What is a bedroom as far as NEC is concerned?

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mjf said:
If this is new construction, it is whatever the plans say.

If this is an existing structure, it is whatever the building department has it listed at.

If existing and the HO wants to officially turn it into a home office (and avoid AFCI protection/smoke detector), they would need to go through the building dept. In 20 years when they sell the house, it would then list as a home office, not a bedroom.
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That's what I've been thinking as I read this thread: the house will be on the town tax rolls as "x-bedrooms", so that is the answer right there for the building inspector.
 
I have wired finished basements with 10 X 12 rooms with no operable windows, with a closet, with a bath adjacent. Is it a bedroom ? No it was a storage room, the bath was for the pool table-recreation room. It is what the plans say it is.
 
John120/240 said:
I have wired finished basements with 10 X 12 rooms with no operable windows, with a closet, with a bath adjacent. Is it a bedroom ? No it was a storage room, the bath was for the pool table-recreation room. It is what the plans say it is.
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Without an egress window it cannot be a bedroom.
 
Nobody's mentioned Mitch Hedberg?

"I just bought a 2-bedroom house, but I think I get to decide how many bedrooms there are, don't you? This bedroom has an oven in it! This bedroom's got a lot of people sitting around watching TV. This bedroom's over in that guy's house! Sir, you have one of my bedrooms, are you aware? Don't decorate it!"
 
I think by definition a bedroom must have another form of egress so if there is only a door then it cannot be defined as a bedroom. I believe this is in the building code.

IMO, an inspector cannot call it a bedroom. Heck a large laundry room could be called a bedroom for that matter.
 
GoldDigger said:
But if inspector decides it is a functional bedroom he can require a correction by installing an egress window. Just not the purview of an electrical-only inspector, but he can phone a friend.:)
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I would say you are putting the cart before the horse.

The building official cannot require a home owner to add bedrooms.
 
iwire said:
I would say you are putting the cart before the horse.

The building official cannot require a home owner to add bedrooms.
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I think that is correct, but they can say if you want that to be a bedroom it will not pass until a second egress is installed.
 
iwire said:
I would say you are putting the cart before the horse.

The building official cannot require a home owner to add bedrooms.
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No, I am just reporting actual plan check requirements in Los Altos CA.
The plans showed a storage room with a closet and literally no space for a bed. The plan checker said "closet --> bedroom, install an egress window!"
Putting in a larger window was cheaper than trying to fight it.
He did not require the addition of a bedroom, just the categorization of an existing room labelled differently.
I suppose we could have deleted the closet instead and installed open clothes poles after inspection.
 
GoldDigger said:
No, I am just reporting actual plan check requirements in Los Altos CA.
The plans showed a storage room with a closet and literally no space for a bed. The plan checker said "closet --> bedroom, install an egress window!"
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I find that hard to believe.

Putting in a larger window was cheaper than trying to fight it.
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So you agree it was the wrong call.

He did not require the addition of a bedroom, just the categorization of an existing room labelled differently.
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That is some first rate double talk. ::D
 
iwire said:
I find that hard to believe.



So you agree it was the wrong call.



That is some first rate double talk. ::D
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Honest truth. The project was also a second story addition in a single story residential zone, requiring neighbor approval, etc. so raising a fuss could easily have caused a large and costly delay. The owner (me) had already moved out to prepare for demo as soon as the permit was issued.
And I do agree that, barring local amendments it was a stupid call.
(Speaking of which on the first round my architect forgot to count the existing detached garage for lot coverage percentage....)
;)
 
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John120/240 said:
I have wired finished basements with 10 X 12 rooms with no operable windows, with a closet, with a bath adjacent. Is it a bedroom ? No it was a storage room, the bath was for the pool table-recreation room. It is what the plans say it is.
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iwire said:
Without an egress window it cannot be a bedroom.
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Agreed, We cannot control how the homeowner utilizes the space once it passed inspection.
 
All interesting reading. I may have stirred up a hornet's nest with this question and that was not my intention. But, I have wondered, many time homes will be 3 bedroom plus bonus room while the "bonus room" has closet and window and is more than sufficient size for bedroom. Why did they not call it a bedroom? Are there tax advantages, code advantages, etc. The home I am working on is a simple farm house that has a room, that the HO will, without doubt, use for home office. How do we figure final use into the equation? Looks as though to me there must be some reasonable expectation as to what the purpose of the room is to be in order to decide. As stated earlier, I will be adding AFCI to room, as it is not that big of a cost (just in case), but what if I decide to put a microwave in the room?? Does that make it a kitchen?
 
I am not sure, but I suspect that in some areas both permit cost and tax valuation depend on number of bedrooms. And in many jurisdictions you are allowed not to count a bonus room but it still needs egress windows it it has a closet
Large muddle.
A plug connected micro, even if there arr sink and fridge, is not enough to make a kitchen.
Think about the stepsister whose wicked stepmother forced her to sleep behind the wet bar. They scornfully called her Barbarella. :angel:
 
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There is a word for the complex i have and it does not come to me at the time. But it drives me crazy when things are not black and white. That being said, as stated earlier, I am not the type of person to buck the system. I just want to be able to be legit when I tell HO that something is a requirement or not. Just looks as though to me that, at this point, there would be some hard written rule as to what different parts of a dwelling unit are to be purposed for. We all work off of NEC and other various codes and I just like not wondering. As stated before, I will give room AFCi and is not that big of a deal at all. From previous poster, what does make a kitchen then??? If I have microwave and sink, I have the two items that I would consider major considerations in what constitutes a kitchen?(sink and cooking appliance)? Like I said, not trying to stir a nest, but are there any written rules or text that give guidelines for this type of thing.
 
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