How do i know if my house is up to code

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Asked by
Herlinda

How do i know if the electrical wires in my building is up to standard code

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Lakeisha

"Most people are unaware of the purpose behind the building code..."

Is my house up to code? While the question is simple and direct, the answer is not. Most people are unaware of the purpose behind the building code. They assume that code compliance means quality construction. However, code and quality can be two very different standards. To understand this, here is a very useful and informative article about what is an up to code house? http://www.myguardian.com/code/uptocode.htm Peter Unger

This answer closely relates to:

Q. How many volts is a house required to have in pennsylvania code?
trying to find out a housing code in pennsylvania to see how many volts it has to have in the house to be up to code.

"The national electrical code is now adopted everywhere..."

Voltage is supplied by the utility company. They are required to keep it within a fairly narrow tolerance or they may be subject to a fine. I think you may be thinking of amperage. Panel installations are referred to both by voltage and amperage but the more significant is the amperage as this is an indication of how much power is available where the voltage is rather standard. A 100 amp 240 volt panel is fairly typical. After this you may be looking at 150 or 200 amp service. The national electrical code is now adopted everywhere. It is done locally. Some cities (like NYC) and towns are only adopting an older version at this time. If you have any other questions you might start with the NEC.

This answer closely relates to:

Q. I have inherited a house with a bentley symphony 2 alarm. there is no engineers manual. how can i reset code?
the alarm is active, but i don't know the the code. the house belongs to my late father-in-law. i know it is not protocol to give this information over the net, but i'm willing to produce evidence to confirm my request. anyone willing to help ?

"Bring in a safecracker from a reputable firm...."

Try Google or ebay to obtain manual, and take it from there. Why can't you just ask, I am sure that is is written down in a safe somewhere. If not possible, bring in a safecracker from a reputable firm.

This answer closely relates to:

Have to bring wiring in my house up to code

Q. Cost of bring a 1890s house up to code?
how much do you think it would cost to bring a 1890s house up to code? my grandparents house needs a lot of work including a sinking foundation. i know it will be expensive but it's their only house and they can't afford to buy a new house.

"As for the electrical..."

That is a very general question and no one could truly answer it as it really depends on a lot of other factors. Things such as how big is the home, how many stories does it have, is it pier and beam or slab foundation, where you live has a lot to do with costs as well. Having renovated a few homes in Texas, I can tell you that if you have the work done by professionals it will cost you more than it would to rebuild the home itself regardless of size. If the foundation is pier and beam, that is something you can do yourself. You need to find the trouble areas and find how much you need to raise it up, Purchase a jack or two at your builders supply for about $300 each and raise it placing metal shims as you go. The remove the jack and go on to the next place. A slab foundation requires lots of digging, measuring, metal shims, breaking jacks, and piers to force into the ground down to the bedrock in order to raise it properly (if you do not install gutters around the home, it is a moot point as with drought and rain it will cause the foundation to heave again). If the plumbing needs to be replaced and the home is pier and beam, it is simple enough to crawl under the home and replace the piping while slab requires jacking up the floors and cutting out sections of walls to do it properly (pros cost about $20,000 for this). As for the electrical, It could cost around $40,000+ to replace the wiring, put in a new junction box and meters +permits, etc for an electrician but you could probably do it yourself for around $10000 and that means you need to get the proper permits and make sure you know what you are doing or you might burn the house down. I think that's awesome you want to do that for your grandparents but it is going to be costly. Get at least 3 quotes for each project that needs to be done. Make sure that whomever you get to do the work is bonded, licensed, has more than a 90 day warranty and has the insurance to pay for whatever they destroy. A few hazard tips for you.....do the foundation first as they will discover water leaks and such after they have lifted the foundation especially if it is slab as any work done to the foundation (i.e., digging for pipes) after it has been lifted will null your warranty.

This answer closely relates to:

Q. Is it illegal to live in a house with city code violations?
i'm looking at a fixer upper for my first house. would i need to have the city code violations taken care of and inspected before i can legally live there?

No, owner occupied housing is exempt from most city codes, except fire. Only when you rent it out or rent a room do those codes kick in. Now if they have codes relating to garbage hauling, lawncare, etc, you would still need to follow those.

Q. In a short sale, sold as is, who is responsible for bringing a house up to code?
i am buying a house through a short sale in southern california. the house is being sold "as is". my inspection found out that there are a couple of things not up to code. who is responsible to fix those?

The buyer would be, "as is" means just that, the seller will not alter anything at all.

Q. What kind of loan can i get to buy a house with code violations?
i want to buy a foreclosed house that currently has code violations. i can't get a conventional loan because of the code violations and the bank will not fix the violations because they are selling it "as is". the code violation is with the county health department because of the septic tank. they said the entire thing needs replaced. i'm young and therefore have little credit and cash. do i have any other options to try to buy this house?

"And is actually really hard to get a permit for..."

I doubt you will qualify for any, replacing the septic tank is about 30k (yes, I am serious) and is actually really hard to get a permit for. The lot needs to be about an acre. The bank may have to sit on this property until a sewer line is available.

Q. How do i find someones postal code? i know the house and street number?
i would like to send a christmas card to my boyfriends family's house. i know the address, but i do not know their postal code. is there a way to find out without asking anyone who lives there? they would expect something in the mail, i want to surprise them.

Go to USPS.com and use their locator. http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

Q. Does anyone know the bright-house networks cable box code for remotes?
i just got a new vizio vf551xvt and i'm trying to sync the remote that came with the tv to my bright-house networks cable box does anyone know the code ?

We enjoy hearing from our customers. You can reach ConnectToBrightHouse customer support at 1-866-283-3935 or by e-mail at info@connecttobrighthouse.com

Q. Buying a house not up to code or have permits, do i have to fix it or can i leave it?
i'm interested in buying a house in los angeles. a lot of the older homes in my price range have some "remodeling" done to it. for example, a garage was converted to a room. a bathroom was added. a lot of the sellers are saying as-is, buyer to verify permits. if i buy a house with add-ons, do i have to bring it up to code?

Only if someone complains. Even then the city is likely to bury the complaint for years. This happens in older neighborhoods all over, and although there are laws that require permits they are often over looked in any community built prior to about 1950, about the time cities decided that codes were needed.

Q. How can i change the code in an old optima house alarm without knowing the current code?
i recently moved house and the previous owners forgot to give me the alarm code. i don't know what the exact model is as they never left the instruction manual either! does anyone know how i can change the code or how i may be able to find out the model number? many thanks.

"Check the model number inside and then..."

Disconnect the mains electric supply and open the panel up, the alarm will sound until you disconnect the battery, check the model number inside and then download the instructions from the optima website and reset the panel back to factory settings and then program your own code in.

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