As I have looked over this forum, I hear a lot of talk about building codes and regulations. Is this the case in most places or just urban areas? I live in a rural area where there are no building codes for private homes. Plumbing and wiring has to be inspected, but there are no codes for the woodwork. There are certain communities with "restrictions" so someone won't open a junkyard by a nice home, but this is only certain communities where houses are in close proximity. Personally, I like this. I know that some would argue that this would allow builders to take advantage of people by cutting corners, but here, it's not the case. Being from a rural area, you probably know your carpenter or know him through a friend. If someone around here isn't good, they don't last long. I've never heard of anyone having a problem because codes weren't in place. And like anything that is mandated, a lot of the codes are not needed but are just thorns in the side; there is always more than one way to do something correctly. We don't have to get permits either. If I decide to build on a room or a deck, I just do it, I don't need a permit. I don't think that would ever pass in this area because people look at their home as their business and should have freedom to do what they want. So, do most places have codes?