Egress Door

[moh malekpour]

Is egress door, emergency door, exit door or whatever you want to call it required for SFR in your area? I don’t know this is a universal fire code or it is a local code. I have seen condos with no egress doors but almost every house that I have inspected had egress door except the one that had a non-conforming zone and obviously the lack of egress door was part of non-conforming code as well. I guess it is FHA requirement.

 

[Roger R. Patzold]

I always require a second exterior door unless the house is on pilings and off the ground.

Then I will accept an emergency exit. I have accepted a rope ladder attached to a wall inside a bedroom window. That was the buyer's preferred repair. Safety is the main issue of the second door.

I do believe FHA has the requirement for a second door.

Good Luck.

 

[Richard Carlsen]

I have no authority to require a second egress unless I am doing an FHA. In my opinion, the market, requires and is well served from a safety standpoint by having an operable second exit.

If a house does not have an acceptable second exit and the loan is not an FHA, I note that in the report, hit the Cost Approach with enough functional to cure the problem, take a cost to cure adjustment in the grid and strongly advise the client to consider this point in making their lending decision. Requiring a second exit is an UW decision. My job is to form an opinion of value; not oversee the correction of any defects.

 

[Ray Miller]

I follow local building codes. Note it if there is none or nonconforming. If it is blocked or covered up I take a picture of it and install it in the report.

Its up to the lender. Same for doors on the second floor or up off the ground with no landing or stair case to ground level. Picture it, note it and move on. Wait for the phone call that says take it out.

 

[Elliott]

One of the things I like about being an appraiser is
that I'm charged with a requirement that properties
be "safe, sanitary, and marketable." I take that
requirement seriously.

I really don't want to wake up one morning and
learn about a house fire on a property I appraised
where children died because there was only one egress door.

elliott

 

[Gale Norton]

Sometimes I find a house where the owner has installed a doorway between a bedroom and garage. This is a violation of every building code and is very dangerous. A while back our newspaper had an article about a guy in such a house who killed his 3 year old child by backing his car into the garage and tuning it up. He was revving up the motor and the fumes killed her. Should this be called out for a fix in an appraisal. I do.

 

[Richard Carlsen]

One of the things I like about being an appraiser is that I'm charged with a requirement that properties be "safe, sanitary, and marketable." I take that
requirement seriously.

While I am not belittling your obvious concern for "safe, sanitary and marketable" properties, all I would ask is that you cite the regulation other than FHA, VA and Rd, that gives you the authority to call for modifications to the house, i.e. make a report "subject to" something. Fannie is fairly specific in that they basically require us as appraisers to fully disclose these items to the client. The lender is charged with the responsibility of determination of modifications to the house in order to meet the UW guidelines.

 

[wyecoyote]

Could they not use a window as an egress? I used to think a secondary egress was required by building and planning. Until I talked to them. They stated only one egress and ingress is required in my market area.

 

[Elliott]

cite?

I've paroused all those regulations and my conclussion is
that lenders, congress, and the public are concerned
that housing be "safe, sanitary, and marketable."
The preamble to USPAP talks about "public trust" and I think
that should be sufficient.

Its like that right of privacy...its in there.

elliott