Avoiding Building Code Violations in Palm Beach and Broward County

Avoiding Building Code Violations in Palm Beach and Broward County

Anyone doing construction in Broward or Palm Beach County wants to avoid building code violations. The best way to do this is to be sure to follow the municipal housing code.

For instance, Palm Beach County building code is published here: https://library.municode.com/fl/palm_beach_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PABECOCO_CH14HOCO . Broward County is here –https://library.municode.com/fl/broward_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH5BURELAUS_ARTIVHOCO

Following these published guidelines avoids violations which can shut down your business. It also helps protect the public from potential disasters like fires.

For instance, in section 14-1 in Palm Beach County’s code discusses the scope for taking protective measures to guard against fires is published as follows:

Scope. The purpose of this code is to protect the public health, safety and welfare in all structures, residential and nonresidential ( in Palm Beach County ) and on all premises by establishing minimum requirements and standards for premises, structures, equipment, and facilities for light, ventilation, space, heating, sanitation, protection from the elements, life safety, safety from fire and other hazards, and for safe and sanitary maintenance; fixing the responsibility of owners, operators and occupants; regulating the occupancy of structures and premises, and providing for administration, code enforcement and penalties.

So if you are opening a new restaurant on Atlantic Ave. in Delray Beach or doing a build out for a new PPE retail storefront in Palm Beach Gardens, you’ll want to follow the building code to avoid violations.

Not following guidelines can lead to disastrous consequences as has happened in the recent past in the restaurant and nightclub industries.

For example, the string of deadly nightclub fires a few years back has led to thousands of building code violations being issued for nightclubs from Boca Raton to Palm Beach Gardens to Pompano Beach.

While the frequency of these code violations has been on the rise, there are still a few that are out of compliance. If you believe your nightclub is in violation of any of these codes, it’s important to report the problem in order to keep your customers safe, and to also ensure that your nightclub is following all applicable codes and ordinances.

An investigation into the cause of a South Florida nightclub fire in June 2002 led authorities to find several nightclub owners in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach in violation of several building code violations. The owner of a club in Miami Beach, Florida was found to be in violation of the Fire Safety Code by using an illegal extinguisher in the club, allowing a live electrical wiring harness to be placed too close to ceiling beams and walls. A nightclub in Chicago was found to have illegally turned off power to fire alarm systems using a false alarm system. In both of these cases, the club owners were ordered to pay significant fines and other penalties in order to ensure future compliance. In addition, the nightclub owners were ordered to take precautions such as installing smoke detectors, emergency lights, and other safety measures.

Violations like these help let builders know where they have erred and helps protect the public.

So follow your municipal housing code to avoid violations. If you do receive a violation, call the experts here at Close Permits and we’d be happy to assist you.