Height Requirement on RSA5 Property

[Alex T.]

I'm adding a 3rd story to an RSA5 property...which has a 38' max height requirement to the roof line. I'm doing a fiberglass roof deck on top with a 36" high parapet around the whole thing. I can't get complete clarity on this, would the parapet count within the 38' height? I have read in the code that railings can protrude up to 48" above the 38' requirement. My architect says he's done projects where they've been slightly over 38' and had to rip everything down. Due to this he is taking a very conservative route by designing the parapet top to sit at 37' above the ground. I'd much rather add an extra foot to the 2nd and 3rd floors! Does anyone have experience with this? Thanks

[Tim Sharkey]

Funny how the architects don't know these things and yet they're the highest paid per hour on the whole job.

Beware anyone (architect or otherwise) that tells you "yeah we had to rip it all out and do it over again" after L&I or some other inspection....  I've found that's often times an urban legend.  L&I in philadelphia is NOT excessively prohibitive the way many contractors and architects lead you to believe.

And why would your architect be a part of a project that went slightly over 38?  Wasn't he the design professional and person in charge of building it to code?

Get the extra foot and get a new architect if you haven't paid them too much already!

Good luck!