By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: May 18, 2013
Abrupt enforcement of a building code has left a local home builder with delays, $2,000 in unexpected bills, and a broken faith in the district’s ability to help local businesses succeed in a tough economy.
Shane Buschy, the owner of Blue Whale Construction, says the district building inspector sprung a new code in the middle of home construction on Wilson Crescent.
The enforcement was more troublesome because Blue Whale had just completed a similar construction a few weeks ago without any mention of this code.
Previously, a home builder would wrap the Typar and start with vapour barrier and home insulation.
The siding came later.
This is how Blue Whale had done homes before, all happily stamped by the building inspector.
But now, the Typar was simply not sufficient; the siding had to be done before work could start on insulation.
When told about this change, Buschy says his first reaction was one of plain confusion.
“I just looked at him and said ‘since when has this ever been an issue before.’”
The building inspector’s response: “You will have to do it.”
Even if it meant the people working on insulation had to be stopped, even if it meant finding people willing to do siding on a short notice.
But then after some back and forth, the building inspector gave some ground.
The insulation work could be carried on, but a tarp had to cover the entire house.
Harried and unwilling to further delay construction, Buschy spent $2,000 to cover the house with a tarp that is eventually headed to the landfill.
“It’s the most ridiculous thing I have been asked to do,” he said.
District spokesperson Christina Moore said the rule isn’t a new part of the building code.
She noted, however, that enforcement of this clause is becoming a higher priority for municipalities to ensure prevention of moisture damage.
“The BC Building Code is a provincial regulation that all builders are expected to be familiar with and adhere to,” she noted.
Meanwhile, Buschy says this code isn’t an issue in other parts of the province.
The latest episode has forced him to consider moving from Squamish.
“I have honestly thought about relocating to West Vancouver or Whistler where things go much more smoothly.”
rajinder says
that is a treat
try to build in Richmond to feel the effects of senescence rule changes in middle
squamish is much better
Anonymous says
The building department at the DOS are doing a great job. I find them Easy to work with, and find it much better now that all the rules are being followed. The end result is the home owner is getting a better product
Anonymous says
This is a ridiculous complaint and an even more ridiculous sensationalized story. The code is clearly public and all builders should be aware of it. If I have parked my car illegally for days and one day it gets towed I can’t blame the city and say this was never a problem before. As a home owner and buyer I would be more concerned that elements of the building code were not being rigorously enforced in the past. Gagandeep you’ve got your spin totally misplaced on this one.
Dave says
To the builder:
Do your homework.
Find out what new codes are in place before any new construction, even though you may have been fortunate enough to get under the wire on a previous similar project . Codes are changed to protect the buyer of newly constructed buildings, so stop whining. You are lucky that they didn’t ask you to redo the previous project….hope the future occupants do not have a problem with moisture.
Lani says
I have little sympathy for a home builder that does not do his homework and have a thorough knowledge of the BC Building Code prior to construction. The code is a public, enforceable document and is there to protect residents and buyers from this very thing – builders that do not know what they are doing. I am pleased to hear that the DOS is keeping on top of those that try to cut corners.
dp says
This is good news. Shows we are learning from our mistakes, why find out ten years down the line that your property h
as problems…. guess a good example of late would be the collapsed building in south Asia where over a thousand folks lost their lives while the owners disappear into the world of darkness.
Charlie says
Maybe the builder should open his 2012 code book and educate himself on his responsibilities, rather than blame the District for the extra costs he endured because of his lack of understanding.
Curious George says
Why does everyone assume the District Building Inspector is right?
Much of the code is open to a degree of interpretation and it appears to me like the building inspector in this case is taking a rather extreme interpretation.
Correct me if I am wrong but there is nowhere in the code that requires the exterior cladding in place before insulation inside. Nowhere in BC is this sequence of construction ever employed to my knowledge and it only lengthens the construction schedule which is of no benefit to anyone. The building paper wrap together with adequate, required laps & properly installed windows keep rain out of what is typically an already wet building, allowing it to dry during the remainder of construction. Exterior cladding is just for aesthetics & a first line of defence against the elements and per code, provides the first of two layers of weather protection but as I noted, the code does not dictate sequence.
I stand to be corrected. I think the Building Inspector is mistaken.