Building Codes for new construction

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PS2012

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Hi,

Was wondering if anyone knows anything about building codes.  We are purchasing a new construction in Irvine and the builder told us that the plans were approved back in 2007, so they build to that code.  Our inspector told us that this is not true, so we are not sure who to believe.  Tried calling the city of Irvine but it's after hours so thought I'd post in case anyone out there knows.

It doesn't make sense to build off a code that is 5 years old now that we are in 2012.  How long does the grandfather-period last?  If I were a builder, that would encourage me to get all my plans approved now even though I won't be building for another 10 years...does that make any sense?  I understand that you can't expect builders to always comply to the latest codes at all times, but 5 years sounds like a lot of time...
 
Is there a particular part of the construction that you are concerned may not be in compliance with a later date, e.g.: room sizes / energy consumption, or just in general?
 
SoCal said:
Is there a particular part of the construction that you are concerned may not be in compliance with a later date, e.g.: room sizes / energy consumption, or just in general?
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I'm speaking just in general...although my inspector did point out that the tankless water heater should be connected to a GFCI outlet, which is code, but I don't remember without looking back at the inspection report.
 
Irvine_Dreamer said:
Was hiring an inspector worth the cost?
Who did you hire to do inspection?
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We hired Steve from Bilt-Rite.  He was very thorough, and explained a lot of things to us in detail.  We felt it was worth it because we don't know much about these things and would not climb up into the attic to look at the HVAC unit, let alone know what to look for while doing so.  Compared to how much you are paying to just for someone to record title in the close process, the inspection fee is nominal and gave us peace of mind knowing that a professional spent hours looking at our house in detail, and they were in our best interest - not the builder's.
 
PS2012 said:
Irvine_Dreamer said:
Was hiring an inspector worth the cost?
Who did you hire to do inspection?
Click to expand...

We hired Steve from Bilt-Rite.  He was very thorough, and explained a lot of things to us in detail.  We felt it was worth it because we don't know much about these things and would not climb up into the attic to look at the HVAC unit, let alone know what to look for while doing so.  Compared to how much you are paying to just for someone to record title in the close process, the inspection fee is nominal and gave us peace of mind knowing that a professional spent hours looking at our house in detail, and they were in our best interest - not the builder's.
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which inspection did you do ? the pre-dry wall inspection or the pre-CO inspection? or both?
 
PS2012 said:
We hired Steve from Bilt-Rite.  He was very thorough, and explained a lot of things to us in detail.  We felt it was worth it because we don't know much about these things and would not climb up into the attic to look at the HVAC unit, let alone know what to look for while doing so.  Compared to how much you are paying to just for someone to record title in the close process, the inspection fee is nominal and gave us peace of mind knowing that a professional spent hours looking at our house in detail, and they were in our best interest - not the builder's.
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Can I ask you what the cost was for the inspection?
You can PM me if you don't want to post it.
 
i used steve for my predrywall 2060sq/ft... cost 395 usd...

going to use him again for my preCO inspection, quoted at 435 usd... probably going to use him again for the 10-11 month post escrow inspection too...

he does a superb job and was very accommodating to my special situation/circumstance...
 
It is not always true that a later edition of the building code is stricter than the previous. The Uniform Building Codes 2007 used primarily in California was stricter than the current International Building Codes adopted for all states. There were many confusions between different cities and enforcers because building codes varied so much between cities and states. Now there is only one code that is being used across America. It is less demanding and has easier rules. This one code fits all is a good fit for a small town America but also governs structures in populated cities. 
 
Irvine_Dreamer said:
Can I ask you what the cost was for the inspection?
You can PM me if you don't want to post it.
Click to expand...

It was $400-ish, and we did it right before closing, when the dry wall was already up.
 
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