The provisions of this code shall apply to the construction, alteration, relocation, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location, maintenance, removal and demolition of every building or structure or any appurtenances connected or attached to such buildings or structures.

This section establishes when the regulations contained in the code must be followed, whether all or in part. Something must happen (construction of a new building, modification to an existing one or allowing an existing building or structure to become unsafe) for the code to be applicable. While such activity may not be as significant as a new building, a fence is considered a structure and, therefore, its erection is within the scope of the code. The building code is not a maintenance document requiring periodic inspections that will, in turn, result in an enforcement action, although periodic inspections are addressed by the International Fire Code^® (IFC^®)

The exception mandates that detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses that are not more than three stories above grade and have separate means of egress are to comply with the International Residential Code^® (IRC^®) and are not required to comply with this code. This applies to all such structures, whether or not there are lot lines separating them and also to their accessory structures, such as garages and pools. Such structures four stories or more in height are beyond the scope of the IRC and must comply with the provisions of the code and its referenced codes.

Purpose

A building code, as with any other code, is intended to be adopted as a legally enforceable document to safeguard health, safety, property and public welfare. A building code cannot be effective without adequate provisions for its administration and enforcement. The official charged with the administration and enforcement of building regulations has a great responsibility, and with this responsibility goes authority. No matter how detailed the building code may be, the building official must, to some extent, exercise his or her own judge-ment in determining code compliance. The building official has the responsibility to establish that the homes in which the citizens of the community reside and the buildings in which they work are designed and constructed to be structurally stable with adequate means of egress, light and ventilation and to provide a minimum acceptable level of protection to life and property from fire.

Chapter 1 contains two parts. Part 1, Scope and Application, contains all issues related to the scope and intent of the code, as well as the applicability of this code relative to other standards and laws that might also be applicable on a given building project, such as federal or state. Part 2, Administration and Enforcement, contains all issues related to the duties and powers of the building official, the issuance of permits and certificates of occupancy, and other related operational items.