Structural Defects Compliance Guide
The violation category where the correction is most expensive.
Most code violations are fixed by moving something. Structural violations are fixed by opening work back up, and occasionally by taking it down. That is why inspectors look hard at framing before it is covered, and why a failed inspection after drywall is a different order of problem.
Shop construction site signage
The framing limits inspectors check
These come from the International Residential Code. Commercial work follows the IBC, with its own numbers.
- Joist notches: not permitted in the middle third of the span. Notches at the ends are limited to one quarter of the member depth
- Joist holes: no larger than one third of the member depth, kept at least 2 inches from top and bottom edges
- Anchor bolts: minimum half-inch diameter, spaced no more than 6 feet on center, with bolts within 12 inches of each plate end
- Fireblocking: required in concealed stud spaces at intervals not exceeding 10 feet horizontally, and at ceiling and floor levels
- Hold-downs: present and correctly fastened at braced wall panels and portal frames
- Engineered lumber: cut, notched, or drilled outside the manufacturer's allowances, which is not the same as the IRC sawn lumber rules
The one that catches people
Engineered I-joists and LVL are governed by the manufacturer's installation guide, not by the sawn lumber rules above. A hole that would be legal in a 2x10 can void the rating on an I-joist. Plumbers and electricians running services after the framing crew has gone are where this usually happens.
Who enforces this
The ICC publishes the IRC and IBC and enforces nothing. Your local building department adopts an edition, adds amendments, and inspects against that. Penalties, stop-work authority, and correction timelines are all local.
Free compliance checklist
Download the Structural Compliance Checklist (PDF)
Where signage fits
Do-not-cut marking on engineered members, temporary bracing warnings, and unstable structure and unfinished scaffold signage all address the same thing: work performed by a trade that was not there when the structure was designed.
Browse 8x12 aluminum safety signs or see all building and health code guides.