Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Variation in local codes.

[Rob Sandelin (robsan]

Interesting idea that building code is supposed to be the same all 
over.  It clearly is not done that way in my state. In WA state, each 
county has huge latitudes in what they create and enforce.  One small 
example, in Snohomish County the power line to the drainfield (we are 
required to have pumped systems)  must run in a separate ditch - sez so 
right in the county building code.  In King County, it can run in the 
same ditch as the pipe, again sez so right in the code.  It is these 
levels of variation - which go on and on and on, make builders crazy.  
Energy code is set by the State and is not uniform from state to state 
that I am aware of. Fire codes are set at the fire district as is the 
minimum allowable road width.   Gleep.  Health Dept requirements for 
drainfields vary from county to county.  The permit requirements seem 
to change monthly.  This month, Snohomish County is requiring house 
plans to show propane tank locations and propane ditch specs on the 
site plan, last month this was not a requirement.

So in Washington state the Uniform Building Code, forms sort of a base 
for Counties to add their own refinements to.  One builder I know gave 
up and moved to Eastern WA were the only code is the UBC.  Said it cost 
him too much time and money to try to keep track of all the pinhead 
stuff Snohomish County was dealing with.

Rob Sandelin
Watching houses get built
Sharingwood

Sigh.......