A. IRC Section R101.1 Amended. Section R101.1 of the IRC is hereby amended to read as follows:

R101.1 Title. These provisions shall be known as the Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings of the City of Monroe, and shall be cited as such and will be referred to herein as the “IRC” or “this code.”

B. IRC Section 103.1 Repealed and Replaced. Section 103.1 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

The Building and Life Safety Office is hereby established and the official in charge thereof shall be known as the building official. The function of the division shall be the implementation, administration and enforcement of the provisions of this code.

C. IRC Section 105.2 Amended. Section 105.2 is hereby amended to read as follows:

Exemption from the permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this code, the WUI code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction.

Building:

1. One-story detached structures accessory to a one- or two-family dwelling, used as tool and storage sheds, patio covers, playhouses, tree-supported structures used for play and similar uses, gazebos, hot tub enclosures and similar uses provided the floor area does not exceed 200 sf. Shipping containers are generally not permitted in residential zones, see MMC subsection 22.42.090(C)(2) for guidance, and all structures must meet required setbacks.

2. Fences not over 6 feet high.

D. IRC Section 105.3.1.1 Repealed and Replaced. Section 105.3.1.1 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

R105.3.1.1 Determination of substantially improved or substantially damaged existing buildings in flood hazard areas. For applications for reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition or other improvement of existing buildings or structures located in an area prone to flooding as established by Table 301.2(1), the code official shall examine or cause to be examined the construction documents and shall prepare a finding with regard to the value of the proposed work. For buildings that have sustained damage of any origin, the value of the proposed work shall include the cost to repair the building or structure to its pre-damage condition. If the code official finds that the value of proposed work equals or exceeds 50 percent of the assessed value of the building or structure before the damage has occurred or the improvement is started, the finding shall be provided to the hearing examiner for a determination of substantial improvement of substantial damage. Applications determined by the hearing examiner to constitute substantial improvement or substantial damage shall meet the requirements of Section R322.

E. IRC Section R105.5 Repealed and Replaced. Section R105.5 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

R105.5 Expiration. Every building permit issued shall become null and void two years after the date of issuance. The building official is authorized to grant, in writing, a onetime 30 day extension when only the final inspection is remaining and all other work has been approved. The extension shall be requested in writing and justifiable cause demonstrated before the expiration.

F. IRC Section 108.2 Repealed and Replaced. Section 108.2 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

108.2 Schedule of permit fees. On buildings, structures, gas, mechanical, and plumbing systems or alterations requiring a permit, the fee for each permit shall be as set by periodic fee resolution of the Monroe City Council and Table 1-A and Table 103.4.2(A) attached thereto.

Plan Review Fees. When submitted documents are required, a plan review fee shall be paid at the time of submitting the submittal documents for plan review. Said plan review fee shall be 75 percent of the building permit fee as shown in Table 1-A of the Monroe Fees Resolution. The plan review fees specified in this section are separate from and in addition to the permit fees. When submittal documents are incomplete or changed so as to require additional plan review or when the project involves deferred submittal items, an additional plan review fee shall be charged at the rate shown in Table 1-A of the Monroe Fees Resolution.

G. IRC Section R108.5 Repealed and Replaced. Section R108.5 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

R108.5 Refunds. The building official may authorize the refund of fees paid upon filing of a written application by the original permittee not later than 180 days after the date of fee payment, as follows:

1. 100% of any fee erroneously paid or collected;

2. Up to 80% of the permit fee paid when no work has been done under a permit issued in accordance with the periodic fee resolution of the Monroe City Council; or

3. Up to 80% of the plan review fee paid when an application for a permit for which a plan review fee has been paid is withdrawn or canceled before any plan review is done.

The request for a fee refund must be made in writing, prior to the expiration date of the 180 day plan review period, or within 180 days of permit issuance, and with justifiable cause.

H. IRC Section R109.1.6 Amended. Section R109.1.6 is hereby amended to read as follows:

R109.1.6 Final inspection. The final inspection shall be made after all work required by the building permit is completed. Provided, any electrical permits associated with said work shall be finaled before requesting final inspection of any installation covered by the building permit.

I. IRC Section R110.3 Repealed and Replaced. Section R110.3 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

R110.3 Certificate issued. After the code official inspects the building or structure and does not find violations, they shall approve the final inspection. Approval of the final inspection on the building site job card shall be considered to be final approval and the signed job card shall serve as the “Certificate of Occupancy” as stated on the job card. For developments that: (i) involve three or more attached dwelling units, (ii) involve or follow approval of a subdivision, a binding site plan, or site plan review for the development site, and (iii) contain a single vehicle route of ingress and egress into the development site, no certificate of occupancy for any attached dwelling unit shall be issued until all of the other dwelling units to which such unit is directly or indirectly attached have been physically completed.

J. IRC Section R110.4 Repealed and Replaced. Section R110.4 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

The building official is authorized to issue a temporary certificate of occupancy before the completion of the entire work covered by the permit, provided that such portion or portions shall be occupied safely. The building official shall set a time period during which the temporary certificate of occupancy is valid. The fee for a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy shall be as set by periodic fee resolution of the Monroe City Council.

Exception: For developments that: (i) involve three or more attached dwelling units, (ii) involve or follow approval of a subdivision, a binding site plan, or site plan review for the development site, and (iii) contain a single vehicle route of ingress and egress into the development site, no temporary certificate of occupancy for any attached dwelling unit shall be issued until all of the other dwelling units to which such unit is directly or indirectly attached have been physically completed.

K. IRC Section R112 Repealed and Replaced. Section R112 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

Section 112 – APPEALS

112.1 Appeals. All appeals of orders, decisions, interpretations or determinations made by the building official relative to the application and interpretation of the IRC shall be to the City of Monroe Hearing Examiner in accordance with Chapter 2.34 and 22.84.080 MMC. The hearing examiner shall have no authority to waive the requirements of this code.

R112.2 Limitations on authority. An application for appeal shall be based on a claim that the true intent of this code or the rules legally adopted thereunder have been incorrectly interpreted, the provisions of this code do not fully apply, or an equally good or better form of construction is proposed. The hearing examiner shall have no authority to waive requirements of this code.

112.2.1 Determination of substantial improvement in areas prone to flooding. When the building official provides a finding required in Section R105.3.1.1, the hearing examiner shall determine whether the value of the proposed work constitutes a substantial improvement. A substantial improvement means any repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or improvement of a building or structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the assessed value of the building or structure before the improvement or repair is started. If the building or structure has sustained substantial damage, all repairs are considered substantial improvement regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term substantial improvement does not include:

1. Improvements of a building or structure required to correct existing health, sanitary or safety code violations identified by the building official and which are the minimum necessary to assure safe living conditions; or

2. Any alteration of an historic building or structure provided that the alteration will not preclude the continued designation as an historic building or structure.

For the purpose of this exclusion, an historic building is:

2.1. Listed or preliminarily determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; or

2.2. Determined by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined to qualify as an historic district; or

2.3. Designated as historic under a state or local historic preservation program that is approved by the Department of the Interior.

R112.3 Administration. The building official shall take immediate action in accordance with the decision of the hearing examiner.

L. IRC Section R113.2 Repealed and Replaced. . Section R113.2 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

R113.2 Notice of violation. Enforcement of violations of this code shall be in accordance with Chapter 1.04 of the Monroe Municipal Code. Signs, tags, or seals posted or affixed by the building official shall not be mutilated, destroyed, tampered with, or removed without authorization from the building official. The fine for the removal, mutilation, destruction of, or tampering with said notice, sign, tags, or seals shall be as set forth in the Monroe Municipal Code, Section 15.04.200.

M. IRC Section R113.3 Repealed. Section R113.3 is hereby repealed in its entirety.

N. IRC Section R113.4 Repealed. Section 113.4 is hereby repealed in its entirety.

O. IRC Section R114 Repealed and Replaced. Section R114 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

R114.1 Notice to owner. Upon notice from the building official that work on any building or structure is being prosecuted contrary to the provisions of this code or in an unsafe and dangerous manner, such work shall be immediately stopped. The stop work order shall be in writing and shall be given to the owner of the property involved, or to the owner’s agent, or to the person doing the work and shall state the conditions under which work will be permitted to resume. There shall be a fee imposed for issuance of a Stop Work Order in the amount set by periodic fee resolution of the Monroe City Council.

R114.2 Unlawful continuance. Any person who shall continue work in or about the structure after having been served with a stop work order, except such work as that person is directed to perform to remove a violation or unsafe condition, shall be subject to an investigative fee of which shall be a fee equal to the building permit fee in addition to the required permit fees by Monroe City Council by periodic resolution.

R114.3 Unauthorized tampering. Signs, tags, or seals posted or affixed by the building official shall not be mutilated, destroyed, tampered with, or removed without authorization from the building official. The fine for the removal, mutilation, destruction of, or tampering with said notice, sign, tags, or seals shall be as set forth in the Monroe Municipal Code, Section 15.04.200.

P. IRC Table R301.2(1) Amended. Table R301.2(1) is hereby amended to read as follows:

Table R301.2. Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria

GROUND SNOW LOADa =	WIND DESIGN				SEISMIC DESIGN CATEGORY	SUBJECT TO DAMAGE FROM			ICE BARRIER REQUIRED	FLOOD HAZARDe	AIR FREEZING INDEX	MEAN ANNUAL TEMP
	Speedb=	Topographic effects0	Special wind region	Windborne debris zone		Weatheringd	Frost line depth	Termite
25	110	Yes	No	No	D1/D2	Moderate	18 inches	Slight	No	See MMC 14.01	250	51.2°F
MANUAL J DESIGN CRITERIAf
Elevation	Altitude correction factor		Coincident wet bulb		Indoor winter design dry-bulb temperature		Indoor winter design dry-bulb temperature		Outdoor winter design dry-bulb temperature		Heating temperature difference
Elevation to be specific to site	0.99		66°F		72°F		72°F		24°F		48°F
Latitude	Daily Range		Indoor summer design relative humidity		Summer design gains 50% RH		Indoor summer design dry-bulb temperature		Outdoor summer design dry-bulb temperature		Cooling temperature difference
Latitude to be specific to site	M		50%		5		75°F		83°F		8°F

aThis is the minimum roof snow load unless demonstrated otherwise by a licensed structural engineer-of-record. Sites located greater than 700 feet above sea level shall be per ASCE 7-16 Chapter 7 and Table 7.2-5 which may require a roof snow load greater than 25psf. When applying snow load, it will be left to the engineer’s judgement whether to consider drift or sliding snow. Rain on snow surcharge of 5psf must be considered for roof slopes less than ¼" in 12" for structures located less than 700-feet in elevation above sea level. Refer to SEAW White Paper 8-2021.

bThe basic wind speed is determined from the basic wind speed map in Figure R301.2(2). Wind exposure category shall be determined on a site-specific basis in accordance with Section R301.2.1.4.

cTopographic effects (Wind Speed-up Kzt factor) shall be determined on a site-specific basis in accordance with Section R301.2.1.5.

dWeathering may require a higher-strength concrete or grade of masonry than necessary to satisfy the structural requirements of this code. The grade of masonry units shall be determined from ASTM C34, C55, C62, C73, C90 C129, C145, C216 or C652.

eThe City of Monroe participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); Regular Program. Further NFIP participation information: June 19, 2020, entry into National Flood Insurance Program. Current maps entitled “The Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) dated June 19, 2020, and any revisions thereto.”

fThe applicable code to regulate the use and conservation of energy is the Washington State Energy Code – Residential (WSEC-R), including WSEC-R Section R403.7.