Exempt Structures, can I really do anything I (or the customer) wants when no one is looking over my proverbial shoulder?
This question would be funny, if it were not so sad. Exactly what are exempt structures exempt from? Many jurisdictions make accessory buildings (storage sheds, agricultural building and the like) exempt from the permitting process and therefore exempt from the normal on-site inspections. But does that mean that anything goes? No! Many of the same jurisdictions that exempt these structures from the permit /inspection process also specifically state that the construction must meet the codes and standards in place in the said municipality (see example language below from Boulder, CO).
Exemption
Exemption from the permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in violation of the provisions of this code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction.
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear; Mother Nature has no idea whether your structure is exempt! Gravity, wind, snow and seismic events happen, and when they do nothing is exempt! Not only are these structures not exempt, but they are liability suits waiting to happen when the inevitable ‘gravity storm’ occurs. I call it a gravity storm because it is often during one of the aforementioned naturally occurring events that the structure all-of-a-sudden has an uncontrolled desire to get close to the ground. Yes, you heard it here first; gravity happens! Structures that have not been designed or constructed to meet the assumed demand loads for the jurisdiction in which they were constructed are always the first to go.
In some instances, folks knowing that they are not subject to inspection will choose to save time and/ or money and try to outsmart Mother Nature. Rarely does this work in the long run and quite frequently the results are seen even before the project is finished, as we see in the two scenarios below.
In other instances we see joist, columns and or headers/beams incorrectly sized and becoming unsightly before failing completely. Sometimes it is a collapse in the middle of the winter because adequate snow loading wasn’t taken into account. The scenarios are endless; the results are the same.
It is one thing for a homeowner to cut corners on something they are constructing for themselves. It is quite another thing to become part and party to this activity if you are supplying or constructing the project for someone else. You can bet that when the gravity storm strikes the owner and their insurance company will be going after anyone and everyone even remotely attached to the construction. There will be no memory about conversations involving cutting cost or as cheap as possible, and if that structure is not up to code, you could become liable. Stick to your guns and stick to the code, exempt or not!
Thanks for reading, SS
Stan Sias – National Manager
Plated Truss Industry at Simpson Strong-Tie