Accessory building in question

Q: My back yard has an accessory building that I use as a workshop. A home inspector recently cited it for violations involving the electrical wiring and sink plumbing. He advised me to obtain a building permit and have the construction approved by the city. I checked the building code and found that detached accessory buildings do not require permits if they are smaller than 120 square feet. How can I convince the inspector that the workshop is exempt from code requirements?

A: Small accessory buildings, in many instances, can be constructed without building permits, but there are three pertinent aspects of the code that you have apparently overlooked. These are as follows:

1) Even when construction work is exempt from building permit requirements, such exemptions do not include electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems. The building code is very specific on this point. Permits are required for all plumbing, electrical, and mechanical installations in order to maintain adequate health and safety compliance.

2) The exemption from building permit requirements does not permit an owner or builder to violate provisions of the building code. You may be allowed to construct a small building without a permit, but full compliance with applicable building code standards is still required.

3) The purpose of the building code is "...to provide minimum standards to safeguard life or limb, health, property and public welfare...." Avoidance of these standards on the basis of a technical exemption or other legal loophole is ill-advised. Regardless of legal mandates, you should exercise a proactive concern for the general health and safety of anyone who might use your workshop building.

My advice is to err on the side of safety and common sense. As noted above, the building code is a "minimum standard." Compliance is the very least a builder or property owner can do to maintain safe conditions for the benefit of everyone involved.

Q: My home inspector recommended that my washing machine have an overflow pan to prevent moisture damage in case of a leaking washer. When I tried to purchase a pan, no hardware or appliance store seemed to carry them. Where can I go to obtain one?

A: Overflow pans, or overflow trays as they are sometimes called, are often not supplied by stores because they are not commonly in demand. Most washing machines are installed without overflow protection, because pans are not required by code in many areas. However, an overflow pan can be easily obtained from various online vendors. Another solution is to have a pan fabricated at a local sheet metal shop, but ready-made pans are likely to be less costly.

Installing an overflow pan under your washer, with a discharge pipe to the exterior of the building, is a wise precaution to prevent water damage to the interior of your home in the event of washer leakage.

• Distributed by Action Coast Publishing. Questions to Barry Stone can be emailed to barry@housedetective.com.