Building Codes

[Doug Park]

I assume you mean that the software will produce a design that is up to code.

First, codes vary by locale. So if the software were to attempt to do that we would need to create a set of rules for each locale and keep them up to date. Since these can vary by county and city this would be a huge undertaking.

Second, there are simply way too many special cases and rules that are subject to interpretation by the inspector to be able to solve this problem for even one locale.

There is no software out there that I'm aware of that even attempts to tackle this problem and if it did it would have a big fat disclaimer stating that it is up to you to know your local codes.

Beyond that, the types of designs you are talking about may require an engineer to sign off on them as they may not be covered by the building code anyway.

Don't let that discourage you though. If you have a talent for design use it and find others to work with you to solve the rest of the problems. Chief may or may not be the software for you. I would encourage you to download our trial version and play with it to see if it does what you would like.