Eight DIY Home Repairs That May Actually Violate Building Codes.

Doing your own home improvement can save you a lot of money and stress—with minimal skills and a few simple tools, you can tackle a wide range of household chores that other people pay professionals to do for you.

But sometimes, price equals quality. Professional services can be expensive, but they have extensive experience and knowledge that helps them avoid simple mistakes that can lead to serious problems, including building code violations. Many DIYers tend to skip steps like obtaining permits and passing inspections, believing they’re unnecessary for minor fixes. But seemingly smart DIY solutions can be illegal. And building code violations can and will come back to haunt you when you try to sell your home, if not sooner.

Here are some of the most common mistakes that can lead to safety violations when doing the work yourself.

Using the wrong electrical outlet

Replacing electrical outlets (also often, though incorrectly , called switches) is a relatively simple project that almost anyone with a screwdriver can handle, from upgrading to modern three-prong outlets to adding USB ports. But even if your project is successful in the sense that you get working outlets and don’t get electrocuted or burn down your house, you could still violate serious codes if you don’t use outlets with a residual-current device (RCD) in areas where water sources exist, such as bathrooms, kitchens, or laundry rooms.

Current codes can be very strict regarding minimum distances to water sources, daisy-chaining of outlets, and the use of ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) instead of individual outlets. If you simply install any outlet, you’re likely violating electrical codes, even if everything is working properly.

Railings without proper slopes

If you have a staircase without a handrail (or the old one is loose and falling off the wall), it’s easy to buy a new one, cut it to size, and attach it to the wall with new screws. But if your handrail isn’t positioned at the correct height (usually somewhere between 30 and 38 inches from the tread), you’re violating most residential building codes. And if your handrail doesn’t make a 90-degree turn toward the wall, floor, or post at the end—called a “kink”—you’re also in violation. This is a safety issue, as clothing and belts can get caught in the handrail while ascending or descending the stairs, potentially causing a fall and injury.

Spilling out emotions into the void

A few years after buying my house, I decided to replace that awful bathroom fan. Imagine my surprise when I ripped it out and discovered it was exhausting directly into the ceiling. Fans in bathrooms, kitchens, or laundry rooms should exhaust outside, not into the attic or basement. Even if the fan you’re replacing currently exhausts inside, you need to upgrade it to exhaust outside, otherwise your renovation will also be against building codes.

Electrical panel overload

If you know you need a metal electrical box to run wires in your home, that’s great. But if you cram too many wires and terminals into it, you’ll violate electrical codes and pose a real fire hazard. Each electrical box is rated by volume —not by the number of wires, but by their total volume. Calculating this volume can be tricky if you’re not well-versed in electrical wiring, so a good rule of thumb is to avoid adding wires to the box unless you’re absolutely certain it doesn’t violate code.

Cutting beams

Running electrical wiring or plumbing through walls, basements, or crawl spaces seems like a fairly simple task: you start at point A, run materials to point B, and seal all openings. However, you’ll soon encounter a common problem: a beam or ceiling inevitably blocks the passage of wires or pipes.

Drilling holes in framing studs to run wires is a fairly common practice, as is cutting grooves in floor joists to run pipes. However, if you overdrill a groove in a supporting stud or beam, you can easily (and dangerously) violate building codes. This is because cutting a groove in a supporting structure weakens it, and therefore everything it supports. As with electrical work, codes governing the cutting of grooves in lumber in a home can be difficult to understand unless you have experience in this area. Common sense is usually sufficient, but it’s also very easy to drill a hole or cut a groove too large, which can cause problems down the road.

Unmarked switches

Did you know that your electrical panel must be clearly and accurately labeled? Unlabeled circuit breakers (or, worse, incorrectly labeled breakers that don’t reflect wiring changes) are dangerous for anyone working on them, as important assumptions will be made based on these labels. If you’ve done electrical work in your home yourself, which otherwise complies with codes, but neglect to label or update the labels on your circuit breakers, you’re in violation of the code.

Excessive use of extension cords

Everyone uses extension cords, whether to power devices that can’t be plugged into an outlet or as a temporary solution. The word “temporary” is especially important here, as extension cords are never intended for permanent wiring. This means that if you’re powering something in the basement, yard, or even the bedroom for an extended period, you’re likely violating local fire codes. Extension cords simply aren’t designed for permanent use—if you’re using them to power devices for an extended period, it’s time to call an electrician and have them properly installed. (If you want to break these rules even further, feel free to run an extension cord—or even an appliance’s cord—inside your walls.)

The fence is too high

Neighbors can be nosy (and annoying), and the old adage “good fences make good neighbors” is especially true. Just don’t let your desire for privacy and dominance over your property lead you to violate local regulations, as privacy fences typically have strict height restrictions. Most building codes limit the height of such fences to approximately six feet, so if you build a 12-foot green monster in your backyard to block your neighbor’s view of your sunbathing area, you’re setting yourself up for problems down the road.

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