GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1989 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 653

HOUSE BILL 981

 

AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT PERSONS WHO ERECT MANUFACTURED MODULAR STRUCTURES EITHER HAVE A VALID CONTRACTORS' LICENSE OR COMPLY WITH RULES OF THE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 87-1 reads as rewritten:

"§ 87-1. 'General contractor' defined; exceptions.

For the purpose of this Article any person or firm or corporation who for a fixed price, commission, fee or wage, undertakes to bid upon or to construct or who undertakes to superintend or manage, on his own behalf or for any person, firm or corporation that is not licensed as a general contractor pursuant to this Article, the construction of any building, highway, public utilities, grading or any improvement or structure where the cost of the undertaking is forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000) or more, or undertakes to erect a North Carolina labeled manufactured modular building meeting the North Carolina State Building Code, shall be deemed to be a 'general contractor' engaged in the business of general contracting in the State of North Carolina.

This section shall not apply to persons or firms or corporations furnishing or erecting industrial equipment, power plant equipment, radial brick chimneys, and monuments.

This section shall not apply to any person or firm or corporation who constructs a building on land owned by that person, firm or corporation when such building is intended for use by that person, firm or corporation after completion."

Sec. 2.  G.S. 143-139.1 reads as rewritten:

"§ 143-139.1. Certification of manufactured buildings, structures or components by recognized independent testing laboratory.

The State Building Code may provide, in circumstances deemed appropriate by the Building Code Council, for testing, evaluation, inspection, and certification of buildings, structures or components manufactured off the site on which they are to be erected, by a recognized independent testing laboratory having follow-up inspection services approved by the Building Code Council. Approval of such buildings, structures or components shall be evidenced by labels or seals acceptable to the Council. All building units, structures or components bearing such labels or seals shall be deemed to meet the requirements of the State Building Code and this Article without further inspection or payment of fees, except as may be required for the enforcement of the Code relative to the connection of units and components and enforcement of local ordinances governing zoning, utility connections, and foundations permits. The Building Code Council shall adopt and may amend from time to time such reasonable and appropriate rules and regulations as it deems necessary for approval of agencies offering such testing, evaluation, inspection, and certification services and for overseeing their operations. Such rules and regulations shall include provisions to insure that such agencies are independent and free of any potential conflicts of interest which might influence their judgment in exercising their functions under the Code. Such rules and regulations may include a schedule of reasonable fees to cover administrative expenses in approving and overseeing operations of such agencies and may require the posting of a bond or other security satisfactory to the Council guaranteeing faithful performance of duties under the Code.

The Building Code Council may also adopt rules to insure that any person that is not licensed, in accordance with G.S. 87-1, and that undertakes to erect a North Carolina labeled manufactured modular building, meets the manufacturer's installation instructions and applicable provisions of the State Building Code.  Any such person, before securing a permit to erect a modular building, shall provide the code enforcement official proof that he has in force for each modular building to be erected a $5,000 surety bond insuring compliance with the regulations of the State Building Code governing installation of modular buildings."

Sec. 3.  This act shall become effective October 1, 1989.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 15th day of July, 1989.