Metal handrail along stone stairs, a building code compliance condition

Overview

Paul Gaston reviews as-built and installed conditions against the building code for attorneys, insurers and owners throughout Chicago and Cook County. He works from the builder's perspective, comparing what was actually constructed with the code edition in force when the work was performed, and holds an active City of Chicago general contractor licence covering that same body of requirements.

Related: Chicago Building Code Expert · ExpertWitnessChicago.com

Code questions in defect litigation are usually about the installed condition rather than the drawings. What matters is whether the work as built satisfies the requirement that applied at the time.

Conditions reviewed

Flooring transitions, stair components and handrails, guard elements, egress-path conditions, fire-rated assembly installation and accessibility dimensions are checked as they were actually built.
  • Stair, handrail and guard components measured against the governing code
  • Fire-rated assembly installation and penetration conditions
  • Egress path widths, transitions and walking-surface conditions

Chicago and Cook County context

Paul held code-compliance responsibility for work at O'Hare International Airport and other City of Chicago facilities. Local amendments and inspection practice matter, and a Chicago licence carries direct exposure to how those requirements are enforced on real projects.
Open-plan living room with full-height glazing overlooking a pool
  • Identify the governing code edition
  • Record and permit review
  • Field measurement of conditions
  • Section-by-section comparison
  • Written code findings

What stays out of scope

Structural adequacy, load calculations and engineering design remain with a licensed professional engineer. Paul documents visible conditions and defers causation of that type.
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Essential Details
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Questions Attorneys Ask

The edition in force when the work was permitted and performed, not today's code. Establishing that date is one of the first steps in the review.
Yes. Paul holds an active City of Chicago general contractor licence and has carried code responsibility on City facility work, including O'Hare.
No. Load-bearing sufficiency and structural design require a licensed professional engineer. Paul documents visible conditions and defers that causation.
Yes. A code official inspects for permit approval at a point in time. This review is forensic and retrospective, examining the installed condition against the requirement for litigation.
Yes. Permits, inspection sign-offs, correction notices and closeout records are reviewed alongside the physical conditions.
A written report identifying each condition, the specific code section it is measured against, and the basis for the finding.