New Hampshire regulation file / RSA 155-A / current state code
New Hampshire foundation repair permits and code checks.
New Hampshire law places repair work inside the state building-code framework. The permit route, application, and inspections still depend on the authority serving the property.
RSA 155-A:1 names the 2024 IBC, IEBC, IRC, plumbing, mechanical, and pool codes, the 2018 energy code, and the 2023 electrical code, with state amendments.
RSA 155-A:2 says repair, alteration, renovation, and rehabilitation are governed by the state building code. RSA 155-A:4 ties the permit to work covered by that section.
Where a municipality has an enforcement mechanism, the permit follows its adopted process. Other arrangements can apply where no local building official serves the project.
Scope review
Questions to settle with the building office.
A repair name does not tell an official enough. Bring the location, affected structure, materials, excavation, and design responsibility into the conversation.
Swipe horizontally to see the full review table
| Proposed scope | Why it needs a direct check | Useful documents |
|---|---|---|
| Wall stabilization, underpinning, footing work, or a changed load path | Structural work falls squarely inside the code review question. | Existing-condition photos, repair drawings, design loads, and the responsible design professional. |
| Excavation beside the house | Excavation can affect utilities, access, setbacks, drainage, and inspection timing. | Excavation limits, utility-marking plan, site plan if requested, and backfill sequence. |
| A named pier, anchor, or reinforcement system | The reviewer needs the actual system and its conditions of use, not a generic product category. | Evaluation report, installation details, bracket or connection detail, and field record plan. |
| Work described as a minor patch | The label does not decide whether the work is exempt or whether concealed conditions change the scope. | Written scope, affected area, materials, and confirmation from the authority having jurisdiction. |
The state layer
What the statewide framework establishes.
- The state code establishes the minimum construction standard.
- The code in effect when the permit application is received generally remains in effect for that permitted work.
- Applicable local land-use, dimensional, and historic-district requirements can still apply.
The local layer
What the property address still decides.
- Ask which office has jurisdiction for the property and whether it uses its own application form.
- Confirm which drawings, calculations, product reports, and professional seals are required for the proposed repair.
- Ask which inspections must occur before work is concealed or excavation is backfilled.
Before work begins
A five-item homeowner file.
Keep the permit record and the repair record together. That makes the proposal, official review, inspections, and closeout easier to compare.
- 01
Written scope
Name the affected wall, slab, footing, column, or beam and state whether the goal is stabilization, repair, replacement, or lift.
- 02
Existing conditions
Photograph cracks, displacement, drainage, prior patches, utilities, and the area before excavation or demolition hides the evidence.
- 03
Design responsibility
Identify who selected the system, established loads, and owns structural decisions. Ask when a qualified design professional must be involved.
- 04
Permit and inspection record
Retain the application, approved documents, permit number, inspection sequence, changes, and final sign-off.
- 05
Product and field records
Keep evaluation reports, installation criteria, installed quantities, readings, photos, and material records required by the approved design.
Research boundary
This page is not a permit determination.
It is an educational map of the current state framework, checked September 10, 2026. Codes, amendments, local procedures, and the facts of a project can change. The authority serving the property makes the official determination.
Official sources / checked September 10, 2026