First, a word about codes. All construction in the US is – or is supposed to be – guided by Building Codes. This is for the sake of the life, safety, and welfare of the occupants. Codes are most often developed in response to unfortunate accidents, and are intended to avoid further accidents. In Oregon, for residential buildings, we use the 2000 International Residential Code.

In addition to the building code, your new or remodeled home must adhere to local codes and any local CC&Rs. At the very beginning of the process, we will investigate the local codes that have jurisdiction over your property. In many cases, this investigation uncovers a code or restriction that may impact our clients' goals in some way. If we find that the whole project is not allowed by local code, our clients are excused from the contract, with only the Site Exploration fee due. Site Exploration drawings for a beach house in Yachats are shown, below.