Expert: Ted Barnhill (Principal, Design45 LLC) - 4/25/2009

Question
If we add a closed in porch or room onto our home,exactly what inspections will need to be done;  only new part or is the whole house subject to inspection?  We live in Pennsylvania.

Thanks,
Cindy

Answer
Cindy,

Good question.  Ordinarily, the inspections should pertain to the project at hand; old work is ordinarily "grandfathered in" and not required to be brought up to code, so not inspected.  There are exceptions to this for critical life safety issues.  Notably, it is common for building inspectors to require the addition of any missing smoke or carbon monoxide detectors when you undertake a project in your home.  In fact, if the project is large enough, these may need to be hard wired rather than battery operated.  

Keep in mind that the scope of inspections varies by municipality, and that the inspector may raise issues with other parts of your home, especially if s/he judges that recent work has been done without a permit and/or not in compliance with code.  Of course, this is meant to keep you and your home safe, even if it does potentially increase your project's scope and cost.  Most building officials are reasonable and helpful; if in doubt as to the scope of inspections, you can call your town permit office before pulling a permit to ask about their approach.

Best of luck with your project,
Ted Barnhill