President’s Message

Wow, we are halfway through the year! It’s summer and things are heating up in temperature and construction activity. How are things going in your town? Is work progressing so fast you can hardly keep up? Texas is blessed with an abundant amount of development. We are staying quite busy…

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BOAT Committees – We Need You!

Our BOAT Constitution and By-Laws contain many opportunities for membership involvement. BOAT is only has good as its membership participation. Sign up for one of our committees. There are many areas to help out and learn more about our organization. Below is a list of our standing committees: Program and…

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Pool and Spa Safety

It is that time of year again and we must be aware of the hidden dangers in our own backyards. Pools and spas are places we use for sports, recreation, and exercise. They should be as safe as possible. Unfortunately, each year people are injured at public and private pools…

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Storm Shelter Requirements within the 2015 IBC

I assume that many of you are currently working on your 2015 code adoption process. Therefore, I’d like to briefly address an item that merits some of your attention. The 2015 IBC contains regulations requiring storm shelters as part of certain occupancy types. The code obviously specifies when these shelters…

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Building Business Relationships

  An applicant for a Certificate of Occupancy comes in to the office ready to open their business only to find the business type is not allowed based on zoning regulations; or the building must be altered to add additional means of egress or more toilet facilities; or that the…

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Building Officials vs Golfers?

Have you ever thought about the similarities that building officials share with golfers? Some may think it’s absurd, but there is justification to support this idea. In the daily role of the building official you must consider the many codes that need to be applied to certain construction dilemmas. What…

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The Public Safety System

Guest article by: Julie Hildebrand, Executive Director, Texas Board of Architectural Examiners Next year, Texas Board of Architectural Examiners will turn 80 years old. Starting in 1937, Texas has ensured state level oversight of the design professions, with the stated goal of protecting the public. From around the same time,…

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