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Residential Building Inspector B1 practice questions

229 free questions with answers and explanations.

Practice test
  1. 201.A residential structure is being constructed with a crawl space. The floor joists are 2x10s. What is the minimum required clearance between the bottom of these wood floor joists and the exposed earth in the crawl space, according to the IRC?Floor Construction
  2. 202.A builder is installing a wood structural panel subfloor over floor joists spaced 16 inches (406 mm) on center. The subfloor will receive a resilient flooring finish directly. According to the IRC, what is the minimum nominal thickness required for the wood structural panel subfloor?Floor Construction
  3. 203.An inspector is checking the framing of a floor assembly in an area designated for a future hot tub, which will impose a significant concentrated load. What specific measure should the inspector look for to ensure the floor can adequately support this load?Floor Construction
  4. 204.An inspector is reviewing the framing for a floor that includes a large opening (e.g., for a stairway). The opening requires a header joist and trimmer joists. What is the primary function of the header joist in this scenario?Floor Construction
  5. 205.A builder is installing bridging between 2x10 floor joists. What is the primary reason for installing bridging in a floor system with solid sawn lumber joists?Floor Construction
  6. 206.A builder is constructing a residential basement wall using concrete. The wall is 8 feet high and will retain earth. What is the minimum specified compressive strength (f'c) required for the concrete used in this wall?Wall Construction and Wall Coverings
  7. 207.A residential building inspector is reviewing plans for a new home. The plans show an interior non-load-bearing partition wall framed with 2x4 studs. The wall is 12 feet in height. What is the maximum allowable spacing for the studs in this wall?Wall Construction and Wall Coverings
  8. 208.A residential building inspector is performing a rough-in inspection for a new dwelling. The plans indicate that the dwelling is located in a seismic design category D2 area. What is the minimum nominal thickness required for wood structural panel wall sheathing used for shear walls in this dwelling?Building Planning and Life Safety
  9. 209.A building inspector is examining a newly poured concrete footing. According to the 2021 IRC, what is the minimum thickness required for a concrete footing supporting a residential wall?Footings and Foundations
  10. 210.An inspector is reviewing plans for a new single-family dwelling that includes a bathroom with a water closet. What is the minimum required distance from the center of the water closet to any side wall or obstruction?Building Planning and Life Safety
  11. 211.An inspector is checking the grade around a new residential foundation. The finished grade slopes away from the foundation. According to the 2021 IRC, what is the minimum slope required for the finished grade for the first 10 feet from the foundation?Footings and Foundations
  12. 212.An inspector is reviewing a residential renovation project where a new interior non-load-bearing wall is being constructed. The wall will enclose a shaft for plumbing pipes extending from the basement through the second floor. What is the minimum fire-resistance rating required for this shaft wall where it passes through the floor assembly?Wall Construction and Wall Coverings
  13. 213.A residential building is being constructed on a site where the soil is classified as 'clay, sandy clay, silty clay, clayey silt, silt, or sandy silt.' According to the 2021 IRC, what is the presumptive load-bearing value of this soil type?Footings and Foundations
  14. 214.An inspector is evaluating a slab-on-ground foundation where the concrete is poured directly on compacted fill. According to the 2021 IRC, which of the following is an exception to the requirement for a vapor retarder directly beneath the concrete slab?Footings and Foundations
  15. 215.A residential building inspector is performing a final inspection of a newly constructed home. The interior walls feature wood paneling installed directly to 2x4 wood studs. The paneling is 1/4 inch thick. What is the maximum allowable stud spacing for this installation?Wall Construction and Wall Coverings
  16. 216.A residential building inspector is examining the roof structure of a new home. The roof has a pitch of 4:12 and utilizes rafters for framing. What is the minimum required size for collar ties in this application, assuming a maximum rafter span of 20 feet and a spacing of 24 inches on center?Roof-Ceiling Construction
  17. 217.A residential building inspector is examining the installation of a new wood structural panel shear wall. The wall is designed to resist lateral loads in Seismic Design Category D2. What is the minimum nominal thickness required for the wood structural panel sheathing when fastened with 8d common nails at 4 inches on center at panel edges?Wall Construction and Wall Coverings
  18. 218.A residential building inspector is reviewing plans for a new single-family dwelling. The plans indicate a stairway with an open riser design. What is the maximum allowable opening between treads for this stairway?Building Planning and Life Safety
  19. 219.An inspector observes a foundation wall constructed from unreinforced concrete. The wall is 8 feet high and has an unbalanced backfill height of 6 feet. According to the 2021 IRC, what is the minimum thickness required for this unreinforced concrete foundation wall?Footings and Foundations
  20. 220.A residential building inspector is observing the installation of a masonry chimney in a new single-family home. The chimney is constructed with solid masonry units. What is the minimum required thickness for the wall of the masonry chimney, not including the flue lining?Wall Construction and Wall Coverings
  21. 221.A builder is preparing to backfill around a new foundation wall. The foundation is properly dampproofed, and a foundation drain has been installed. According to the 2021 IRC, what type of material is required for the first 6 inches of backfill directly above the foundation drain?Footings and Foundations
  22. 222.A residential building inspector is performing a rough-in inspection for a new roof system. The roof has a pitch of 6:12 and uses 1/2-inch plywood sheathing. What is the maximum allowable span for this sheathing if the rafters are spaced 24 inches on center and the sheathing is applied with the long dimension perpendicular to the rafters?Roof-Ceiling Construction
  23. 223.An inspector is reviewing the plans for a residential building with a crawl space. The plans indicate the crawl space will be ventilated naturally. According to the 2021 IRC, what is the minimum net area of ventilation openings required for a crawl space with a floor area of 1,200 square feet and no vapor retarder on the ground surface?Footings and Foundations
  24. 224.A residential building inspection reveals that the foundation drain for a newly constructed home is a 3-inch diameter pipe. The drain is intended to collect groundwater and discharge it to an approved daylight outlet. According to the 2021 IRC, what is the minimum diameter required for a foundation drain pipe?Footings and Foundations
  25. 225.An inspector is reviewing the installation of a new asphalt shingle roof on a dwelling with a roof pitch of 7:12. What is the minimum required side lap for the felt underlayment?Roof-Ceiling Construction
  26. 226.An inspector is evaluating a two-story residential dwelling under construction. The plans indicate that the first-floor load-bearing wall studs are 2x4 lumber. What is the maximum allowable unsupported height for these studs, assuming standard spruce-pine-fir (SPF) lumber and adequate bracing?Wall Construction and Wall Coverings
  27. 227.A residential building inspector is reviewing plans for a new single-family dwelling that includes an attached garage. What is the minimum required thickness for gypsum board applied to the garage side of a wall separating the garage from the dwelling unit?Building Planning and Life Safety
  28. 228.A residential building inspector is reviewing the plans for a new single-family dwelling. The plans indicate that moisture-sensitive exterior wall coverings will be installed. According to the 2021 IRC, what is the minimum required air space between the exterior wall covering and the water-resistive barrier?Wall Construction and Wall Coverings
  29. 229.A residential building inspector is reviewing the plans for a new single-family dwelling. The plans indicate a masonry foundation wall constructed from solid masonry units. According to the 2021 IRC, what is the minimum nominal thickness required for an unreinforced solid masonry foundation wall supporting a wall with a maximum height of 8 feet, measured from the top of the footing to the top of the foundation wall?Footings and Foundations