BCAB #1746 - Site-built Doors, Subsection 9.7.5.

May 14, 2014

BCAB #1746

Re: Site-built Doors, Subsection 9.7.5.

Project Description

The project in question is a one-off custom pre-hung entry door for a house. The door was made in a local millwork shop.

Reason for Appeal

The door is governed either by Subsection 9.7.4., “Manufactured Windows, Doors and Skylights,” or Subsection 9.7.5., “Site-built Windows, Doors and Skylights.” “Manufactured doors” must demonstrate conformance with the NAFS-08 standard which requires specialized testing. “Site-built” doors do not need to conform with the NAFS-08 standard provided they comply with the provisions of Subsection 9.7.5.

Appellant's Position

The appellant contends that one-off custom doors should be considered “site-built” because they are not a manufactured product where representative samples can be subjected to the testing required by NAFS-08. The same rational applies to site-built assemblies where every configuration is unique with a mixture of materials and parts from different sources and they cannot be tested as assemblies. A bulletin released by the BC Building and Safety Standards Branch also indicates that one-off custom doors made off-site are considered site-built for the purposes of Subsections 9.7.4. and 9.7.5.

Building Official's Position

The building official does not consider this door to be “site-built” and comments that the term site-built continues to be interpreted differently by builders, trades people and inspectors. Even among each of these disciplines there are conflicting opinions as to the meaning of site-built.

Appeal Board Decision #1746

It is the determination of the Board that the term “site-built” is intended to apply to any fenestration product, including doors, outside the scope of the NAFS-08 standard. The door in question is within the scope of NAFS-08 and was not built on-site. Therefore, the door has to be shown to conform with NAFS-08 as required by Subsection 9.7.4.

Lyle Kuhnert, Chair