The regulation of building construction is not new; some say it can be traced to the beginning of civilization more than 4,000 years ago. Today, most of the United States is covered by a network of modern building regulations. While the codes' primary purpose is to protect the public, they also afford an opportunity for architects, engineers, contractors, and home owners to take advantage of the many technological advances encouraged by the codes, often with significant savings to the consumer.

The International Code Council is a valuable source of information regarding the history of codes in the US and the existing structure to maintain and keep building codes and standards up to date and relevant in an every changing world. Their description of a Building Code and the Permitting Process have been summarized for the benefit of the reader. Additional information is available on the ICC website.

A building code is the government's official statement on building safety. The public need for protection from disaster due to fire, structural collapse, and general deterioration underscores the need for modern codes and their administration. Building codes provide safeguards. Although no code can eliminate all risks, building codes do help reduce risks to an acceptable level. Technically, the "building code" is a compendium of minimum safety standards arranged in a systematic manner (codified) for easy reference. It embraces all aspects of building construction . fire, structural, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical.

A building permit from the appropriate legal authority is generally required for an AmeriShade project. The permit gives you (and us) legal permission to start construction of your shade structure project in accordance with approved drawings and specifications.

Working with you, we will submit an application to local code officials requesting a Building Permit. The Application generally documents the Who, What, When, Where and How of the job, along with any sketches, engineering drawings or plans of our proposed work.

During the review process, the code official will review our plans and determine if your project is in compliance with local requirements. If the plans meet these requirements, a permit is issued. If not, the official will generally work with us to resolve any deficiencies.

Once the project has been approved for a permit, we have legal permission to start construction. A fee, based on the size of the job, is collected to cover the cost of the application, the review and the inspection process. This fee is not included in the cost estimate that was originally provided to you and will be added to the cost of the job. The duration of time between applying for and receiving a building permit varies depending upon the community. While we will work diligently to seek approval, there are no guarantees when or if the permit will be issued

Once construction begins, the code officials will generally peform periodic on-site inspections to make certain the work conforms to the permit, local codes and plans. If possible, we try to determine how many and the focus of the inspections that may be needed for your project. We also attempt to get agreement that a one- or two-day notice will be given before the inspections to avoid costly down-time. Once completed, the code official will provide documentation that construction has been completed in compliance with the appropriate codes. This assures you that the project will meet the safety standards in your community.

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