Building departments across the country respond to these typical questions almost every day. Whether it's a home, office, school or place of work, the public needs and expects reasonable protection from disasters due to structural collapse, fire, mechanical malfunctions or property deterioration, the Building Commissioner said.
Building codes provide public safeguards.
Although no code can eliminate all risks, codes reduce risk to an acceptable level. Most national model codes are updated every three years to ensure they are current and include new technologies that are proven to be safe. A system of fees, such as building permits, defray the costs of administrating and enforcing building codes. Proper design and construction practices along with an inspection program make buildings safe. Home and business owners make a large financial investment when building or adding to a structure.