2.2 Core Workflows and Decision Points

The Permit-to-Occupancy Workflow

The IRC administrative process is a linear pipeline, and the exam loves to test where each step belongs:

1. Application & construction documents (R106) — the owner or authorized agent submits an application with construction documents (two sets or in an approved digital format), a site plan showing size and location of new and existing structures and distances to lot lines, and, in flood hazard areas, the required elevation data (R106.1.3/R106.1.4).
2. Plan review & permit issuance (R105) — the building official reviews for compliance and issues the permit. Per R108, the permit is not valid until fees are paid, and fees are based on the valuation of the work (materials plus labor).
3. Construction with required inspections (R109) — work proceeds, stopping at each inspection hold point.
4. Certificate of occupancy (R110) — after the final inspection passes, the building may be occupied.

When a Permit Is Required (R105.1)

Under R105.1, any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building, or to install/alter a system, must first obtain a permit. The default is permit required; exemptions are the exception, listed in R105.2.

Work Exempt From Permit (R105.2)

Exception from a permit does not authorize work that violates the code (R105.2 caveat). Memorize the common building exemptions because they are tested as exact thresholds:

Electrical, gas, mechanical, and plumbing chapters carry their own short exemption lists (e.g., minor repairs, portable appliances). The exam trap: a deck that is attached to the dwelling, or more than 30 in above grade, or over 200 sq ft, is not exempt — it needs a permit.

Permit Expiration (R105.5)

A permit is invalid if the authorized work is not commenced within 180 days of issuance, or if the work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days after commencement. The building official may grant extensions for justifiable cause. Knowing this 180-day figure is a near-certain administrative item.

Required Inspection Sequence (R109)

R109.1 lists the inspections that must occur, and the order is logical — each protects the inspector's ability to see the work before it is hidden:

1. R109.1.1 Foundation/footing — after excavation/trenches, forms erected, and reinforcing steel in place and supported, but before placing concrete.
2. R109.1.2 Plumbing, mechanical, gas, and electrical (rough) — before covering or concealment, before fixtures/appliances are set, and before the framing inspection.
3. R109.1.3 Floodplain — upon placement of the lowest floor in flood hazard areas, with elevation documentation before further vertical construction.
4. R109.1.4 Frame and masonry — after roof, masonry, framing, firestopping, draftstopping, and bracing are in place and after the rough inspections are approved.
5. R109.1.5 Other inspections — as the building official determines necessary.
6. R109.1.6 Fire-resistance-rated construction — where required, walls/partitions inspected before concealment.
7. R109.3 Final inspection — after all permitted work is complete and before issuance of the certificate of occupancy.

R109.4 is the enforcement teeth: work must remain accessible and exposed until approved. An inspector who arrives to find a footing already poured, or rough wiring already drywalled, can require the work to be uncovered for inspection. Approval at each stage is required before proceeding.

Construction Documents, Plan Review, and Inspection Requests

What the documents must show (R106)

R106.1 requires that construction documents be submitted with the application in two or more sets, or in an approved digital format, and be prepared in sufficient detail to show the work conforms to the code. R106.2 requires a site plan showing the size and location of new construction and existing structures on the site, distances from lot lines, the established street grades, and the proposed finished grades. R106.1.3 requires the documents to identify the flood zone, the design flood elevation, and where required the lowest-floor elevation.

The building official reviews these documents and, when satisfied they comply, approves them — and approved documents must be kept at the site and available to the inspector. A scenario where an inspector cannot find the approved plans on site is a documentation problem the code anticipates.

Inspection requests and reinspection (R109.3, R109.5)

Under R109.3, it is the permit holder's duty to notify the building official that work is ready for inspection and to provide access; the holder also bears the cost of any work needed to expose components for inspection. The official then either approves the portion inspected or issues a written notice of the items that fail to comply, and those defects must be corrected before work continues. Where work is rejected, the permit holder corrects it and requests a reinspection — many jurisdictions charge a reinspection fee when an inspector is called back for work that was not ready or was not corrected.

Putting the pipeline together

The administrative pipeline is testable end to end: application and documents (R106) feed plan review and permit issuance (R105/R108), which authorizes construction; construction stops at each required inspection hold point (R109) until approved; and only after the final inspection passes does the certificate of occupancy (R110) allow lawful occupancy. Each handoff is a place where exam questions hide a sequencing error — a permit issued before fees are paid, framing inspected before rough-in approval, or occupancy before the final and CO. Knowing the correct order lets you eliminate the out-of-sequence distractors quickly.