Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 193C - Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board › Chapter 1 - Administration › Rule 193C-1.5 - Licensed Professional Engineers and Building Construction

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
(1)
Purpose.
This rule is intended to provide guidance to licensed
			 professional engineers, other design professionals, unlicensed persons engaged in
			 various aspects of building construction, building officials, owners, and others
			 on when the services of a licensed professional engineer are required or not in
			 connection with new building construction and alterations to existing
			 structures.
(2)
General
			 guidelines.
Given the wide range of buildings covered by this rule and
			 the unique issues that may arise with respect to specific buildings, it is not
			 possible to establish definitive criteria that will universally resolve when
			 building construction or alterations will or will not implicate the practice of
			 professional engineering, as defined in Iowa Code sections 542B.2(8)  and
			 542B.27(1). For example, while the construction of a single-family residence
			 would not generally necessitate the services of a licensed professional engineer,
			 unique or unconventional features of a particular site or design may necessitate
			 complex structural calculations or other services that fall within the definition
			 of professional engineering. As a result, this rule should be interpreted as
			 providing only general guidelines on when a licensed professional engineer is
			 necessary.
(3)
Applicability.
The board will consider the guidelines provided
			 in this rule when enforcing Iowa Code chapter 542B, including when determining
			 whether an unlicensed person has engaged in the practice of professional
			 engineering. This rule is not intended to constrain building officials or other
			 public officials in their enforcement of other laws, rules, regulations or
			 ordinances. A building code official, for example, may require that certain
			 documents be prepared by a licensed professional engineer or that certain
			 construction inspections be performed by a licensed professional engineer whether
			 or not the guidelines in this rule would so require. This rule only addresses the
			 practice of professional engineering and does not address the practice of
			 architecture. Similar guidelines with respect to the practice of architecture may
			 be found at 193B-Chapter 5.
(4)
Definitions.
The definitions set forth in rule 193B-5.1 (544A)
			 apply to this rule.
(5)
Guidelines for new construction.
The following matrix describes
			 by building type and use when the services of a licensed professional engineer
			 are required in connection with new building construction:
BUILDINGS NEW CONSTRUCTION
Building Use
						  Type
Description
Engineer
						  Required
Engineer May Not Be
						  Required
Agricultural Use
Facilities for private use only and individually owned
						  and operated facilities including grain elevators and feed
						  mills
X
Corporate-owned facilities or publicly owned facilities
						  including grain elevators and feed mills
X
Churches and accessory buildings whether attached or
						  separate
One or two stories in height, up to a maximum of 2,000
						  square feet in gross floor area
X
Any number of stories in height, greater than 2,000
						  square feet in gross floor area
X
More than two stories in height
X
Commercial Use
One story in height, up to a maximum of 10,000 square
						  feet in gross floor area
X
One story in height, greater than 10,000 square feet in
						  gross floor area
X
Two stories in height, up to a maximum of 6,000 square
						  feet in gross floor area
X
Two stories in height, greater than 6,000 square feet in
						  gross floor area
X
More than two stories in height
X
Detached Residential Use
One, two or three stories in height, containing 12 or
						  fewer family dwelling units
X
More than 12 family dwelling units
X
More than three stories in height
X
Outbuildings in connection with detached residential
						  buildings
X
Educational Use
X
Governmental Use
When the occupancy is of another building use type listed
						  herein, those provisions shall apply
X
Industrial Use
X
Institutional Use
X
Light Industrial Use
X
Places of assembly
X
Warehouse Use
One story in height, up to a maximum of 10,000 square
						  feet in gross floor area
X
One story in height, greater than 10,000 square feet in
						  gross floor area
X
More than one story in height
X
Factory-Built Buildings
One or two stories in height, up to a maximum of 20,000
						  square feet in gross floor area
X
One or two stories in height, greater than 20,000 square
						  feet in gross floor area
X
More than two stories in height
X
More than 20,000 square feet in gross floor area
X
(6)
Guidelines for alterations to existing buildings.
The following
			 matrix describes by alteration type when the services of a licensed professional
			 engineer are required in connection with alterations to existing buildings:
ALTERATIONS TO EXISTING
							 BUILDINGS
Alteration
							 Type
Description
Engineer
							 Required
Engineer May Not Be
							 Required
Structural alterations to exempt buildings under Iowa
							 Code section 544A.18
Modifications that change the structural members, means
							 of egress, handicap accessible path, fire resistivity or other life safety
							 concerns
X
Structural alterations to buildings that are not
							 exempt
Modifications that change the structural members, means
							 of egress, handicap accessible path, fire resistivity or other life safety
							 concerns
X
Nonstructural alteration
That does not modify means of egress, handicap
							 accessible path, fire resistivity or other life safety
							 concerns
X
That maintains the previous type of
							 use
X
Nonstructural alteration that changes the use of the
							 building from any other use to:
A place of assembly of people or public
							 gathering
X
Governmental use
X
Educational use
X
Hazardous use
X
A place of residence exempted
and is one, two or three stories in height and contains
							 not more than 12 family dwelling units
X
A place of residence not exempted
							 otherwise
and is more than three stories in
							 height
X
and containing more than 12 family dwelling
							 units
X
Nonstructural alterations that change the use of the
							 building from industrial or warehouse to:
Commercial or office use
and is one story in height and not greater than a
							 maximum of 10,000 square feet in gross floor area
X
and is one story in height and greater than 10,000
							 square feet in gross floor area
X
and is two stories in height and not greater than a
							 maximum of 6,000 square feet in gross floor area
X
and is two stories in height and greater than 6,000
							 square feet in gross floor area
X
and is more than two stories in height
X
and is greater than 10,000 square feet of gross floor
							 area
X
Nonstructural alterations to:
Agricultural Use
Including grain elevators and feed
							 mills
X
Churches and Accessory Building Uses
One or two stories in height, up to a maximum of 2,000
							 square feet in gross floor area
X
Any number of stories in height, greater than 2,000
							 square feet in gross floor area
X
More than two stories in height
X
Commercial Use
One story in height, up to a maximum of 10,000 square
							 feet in gross floor area
X
One story in height, greater than 10,000 square feet in
							 gross floor area
X
Two stories in height, up to a maximum of 6,000 square
							 feet in gross floor area
X
Two stories in height, greater than 6,000 square feet
							 in gross floor area
X
More than two stories in height
X
Detached Residential Buildings
One, two or three stories in height, containing 12 or
							 fewer family dwelling units
X
More than 12 family dwelling units
X
More than three stories in height
X
Outbuildings in connection with detached residential
							 buildings
X
Educational Use
X
Governmental Use
When the occupancy is of another building use type
							 listed herein, those provisions shall apply
X
Industrial Use
X
Institutional Use
X
Light Industrial Use
X
Places of Assembly
X
Warehouse Use
One story in height, up to a maximum of 10,000 square
							 feet in gross floor area
X
One story in height, greater than 10,000 square feet in
							 gross floor area
X
More than one story in height
X
Factory-Built Buildings
One or two stories in height, up to a maximum of 20,000
							 square feet of gross floor area
X
One or two stories in height, greater than 20,000
							 square feet in gross floor area
X
More than two stories in height
X
More than 20,000 square feet in gross floor
							 area
X
(7)
Architectural exceptions do not apply.
The statutory exemptions
			 in Iowa Code section 544A.18 do not apply to the practice of engineering. The
			 construction of a building that falls within an exception in Iowa Code section
			 544A.18 may necessitate the services of an engineer if, for example:
a. There are structural elements that do not
			 fall within building code definitions of conventional light frame
			 construction,
b. The use of certain
			 structural materials, members or components requires special inspections by
			 engineers, or
c. HVAC, plumbing or
			 electrical systems exceed certain building code standards. However, the matrix
			 guidelines in this rule are generally compatible with the exceptions in Iowa Code
			 section 544A.18 because the construction of buildings that fall outside the
			 exceptions in Iowa Code section 544A.18 generally does implicate the practice of
			 professional engineering in such disciplines as structural, electrical or
			 mechanical engineering.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code sections 17A.9A,
				542B.2, and 542B.3.