The Importance of Building Codes

At Portable Buildings by Ravenel, we adhere strictly to building codes for all our sheds and outbuildings. For someone outside the construction and building industry, permits might seem like an unnecessary overreach. But in our line of work, we know how important it is to ensure that your structure is built correctly for your home and your family’s safety. So, although permits can take time and seem like a waste of money, they are essential to ensuring that you – and we – are safe.

Building codes are a set of rules and standards that a governing body uses to regulate the building of structures. The purpose of building codes is to provide a minimum standard to protect homeowners' safety and the public at large. The building codes are meant to protect people against things like fire, general deterioration, and structural collapse. Some minimal standard examples are:

In South Carolina, the building codes that we adhere to are outlined by the International Residential Code (IRC) and the International Building Code (IBC). They are the two governing agencies that oversee our buildings to ensure that they are built correctly and list the necessary modifications needed to keep our clients safe.

There are contractors who cut corners by not pulling permits and then pass the savings along to their customers. The problem is that there is no governing body to ensure that things are done correctly and checked sufficiently. A permit is used not just to cover our company, but also to cover every homeowner that we work with. We want to make sure that all of our buildings are done 100% within the guidelines for the sake of everyone’s safety. If a contractor doesn’t pull a permit to do construction at your home, that is a huge red flag.

Also, if someone doesn’t correctly pull a permit to begin work, that can leave the homeowner vulnerable to fees and penalties. It is much better to work within guidelines and rules than to try to go outside the law and find out after the fact that things weren’t done correctly. We believe in being 100% transparent and putting our customers first – always.

At Portable Buildings by Ravenel, we can understand why permits might seem like they take too long, hold up the process, and cost unnecessary money, but they are an essential part of our business and planning. All of our buildings come with the guarantee that they are built not just to the manufacturer’s specifications, but also that they meet all local and municipal codes for building. We take great pride in the craftsmanship of our outbuildings and the safety of our customers, and it shows in our reviews and ratings. Contact us today to discuss your project!