Table Of ContentCODES FOR
HOMEOWNERS
Second Edition
Your Photo Guide to:
Electrical Codes • Plumbing Codes • Building Codes • Mechanical Codes
by Bruce A. Barker
Contents
Introduction
Codes & Permits: The Basics
Building Design & Safety
Habitable Rooms
Fire Separations
Stairways
Emergency Escape Openings
Egress Doors
Exterior Doors
Ventilation & Exhaust
Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Clearances for Cooking Equipment
Structural Components
Foundations
Crawlspaces
Decks
Floor Systems
Wall Systems
Wall Penetration Flashing
Roof Systems
Exterior Components
Shingle Roof-Covering Installation
Fireplaces & Chimneys
Heating & Air Conditioning
HVAC Appliances
HVAC Duct Installation
Combustion Air for Fuel-burning Appliances
Vents for Fuel-burning Appliances
Plumbing System
The Home Plumbing System
Water Supply Piping
Drain, Waste & Vent Piping (DWV)
Plumbing Vents
Plumbing Traps
Plumbing Appliances & Fixtures
Electrical System
Understanding Electrical Circuits
Electrical Grounding & Bonding
Electrical Branch Circuit Requirements
Electrical Receptacle Installation
Ground-fault (GFCI) & Arc-fault (AFCI) Protection
Junction Boxes, Device Boxes & Enclosures
Switch Installation
Light Fixture Installation
Satellite Dishes, Television & Radio Antennas
Broadband Cable Wiring
Appendix
Conversion Chart
Resources
Photography Credits
Index
Introduction
B
uilding codes are adopted by governmental agencies to preserve your family’s safety as well as
your fiscal well-being. Whether you are someone who likes to do your own home improvement and
repair work, a homeowner acting as your own contractor, or anyone else who wants his or her work to
conform to applicable building codes, this building code book is for you. Based largely on the 2012
version of the International Residential Code (IRC), it aims to make the most important wiring,
plumbing, construction, and HVAC codes more accessible, simpler to navigate, and easier to
understand so that you can interpret them effectively in your own home.
The key to accomplishing the objective of making codes easier to understand is simple in concept
but a little tricky to execute: do it right and take pictures. In this book you’ll find hundreds of
professional quality images that depict code-compliant practices. No wading through page after page
of incomprehensible jargon; no studying jumbles of lines and strange symbols to try and answer your
question. Simply see for yourself.
This book does not replace the IRC. It contains IRC provisions that have been selected to help you
avoid common code violations, based on largely my years of experience as a professional building
inspector. To avoid confusion and keep it simple, this book omits many highly technical IRC
provisions and many provisions that you simply are unlikely to encounter. While every effort has been
made to accurately present the recommended practices of the IRC with easy to understand language,
pictures, and diagrams, this book is not the IRC. In a dispute, the wording in the IRC, as interpreted by
the local building official, is the final authority on what IRC provisions mean. And, as we’ll discuss,
local code provisions and interpretations always overrule code books such as this one.
The intent of Codes for Homeowners is to serve as a reference that answers a host of questions that
boil down to “What should it look like when I’m done?” You will not find a lot of material that
describes the specific steps needed to get there—you’ll find many fine step-by-step instruction
manuals that perform this part of the job.
By studying this book and understanding its contents, you will arrive in the ballpark,
metaphorically speaking, of IRC code compliance. But codes do not happen in a vacuum. As we
discuss in subsequent sections, each local building department and each local building inspector has
his or her own opinions about how building codes apply in their area. If you have any doubts or
questions about how a building code provision applies in your area, you should ask the local
building official. In almost every case, if you approach them as a resource and not as an obstacle, you
will find your local inspectors to be friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to help.
—Bruce A. Barker
Residential Combination Inspector
International Code Council
Codes & Permits: The Basics
I
n just the United States you will find hundreds of code books describing thousands upon thousands
of building code provisions. On top of this, there are even more books that look and feel like code
books but are really only attempting to describe best practices. Almost all of these have their own
inherent value. But almost none of them apply to a typical homeowner living in a typical single-
family home. As a homeowner and DIYer, perhaps the hardest thing about building codes is learning
how to tell which one applies to you and, if there is a disagreement, which takes precedence. As an
introduction, here are some brief biographies of the more common codes and enforcement agencies
you’re likely to encounter.
The International Residential Code
The International Residential Code (IRC) 2012 is one of an extensive collection of model building
codes published by the International Code Council (ICC). A model building code is a recommended
building code that is developed by a national organization that specializes in writing building codes.
When adopted by a government agency, the IRC regulates the construction, renovation, maintenance,
and repair of buildings used as homes. The IRC, by itself, has no formal legal status. A government
agency must first adopt the IRC before it has any legal status in a local area.
