Orange County NC Website
11 <br />§ 143 -138. North Carolina State Building Code. <br />(b) Contents of the Code. — The North Carolina State Building Code, as adopted by the <br />Building Code Council, may include reasonable and suitable classifications of buildings and <br />structures, both as to use and occupancy; general building restrictions as to location, height, and <br />floor areas; rules for the lighting and ventilation of buildings and structures; requirements <br />concerning means of egress from buildings and structures; requirements concerning means of <br />ingress in buildings and structures; rules governing construction and precautions to be taken <br />during construction; rules as to permissible materials, loads, and stresses; rules governing <br />chimneys, heating appliances, elevators, and other facilities connected with the buildings and <br />structures; rules governing plumbing, heating, air conditioning for the purpose of comfort <br />cooling by the lowering of temperature, and electrical systems; and such other reasonable rules <br />pertaining to the construction of buildings and structures and the installation of particular <br />facilities therein as may be found reasonably necessary for the protection of the occupants of the <br />building or structure, its neighbors, and members of the public at large. <br />(bl) The Code may regulate activities and conditions in buildings, structures, and premises <br />that pose dangers of fire, explosion, or related hazards. Such fire prevention code provisions <br />shall be considered the minimum standards necessary to preserve and protect public health and <br />safety, subject to approval by the Council of more stringent provisions proposed by a <br />municipality or county as provided in G.S. 143- 138(e). These provisions may include regulations <br />requiring the installation of either battery- operated or electrical smoke detectors in every <br />dwelling unit used as rental property, regardless of the date of construction of the rental property. <br />For dwelling units used as rental property constructed prior to 1975, smoke detectors shall have <br />an Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., listing or other equivalent national testing laboratory <br />approval, and shall be installed in accordance with either the standard of the National Fire <br />Protection Association or the minimum protection designated in the manufacturer's instructions, <br />which the property owner shall retain or provide as proof of compliance. <br />(b2) The Code may contain provisions requiring the installation of either battery- operated or <br />electrical carbon monoxide detectors in every dwelling unit having a fossil -fuel burning heater, <br />appliance, or fireplace, and in any dwelling unit having an attached garage. Carbon monoxide <br />detectors shall be those listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory that is <br />OSHA - approved to test and certify to American National Standards Institute/Underwriters <br />Laboratories Standards ANSI/UL2034 or ANSFUL2075 and shall be installed in accordance <br />with either the standard of the National Fire Protection Association or the minimum protection <br />designated in the manufacturer's instructions, which the property owner shall retain or provide as <br />proof of compliance. A carbon monoxide detector may be combined with smoke detectors if the <br />combined detector does both of the following: (i) complies with ANSFUL2034 or <br />ANSWL2075 for carbon monoxide alarms and ANSWL217 for smoke detectors; and (ii) emits <br />an alarm in a manner that clearly differentiates between detecting the presence of carbon <br />monoxide and the presence of smoke. <br />(b3) Except as provided by subsection (cl) of this section, the Code may contain provisions <br />regulating every type of building or structure, wherever it might be situated in the State. <br />(b4) Building rules do not apply to (i) farm buildings that are located outside the <br />building -rules jurisdiction of any municipality, or (ii) farm buildings that are located inside the <br />