News Updates - September 17, 2009

Language in the 2008 Oregon Residential
Specialty Code amended for clarity

The Residential Structures Board has approved a mid-cycle amendment to Section R703.1 of the 2008 Oregon Residential Specialty Code (ORSC) focusing on the decrease of moisture intrusion into exterior walls. Model code language new to the 2008 ORSC has led to questions from the construction and inspection communities about what exactly is required. The division has worked with the board and a task force to address this issue for nearly a year.

The amendment to Section R703.1 provides direction and clarity to the model code language that requires means of draining water entering the exterior assembly. The new language establishes that an 1/8 inch space between the weather barrier and the exterior veneer meets the requirements of the model code language. The changes also include exceptions to the gap requirement that allow the following:

1. Where the exterior veneer is installed over a drainage enhanced water resistive barrier complying with Section R703.2 and meeting certain other requirements;
2. Where pan flashings are installed on the sill within the rough opening of a window and drain to the exterior surface of the veneer in a through wall fashion;
3. Where the exterior veneer meets certain drainage requirements and is installed over a water resistive barrier complying with Section R703.2; and,
4. Where the exterior veneer is matching an existing exterior finish as in additions, alterations, and repairs.

The amendment to Section R703.1 will be effective January 1, 2010 and includes a grace period ending March 31, 2010. During the grace period, building officials will approve installations that meet either the prior requirements adopted under Section R703.1 or the provisions established by the amendment. All projects submitted for review after March 31, 2010 must comply with the new amendment.

For further information, please contact Richard Rogers, structural program chief, at richard.rogers@state.or.us or 503-378-4472.

Committee to meet regarding the first phase of HB 3462 (2009)

A rulemaking advisory committee has been formed to assist the division in developing rules for the implementation of House Bill 3462, which was passed by the 2009 Legislature. The bill has two major components related to inspector and building official certification. First, it authorizes the division to establish renewal periods and fees for certifications- Phase I. Second, it authorizes the division to create a pilot program for specialized inspector certification- Phase II. This newly formed committee will focus exclusively on the first phase of rulemaking for HB 3462. The second phase will begin later this fall and follow a separate process.

The HB 3462 Phase I Committee will be holding its first meeting next Tuesday, September 22 at 1:30 p.m. in Conference Room A at the Building Codes Division's office in West Salem. Check out the committee's Web site for more information or to subscribe for email updates.

ePermitting

Updates to ePermitting and the local building department directory
ePermitting basic services
Things are moving right along with online permitting at BCD. After replacing Quick Permits with the new ePermitting basic services on June 22, August saw an 11% increase in the number of online permit purchased over last year. With the new ePermitting system, contractors are required to register for an account before making purchases. This registration helps contractors in several ways, including being able to search a history of all authorizations that are purchased on the system and receiving notification if someone else attaches their license to another account.

Another ePermitting basic services benefit is the help desk established to assist contractors with the new system. Jurisdictions can direct contractors to 503-373-7396 or Oregon.epermitting@state.or.us for answers to any questions they may have. So far most of the questions we have received concern difficulties with finding an address, trying to locate their license in the system, or not finding the services they want to purchase.

The ePermitting team has also been hearing from jurisdictions. Their feedback has indicated the need for better information on the authorizations, as well as receiving e-mails and end-of-day reports. They also noted glitches with some online sales such as ordering electrical branch circuits related to a service, without actually purchasing the service. Based on the feedback from all these sources, we want to take what we have learned and incorporate it into helpful changes to ePermitting's basic services. These changes will include the following items:

• Adding map/tax lot information to authorizations.
• If a contractor does not indicate a specific quantity of a service, the progress of the application will be stopped, so a contractor cannot purchase an authorization by paying just the minimum fee.
• Authorizations will now identify services purchased as either residential or commercial.
• The address search will ask for minimal information, helping contractors have better success finding the address.
• Electrical contractors will be blocked from purchasing branch circuits with a service if they have not also purchased the service or feeder.
• Authorizations will have the inspection request line printed on them for those jurisdictions interested.

Local Building Department Directory (LBDD)
After the debut of the LBDD with the launch of ePermitting basic services, we realized the need for a few tweaks to the directory. Originally, the LBDD provided customers with an automated directory where you enter either the city, zip code, or jurisdiction's name, and the directory found the appropriate building departments for that location. Now, the list of information you can provide has expanded, allowing you to enter the exact address or the county where the property is located. When you enter this information, all applicable building departments' information will be available at your fingertips. The exact address search was a key component to the Quick Permits system and we are sure it will be a great addition to the LBDD. Give these new features a try! Please keep in mind that only the addresses of cities and counties who have submitted detailed address lists as part of the start up process for online permitting are available in the system.

Our goal is to continue to improve the LBDD to make it a useful tool for both contractors and jurisdictions. Please take a minute to review and update the information for your city or county in the directory. Our customers have been finding this to be a helpful tool and any information that you put into the directory will be of great benefit.

If you have any questions about what is happening with ePermitting or the LBDD, please feel free to contact Debbie Wells at 503-373-7278 or debbie.l.wells@state.or.us; or Lori Graham at 503-373-7755 or lori.l.graham@state.or.us. We want ePermitting to meet all your needs and we welcome your feedback.