There are a multitude of codes pertaining to basement finish as related to intended use. And specifically if that intended use is by human habitation. These codes do vary from county to county but many things such as ceiling height, egress, HVAC systems, (heating, ventilation, & air cond.) electrical, etc. are usually part of all codes. Often home owners just go ahead and do the finish work without obtaining permits or complying with codes. This works but is not a good idea since if it ever comes time to sell the home full disclosure of non compliance is required by law. In your case the very best advice is to call or visit your local building department and obtain the latest information on doing this type of project.
Dennis (cut2it)
I was really looking for a yes or no answer, with particular info for my locale in terms of the code requirements.
"call or visit your local building department and obtain the latest information on doing this type of project." is kind of self-evident.
Thanks anyway.
As I indicated codes on this subject do vary around the country. One of us would have to have made the call to your building dept. I often do this for customers but couldn't do it for you since it was the weekend. Further, as another expert with this web site has pointed out, if your home ever had a problem like a fire, your insurance company would have grounds to disallow your claim if they became aware of non-permited work.
PS.. thank you for using our service and I apologize for the answer not being satisfactory. You may have your deposit returned by making the request to JA on their home page.
C&onstructi&on C&onsultant
Over 40 yrs. as General Contractor for new const. & remodel - retired with time for you.
XXXXXXX,
To answer your question, any room with a closet and a door is considered a potential bedroom even if you are not planning to use it that way; a new owner of the home could make it a bedroom and it has to conform to the bedroom requirements. Every bedroom needs to have at least one egress window. If you need the egress window size and height off floor requirements, I can give them to you.
Contacting your local building official for their interpretation, only saves you any headaches down the road. The officials interpret the code and regulate it per their interpretation, nobody else's. So it is always good to get the requirments straight from "the horse's mouth" to prevent yourself from having to make any changes after the fact.
In addition, there are other requirements that need to be met when converting a basement into living space, such as ceiling height and two means of egress. The building official would be glad to give you these requirements.
With this said, Dennis was on the right track and you should Accept his answer and not mine; just consider my information free. And if you need those window requirements, please let me know.
If you need further help or clarification on this answer, please do not hesitate to reply to this post.
Thanks for asking your question at Just Answer.
Best of Luck, Brian