Shoutout to the inspector who caught my missing fire wall detail
Last week in a Denver townhouse project, I submitted a set I was sure was clean. The plan reviewer flagged a missing 2-hour rated wall between the garage and living space on sheet A-4. I'd copied an old detail and missed the code update from three years ago. Has anyone else had a close call with the 2021 IBC changes on townhouse separations?
We keep a printed list of the 2021 IBC changes taped to the monitor. The townhouse garage separation is item four on that list. I check it against every multi-family set before it goes out.
Spot the same thing with old car repair manuals... my buddy still uses his 2010 Chilton guide and wonders why the OBD codes don't match. Like @jason_davis said, those quiet updates get everyone. It's why I double-check my furnace venting specs against the current code book every January, saves that same panic later.
Classic case of copy-paste catching up to you. Those IBC updates are sneaky like that. At least the inspector found it before it got built, that's a way worse phone call. My old boss used to say every red mark saves a future lawsuit. Still stings though.