Account Closed The contractor said that some nights when he is working alone at the house, he heard footsteps going up stairs. 

I plan to consult an architect on whether we have space to add stairs and finish the attic, but not sure how that will shake out.  

Also, there is a room down stairs that can be converted into a bedroom so that would make it a 4 bed 2 bath house.

So anything you see like that around town is also a non-conforming, un-permitted feature.I've seen projects that permitted and built everything to code, then apparently added access after Certificate of Occupancy is issued (exterior stairs, attic access, etc).  

A single family dwelling only needs one exit (required) and exits from a second story or basement may go through adjoining rooms providing the means of egress meets the code standard (stairs must meet minimum code at time of construction).

Often time it is difficult to cut the multiple layers of flooring out, Ive seen as much as seven layers of flooring under cement board and tile.  

So I am interested to hear what other policies you have cemented into your businesses, and whether a specific situation brought them about, or if they are just general good practice.

I have dealt with some pretty rough homes but always stayed away from ones with cement poured down the drains.  

I spent a lot of time going through many of the resources BP and others offer, but found that actually getting into the property was hands down the best way to cement my knowledge.

I want to replace the deck/stairs on the back of my two family.