If you want to have a radon mitigation system installed in your home, you might need a permit. The requirements in Minnesota vary from city to city.
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"Where can I find the requirement for an anti-tip bracket on a range?" This question comes from another home inspector.
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I received the following email last week from another home inspector here in Minnesota regarding the inspection of electrical panels:
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Backflow preventer testing is now required on an annual basis in Minnesota on new lawn irrigation system installations.
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I blogged about the new Minnesota plumbing code earlier this year, but one new change that I never mentioned is the requirement for water hammer arresters.
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There is a great new change to the Minnesota Energy Code that took effect over a year ago, which now requires attic access hatches to now be weatherstripped
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Minnesota adopted a new state plumbing code on January 23rd, 2016. We've always had a home-grown plumbing code, but for the first time, Minnesota has adopted a national plumbing code - the 2012 UPC - along with our standard list of amendments.
Read MoreI blogged about the new Minnesota building code last January, but one important change that I never mentioned was the addition of window fall protection.
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More updates to the new Minnesota State Building Code that was updated in January of this year. These are the first major updates to our code since 2007, so there's a lot of stuff to discuss.
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Last week I posted an update on Diamond Pier footings, and since then I've had a number of people ask me whether or not Diamond Pier footings are approved for use in this city or that city. The best way to get the most accurate, up-to-date answer to that question is to contact the building inspections department for the specific city and ask.
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Minnesota will be adopting the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) on January 24th, 2015. I've put together a list of the most notable changes from the 2007 code.
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While real estate web sites give the most important information about homes to potential buyers, there are many other free web sites that give public information about homes in Minnesota. I use these sites on a regular basis, especially when I'm inspecting a flipped house.
Read MoreConsumers should beware of insulation contractors who offer to insulate attics without checking for and sealing attic air leaks. If the offer to insulate does not include sealing air leaks, then the contractor is in violation of the Minnesota energy code, which says “Attic insulation may not be installed unless accessible attic bypasses have been sealed.”
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Who inspects the attic insulation in new construction homes? Probably just the person that put it in. NOBODY ELSE.
Read MoreMunicipal inspectors need to have a delicate balance of what they look at and enforce; if they miss defects, they get labeled incompetent or lazy. If they start requiring more repairs than what they're hired to look at, people think they're being jerks, and people stop pulling permits.
Read MoreThat reminded me of another aspect of municipal inspections in the Twin Cities that most people don't know about: Municipal inspectors typically don't walk on roofs to inspect them.
Read MoreIf you hear about a house getting MAC’d, it usually means that some high-quality “Green” improvements have been done to a house near the MSP airport. The purpose is to minimize noise issues with houses, and that’s great, but I think some of the best benefits of the MAC program have to do with energy savings.
Read MoreLast week I wrote about how bedrooms don't need closets to legally be called bedrooms. That post got me thinking about this similar but opposite topic. If a room doesn't have a proper means of egress, why call it a non-conforming bedroom?
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