Over at the Xpera Blog, you can find the latest of my articles on the required inspections for multifamily residential balcony inspections mandated by law in California as a result of the tragic and fatal balcony collapse in Berkeley about 5 years ago.
In multi-family residential buildings, Exterior Elevated Elements (EEEs), such as balcony decks, upper landings or walkways, must be evaluated as part of compliance under recently passed California laws, SB 721 and SB 326.
For owners, it is critically important to understand how these evaluations work, and how to most effectively achieve compliance and safety, while minimizing disruption and cost.
We are all familiar with the saying “What you see is what you get.” But, as Xpera Group has learned from decades of experience in construction defect litigation, it is what you don’t see that you really need to worry about.
The point of the article is that if wood structural members are concealed from view by stucco or siding, other means must be used to inspect those load-bearing components in order to properly comply with the law.
Unfortunately, we’ve heard some stories where property managers and even some attorneys are advising property owners that a purely visual inspection is all that is ever required to comply with the law. That information is false.
For more information, read the full article at Xpera’s website.
AEC Forensics 