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No Residential Building Code Adopted in Vermont?

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AZengineer

AZengineer

Structural
Apr 3, 2005
46
US
I am conducting a forensic investigation on a home in VT involving a heaving slab. When I went to the local jurisdiction's website to determine the adopted building code, I was unable to find any information. So I called the Zoning department (which handles residential building permits), and was told by the department head that there is no residential building code! I asked what structural requirements a new residential structure would need to comply, and was told that when someone wants to build a new home, "they just build it!"

Anyone familiar with residential building codes in VT?
 
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You might want to check with the VT State Board of Engineeers.

There are many states that adopt a Building Code but leave it up to local jurisdictions to enforce - which may or may not happen.

That is the case in my state - only the larger cities enforce any building codes - hence "they just build it"

It is still up to the architect/engineer to provide a safe and sane set of plans. However, the home owner and builder may have just sketched the house on the back of napkin and started digging.

Good Luck
 
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IBC 06 is adopted for Building Code, but that doesn't answer your questions about RBC.


The only design I've ever provided for a residence here has been in high-end homes at the discretion of the Architect or Builder. The only time I ever have seen an Engineer consulted while I was in residential construction prior to graduating was in a high end renovation. I think this is not required to pull a permit.

So yes, as far as I know "we just build it!".
 
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Good thing there is no snow or wind or tricky mountainside sites in Vermont...
 
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Never heard of a structural failure up here in a non-manufactured home, although old barns have been falling down.

All the builders I've worked with are pretty sharp - the cold drives the hacks further south.

 
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I have looked into VT residential building code in the past and found the same thing. There are no specific requirements for residential buildings in VT.
 
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Vermont does have a seemingly restrictive residential energy code that apparently dictates some of the other construction aspects as well. Google Vermont RBES
 
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I work for a homebuilder shipping panelized homes all over the world. In cases like this, we always design to a minimum of the IRC current version, 2009 now. Code or not, I want to know I can trust what we're sending.
 
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VTEIT, I'm sure the builders in VT are pretty sharp, but I'm still surprised that there is formally adopted code. The home I looked at was still under construction - the framing was completed and had not been dried in yet. This particular structure was three stories including a daylight basement. The wall at the daylight side of the building was three stories tall, had lots of windows and doors, and zero holdowns or straps! The interior footings were only 12" deep (hence the heaving of the interior columns and thus the entire structure), none of the beam bearings appeared to be sufficient, squash blocks were omitted from major point load locations at some interior beams, etc, etc.

I can understand the fact that small towns sometimes lack the resources to enforce codes, but I can't see any reason why they wouldn't at least stipulate that structures must comply with a formal set of regulations.
 
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AZEngineer- just playing devil's advocate and wanted to point out that if it was a big problem we'd adopt a code.

That said, I'm in this business so obviously I'm in the business of being conservative. I wouldn't trust any builder to build a house for anyone in my family without me checking it, VT Builder or otherwise.

I think as the demand for housing increases more people get into building trades which can be bad for overall quality - Burlington aside there isn't a big push. Most new homes here are custom requiring the builder to have more design skill than would be required going off a set of cookie-cutter plans. Although there are some pretty special multi-phase DIY trailer additions scattered throughout the hillsides...


 
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I was in Burlington a couple of weeks ago for another investigation. What a beautiful town! The whole state in general is breathtaking, codes adopted or not!
 
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Sometimes we need to use our own engineering judgment to determine what is appropriate.

Several years ago I made a call to a small rural municipality to get design criteria for their town.

When I asked the building official what building code they were using, the answer was "I guess the current one"

I asked the design wind speed- answer "30 mph or so"

That's when I decided that this phone call was over.

 
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That sounds similar to my phone call! I asked what snow loads were used and for what frost depth residential structures needed to be designed, and got a similar response.
 
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One and two family residential structures in VT do not fall under state jurisdiction other than water and waste water rules. Some larger municipalities have local codes but most do not. These local codes typical cover live safety issues such as egress, fire alarms, CO alarms and such.
 
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As far as the heaving floor, I'll bet subgrade soil is a silt loam! Maybe Munson Silt Loam?
 
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