Was curious because it seems just way too easy and in my experience, if something seems too easy then you must be missing something. I’ve been approached by one of my superintendents to help him draft a small addition to his home. I’ve had these offers in the past and usually say no since I’m making relatively good money and am quite risk adverse with my license. But with this one and with way more time on my hands recently, I’ve figured what the heck. He’s offering to submit, sign off as an owner builder, he knows exactly what he wants drafted, understands that $500 Craigslist drafters are a waste of time. It seems like a good project to test the waters on doing my own work and actually make some money. As I’ve gotten deeper into the process, the city has this very nice simple and clear package on requirements for submitting a single story addition as an owner builder. In the package it references tables to use for sizing floor joists and roof joists, it has your shear diaphragms and hold down details and all your roof existing to new roof structure details. It seems way too easy and straightforward. Can you really just size off of city standard details, smack the relevant details down and be done? According to the super, asking me for drafting help, yes. He had another super draft tearing down his bearing wall between the kitchen and living room and they used the city standard beam sizing and the inspector had a few questions during a site walk and they showed him the package and he was good. I’m not desperate for money, I’m not desperate for work so I can say no but figured I’d post the question here. Can you really just draft this up and use city standard details and sleep at night?
Not entirely sure what you mean by, "city standard details," but typically for residential construction the structural building code will offer a proscriptive option. Under a certain SF size and height limitation an engineered set of structural drawings is not required.
I'm not sure if it's the same in every State, but where I am if you're a licensed professional you MUST stamp and sign your work, even if it's work that could have been done by an unlicensed designer - the only way you can do "drafting only" work is if it's for another licensed professional who will be stamping the documents.
What this means in regard to your question is that you certainly can use the City's standard details (we call it the "Type V Sheet" hereabouts), but you have the same responsibility for due diligence that you would if using a manufacturer's detail, one from Graphic Standards, or any other detail you get from another source.
Risk with City Standard Structural Details
Was curious because it seems just way too easy and in my experience, if something seems too easy then you must be missing something. I’ve been approached by one of my superintendents to help him draft a small addition to his home. I’ve had these offers in the past and usually say no since I’m making relatively good money and am quite risk adverse with my license. But with this one and with way more time on my hands recently, I’ve figured what the heck. He’s offering to submit, sign off as an owner builder, he knows exactly what he wants drafted, understands that $500 Craigslist drafters are a waste of time. It seems like a good project to test the waters on doing my own work and actually make some money. As I’ve gotten deeper into the process, the city has this very nice simple and clear package on requirements for submitting a single story addition as an owner builder. In the package it references tables to use for sizing floor joists and roof joists, it has your shear diaphragms and hold down details and all your roof existing to new roof structure details. It seems way too easy and straightforward. Can you really just size off of city standard details, smack the relevant details down and be done? According to the super, asking me for drafting help, yes. He had another super draft tearing down his bearing wall between the kitchen and living room and they used the city standard beam sizing and the inspector had a few questions during a site walk and they showed him the package and he was good. I’m not desperate for money, I’m not desperate for work so I can say no but figured I’d post the question here. Can you really just draft this up and use city standard details and sleep at night?
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Not entirely sure what you mean by, "city standard details," but typically for residential construction the structural building code will offer a proscriptive option. Under a certain SF size and height limitation an engineered set of structural drawings is not required.
Oops, my reply was meant for OP, not WoodGuy.
Also "prescriptive" not "proscriptive."
what taz said ^^^
I'm not sure if it's the same in every State, but where I am if you're a licensed professional you MUST stamp and sign your work, even if it's work that could have been done by an unlicensed designer - the only way you can do "drafting only" work is if it's for another licensed professional who will be stamping the documents.
What this means in regard to your question is that you certainly can use the City's standard details (we call it the "Type V Sheet" hereabouts), but you have the same responsibility for due diligence that you would if using a manufacturer's detail, one from Graphic Standards, or any other detail you get from another source.
This is the same in my neck of the woods
So where you're at contractors can't pull permits for small enough jobs?
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