The building code is not for you--it's for your community
/As a cabinetmaker and installer I regularly run into a few building codes that people don’t want to follow, and I’m the last line of defense. Don’t ask a tradesperson to violate the building code. It’s trashy, first of all, but it’s also indicative of an overall adversarial relationship with society as a whole. Here’s one for example.
Q: “Why won’t you just cover my outlet?”
A: Because it has to be accessible. I cut it into my cabinetry and pull the box into the carcass with a spark ring if possible, or I have an electrician pull it into a box in the cabinet. I won’t just cover it for a few reasons:
outlets fail and can cause a fire in the future.
Something can work itself loose and it will leave one of my fellow tradespeople looking for the open circuit with the actual problem covered up.
It’s against the law and you should be ashamed of yourself for asking.
Q: “But we didn’t pull any permits on this job or they’re already closed out.” wink
A: You’re really missing the point here. The code isn’t for you, it’s for:
Firefighters to know that they’re entering a safe building.
Future homeowners shouldn’t have to disassemble the building to know that it was built in accordance with accepted minimum guidelines.
Future tradespeople should be able to troubleshoot, upgrade, and retrofit systems without having to work backwards first.
Your neighbors who don’t deserve to have their house burn down because you don’t respect the building code.
Children and guests who visit your home who are either not able to consent to enduring your poor judgement or not aware that they shouldn’t assume your house conforms to minimum requirements of habitability.
The code protects me! There is no insurance or contract clause that will shield me from liability in the event of negligence. I know better (not that it changes anything if I don’t) so I do better. I’m here to protect you from your ignorance.
