As a home inspector and home improvement and remodeling consultant, I come across many interesting things in the course of a day on the field. I can usually spot right off the bat if a basement remodeling job was done professionally or simply completed by a do-it-yourself weekend warrior. In some cases, I find a project was done with great care and the finished results are aesthetically pleasing, however it does not abide by code and is not structurally sound. Today I wish to share with you some thoughts on the importance of following building code.

The state of Utah abides by the International Residential Building Code of 2003 for applications concerning structural, HVAC, plumbing and electrical components. This code is updated every three years and timelines are presented as to when new code enforcements for the new edition will be applied. There is a 2006 edition and some code enforcements are applicable to this edition, however, the majority of applications for Utah are still based on the 2003 edition.

I want to stress the importance of applying this international building code when upgrading to structural, HVAC, plumbing and electrical components in a residence. While you may think this is obvious, I find at times this is not the case.

Typically, when a licensed professional contractor or sub-contractor is hired to oversee a specific improvement project, they follow and abide by the applicable code. This is not always the case. There have been times in my professional experience when I have been told that a certain upgrade that was not completed to the applicable code had been completed by a licensed professional. Let me give you two examples of common issues I regularly encounter.

When a new water heater is installed, I sometimes find that whether it was done by a professional or a homeowner that certain code issues are not followed. It seems that the process of the new installation follows the standard of the old installation. Code requires a minimum of one upper support strap installed to the unit securing it to a structural component. Having a shutoff valve installed on the cold water inlet line to the unit, as well as an expansion tank or expansion valve is also required. A drain line also needs to be installed on the pressure relief valve that terminates within 6 inches of the slab floor.

Another typical encounter I find is insufficient heat supply lines from the furnace to the finished basement areas in a home. Code requires one heat source for every 150 to 200 square feet of living space. This means that every bedroom (between 150 and 200 square feet) and bathroom in the basement area requires a heat source. A basement great room of 400 square feet requires two heat supply sources from the furnace. Having a minimum of one cold air return located in the basement area is also required.

Good luck on those future projects. If you would like to submit a home remodeling or home improvement question to be addressed in this column, please e-mail them to Joel Jones at joelthehomeinspector@msn.com.

Joel is the owner of "The Inspector," a home and building inspection company and a home improvement and remodeling consultant.