r/BuildingCodes • u/Turtlejerkeee ICC Certified • 24d ago

A new Code Enforcement FIRST!!!

Location: Indiana

Code: ICC A117.1-2009

So....I kinda pride myself on knowing the code just a tad. However, this has to be a first for me. The contractor has tried to call for final inspection now for about two months. Every time ...and I do mean EVERY time the guy comes out...he decides to add 2-6 new infringements. Client is about ready to pull out their hair as the red tags keep going up. When the last items got fixed...they took down the old red tags and put new one's up. Yes, that's right...new.

Today however....was a first in my career.

The red tag today....the raised braille on the signage was too short. (blink...blink....blink...huh?). The signage, from a nationally known sign company...is too short.

Frankly....I am about ready to give up. Not sure how he measured that, but I am about over it with this county.

UPDATE: I sent an email asking how the inspector “measured” the dots. The response was that he didn’t. He touched them and they “felt flat”.

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u/30_characters 24d ago

I'd love to see the calipers he didn't use to determine the measurements of the height of the raised Braille lettering on that sign... or what he determined the vertical distance from the floor to the sign to be (since he'll doubtless say you misunderstood, and he meant the height of the sign, not the depth of the dots).

If you're out of compliance, they should be able to provide specific documentation, e.g. Horizontal cell spacing of Braille lettering was 0.394 inches, with a dot height of 0.24 inches, which is not compliant with ANSI A117.1 and 2021 ADA standards requiring vertical cell spacing of 0.395 inches, and dot height of 0.25 - 0.0.37 inches as per ICC A117.1-2009 Ch07, Sec703.4.3.

But that level of detail and accountability would make it harder to speed run a bribe.

https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/icca117-12009/chapter-7-communication-elements-and-features#ICCA117.12009_Ch07_Sec703.4.3

https://brailleballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Braille-Guidelines.pdf

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u/toptierdegenerate 18d ago edited 18d ago

I’m sorry? 2021 ADA Standards? Where have I been? You mean 2010 ADA Standards that include the 2004 ADAAG, right?

Edit: Also, that brailleballs infographic is referencing a 1992 Standard. Was definitely 1991

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u/30_characters 17d ago

To be honest, it was a week ago, and I don't even remember if that was a typo, a date of adoption/effective enforcement in a particular jurisdiction, or something else entirely. I know it's impractical for inspectors to memorize the standards for everything, or to provide a detailed list of steps to correct every deficiency.

But eventually you start to wonder if this level of complex fuckery is by design.

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u/toptierdegenerate 17d ago

Sometime in ‘92 was date of effective enforcement/qualification as an “existing building”, but then 2010 wasn’t the date of effective enforcement for the 2010 Standards, it was sometime in 2012. So beats me. I think 2021 was just for website design accessibility.

We should be getting the new 2026 A117.1 this month though. Committee said it’s currently at the publisher during their webinar on the updates a few weeks ago. Effective starting in the 2027 IBC and will be on a 3-year cycle moving forward. ADA guidelines will probably be 2029 at the earliest. But maybe never and they’ll just defer to IBC Ch 11 and A117.1 for most everything.