It is very location-specific. Our inspector looked at whether we built to code, not to plan. He never even looked at the plans. And our county doesn't require any sort of plan review or engineering stamp (this is for remodel and addition stuff, not new construction) to pull a permit. YMMV. Best call your county.

Only the emergency escape and rescue opening size would a concern for the local building officials unless you increased the floor to floor height substantially and failed to upgrade the bearing wall stud grading and spacing if required.

Roof rafter pitch would not affect the rafter size but changing the span might.

It depends on your code regulations in the county/city you are dealing with. DH is retired from Los Angeles County and believe me, if the building did not match the plans, and permits you would do it over again, or tear it down. Or, you got new plans .They have one of the strictness set of codes in the states. He was in charge of one of the offices and worked with fire dept, flood control etc

I think it really is very official specific.

I had to file an amendment to my plans for 2 things.

1) we lowered a ceiling height in the master BR.

2) we beefed up a header including 2 -12 inch microlams instead of 3 smaller pieces of lumber.

in all it was kind of stupid and even more stupid that I had to pay for it considering I told my architect about the lowered ceiling originally, but in the final submitted plans it was different, and somehow he had drawn a 2x4 wall with 3 - 2inch pieces of lumber in it.....

On the other hand, he's not measuring room dimensions as long as everything is supported as was in the plans

All projects change during construction and building officials would be working nights and weekends (without pay) if they required all changes to be documented and submitted for an amended permit.

Therefore, single family houses are usually allowed a lot of leeway but it should be obvious that any structural change would require an amendment to the original permit before being constructed. It is easy enough to give the inspector a letter sized description of the change. The lumberyard can give you an engineered lumber design drawn and stamped for free.

If lowering a ceiling creates a separate structure in order to support it, then it is a structural change covered by the Ceiling Joist Span chart in the code and must be documented for the building department.

Be glad you don't have to produce as-built drawings or have a design professional sign an affidavit of design document compliance in order to get a Certificate of Occupancy. A building official once told me even using a different brand of LVL was not allowed.

Agreed that it depends on the local situation. My plans were evaluated and certain comments/suggestions added before the permit was issued. Then the officials never looked at the plans again. No comments at all about the changes I made. But that was during times when the inspectors were rushed and made quick site visits. Now they have more time for each job site.

Always a good idea to notify your building official of the changes you are thinking of especially if it involves structural, which in our area requires re-engineering. Just "doing it" without notification will get a building officials attitude up real quick. Communication is key on a build and keeping the officials informed is part of that. That's what they are there for and part of what you are paying them for as part of their service.

If you change something that is engineered and stamped expect a much larger issue than changing things the code coves.

The AHJ is supposed to verify that the 'as built' condition satisfies the code AND any engineered portions match the drawings.

I changed everything you listed except roof pitch without an issue. But I live in an area that is very strict on safety related issues (egress windows, electrical, railings, fire stops, etc.) and very lenient on pretty much everything else. My area does not require stamped or engineered plans. That is left to the homeowner/builder's discretion. I did not change the overall footprint or location on the lot once it was staked and certified by the surveyor.

"My area does not require stamped or engineered plans. "

A stamp is often only required for items the code does not explicitly cover (AKA 'per se' construction).

Wood beams, steel beams, I-joists, glue lam beams, etc.

Anything that is not covered by the codes, or any variations are normally cause for the AHJ to demand a stamp.

Very picky here.

The BRB made us submit new drawings because they insisted we lower our roofline by ONE FOOT, despite being TEN FEET below zoning code. (We were 'too high' compared to the ranch next door -- which was torn down a year later and replaced by a home with roof much higher than ours.)

We had to fight to avoid a cedar shake roof, which the BRB wanted plopped on *every* house, regardless of style. (In that instance the ranch next door 'rescued' us; they'd just renewed their asphalt shingle roof.) We also had to change from 12/12 pitch to 10/12.

Window sizes and shapes were dictated by the BRB. We had to use true simulated divided light windows on all exteriors visible to the street, including two garage windows. (I pled allergies and we were allowed between-the-glass Pella's on the other walls.)

Every command resulted in greater expenses for us. I fully expected to have to plant tulips instead of daffs, despite the fact that the deer here eat all tulips.

There are so many different approaches to the regulation of the design of the structure of a single family house that it would be a practical impossibility to list them here. They include no code whatsoever; anyone allowed to submit the design of structural elements that are not covered by the code; and licensed engineer design required of those elements.

Therefore, to be able say something useful to the OP on that subject it would be necessary to know where the project is located.

It is always a good idea to have an engineer involved but we are discussing the building department permit requirements.

Inspectors are a joke. Each one has thier "go to" violations. One guy might be so obsessed with energy codes that he misses an obvious structural problem right in front of his face. It also depends if they are busy or not. If they are busy, they wont mess with you. If they are slow and tired of playing solitaire on their computer they will come out and pick you apart.

"It is always a good idea to have an engineer involved but we are discussing the building department permit requirements".

Out here, anything structural must be submitted by a structural engineer before a permit is issued by way of a plan review. Any structural changes will not be allowed without approval of a structural engineer. Engineering and the permit process go hand in hand in our area.

It is all about geographic location and how it works in one's particular area, that's why it's important to communicate with your local building dept. or whatever that area calls it and find out how it all goes down locally rather than on a forum that can only generalize or state how it workds in their particular area.

Brickeye, we weren't require to have any stamps. Nothing. No questions about the steel beams, I joists, giant LVLs, etc. Even after we starting making changes to correct engineering issues the inspector never asks to see the engineer's drawings. But they were totally stressed about the height of the railing on the second level (code calls for 36" and they wanted me to make it 42" even though code didn't require it, I said no). I agree with the statement that they have their pet peeves and are blind to the rest.

"If you are following the code then there is no reason that an inspector would argue with you ."

There are numerous things the code does not cover explicitly (LVLs, I-joists, steel beams) that mist AHJs want to see a stamp for.

"Nothing. No questions about the steel beams, I joists, giant LVLs, etc. Even after we starting making changes to correct engineering issues the inspector never asks to see the engineer's drawings. But they were totally stressed about the height of the railing on the second level (code calls for 36" and they wanted me to make it 42" even though code didn't require it, I said no)."

I would put them in the incompetent category unless they are actually PEs and checked the work themselves (pretty rare).
Many of the I-joist and LVL companies supply free stamped plans to encourage use of their products.
A steel beam without at least a quick analysis is trouble waiting to happen.

Thank you everyone very much for the feedback!

I'm in Kootenai county, ID, so no way it's as strict as LA (haha), or any metropolitan area, but I have to admit they were still a little stricter than I was expecting for, well, north Idaho. I mean, by comparison, a nearby county has NO codes and NO permit process whatsoever!

I'm glad to hear some people reporting that it will probably be easy for me to change my roof pitch, but would it change everything if I mentioned that the roofs had to be engineered and stamped for snow load? Does that mean it would have to be re-engineered if I altered the pitch?

I do of course intend to contact my county about this eventually, I just wanted to get a sense for if I should even bother perusing it before I bother getting them involved. Getting the county involved = delays. They already blew through my entire building season last year, pushing the project back to '11.

"I mean, by comparison, a nearby county has NO codes and NO permit process whatsoever! "

I hear foll say this all the time,only to find out their IS a state code that must be followed.

If the change in roof pitch increases the duration of the design snow load, creates additional drifted snow load, or changes the rafter span, it must be stamped by the engineer of record.

To say you are altering the roof pitch isn't enough information for anyone to be able to advise you to not ask the engineer before doing it.

I don't understand your reluctance to get professional advice regarding a matter only a professional familiar with the project can determine. If you think an engineer is expensive consider the cost of rebuilding the roof.

What about moving a Garage wall 250mm off the fence line without changing permit?

I am sure they figured it out 1991_kid in the last 10 years...........................