Building & Health Codes

(Page 2 of 9)

July/August 1974
By the Mother Earth News editors 
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1. With each application for a building permit, two sets of plans for construction shall be submitted.

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2. Plans shall be drawn to scale upon substantial paper and shall be of sufficient clarity to indicate the nature and extent of the work proposed and show in detail that it will conform to the provisions of the uniform building codes.

3. Plans shall include a plot showing the location of the proposed building and of every existing building on the property.

4. Minimum room sizes:

a. At least one room of 120 sq. ft.
b. Rooms used for both cooking and living or living and sleeping at least 150 sq. ft.
c. Rooms used for sleeping two persons, 90 sq. ft. Each additional person, 50 sq. ft.
d. Kitchen at least 50 sq. ft.

5. Minimum horizontal dimension of any habitable room shall be 7'0". Minimum ceiling height in habitable rooms, service rooms, and toilet rooms shall be 7'6". Where sloping ceilings occur, the required ceiling height shall be provided in at least 50% of the room and no portion of any room having a ceiling height of less than 5' shall be considered as contributing to the minimum required areas. Minimum ceiling height in hallways, corridors, and closets shall be 7'0".

6. No water closet (toilet) space shall be less than 2'6" wide and shall have a minimum of 2'0" clear space in front of the water closet.

7. Required window area and opening:

a. Bathrooms and water closet compartments not less than 3 sq. ft. nor 1/8 of the floor area, 1/2 openable.
b. Kitchens, rooms used for living, dining or sleeping purposes not less than 12 sq. ft. nor 1/8 of the floor area, 1/2 openable.

8. Every dwelling shall be provided with a kitchen. No kitchen shall be used for sleeping purposes.

9. Every dwelling shall have the following minimum sanitary facilities: water closet, lavatory, tub or shower, and kitchen sink. All kitchen sinks shall be provided with hot and cold water. All of the above items shall be properly trapped, vented, and connected to an approved sewage disposal system.

10. There shall be no opening from a room in which a water closet is located into a room in which food is prepared or stored.

11. The specifications on this sheet are for conventionally framed dwellings and persons wanting unusual type construction should consult a professional designer.

Two thousand of the three thousand counties in the country follow the ICBO standards, although some areas make changes when necessitated by climatic or topographical conditions and local administrative procedures. The local Building Inspector's office will have copies available of the area's building requirements, including standards for building construction, electrical wiring, and plumbing.

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