Is attic access required? -- virginia

I have a friend buying a house in Virginia. The seller is claiming that the house by design didn't include attic access. I know that building code varies from place to place but as a general rule of thumb, are they required?

 

Yes.

 

Probably depends on when the house was built.

 

Yes.

How else do you get insulation up there???? Also needed for Home Inspections, wiring, venting (bathroom or kitchen vents)..........

There is a hole somewhere, unless some knucklehead previous owner drywalled it closed.

 

IHB TB 08-02 – Attic Access Requirements (IRC)
Issued April 24, 2008 Revised July 2, 2012
§ R807 of the 2006 International Residential Code (IRC) requires an attic access opening to be provided in buildings with combustible ceiling or roof construction for attic areas that exceed 30 square feet and that have a vertical height of 30 inches or greater. The opening shall not be less than 22 inches by 30 inches and shall be located in a hallway or other readily accessible location. A readily accessible location means a location that may be reached directly without items that need to be moved in order to gain access. An access opening located in a closet where shelving and storage interfere with access would not be considered a readily accessible location.
A 30-inch minimum unobstructed headroom in the attic space shall be provided at some point above the access opening. A larger access opening may be required in accordance with § M1305.1.3 of the IRC where mechanical equipment is located in the attic.
§ 402.4.1 of the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) requires the building envelope to be durably sealed to limit air infiltration. All sources of possible air infiltration are required to be caulked, gasketed, weatherstripped, wrapped, or otherwise sealed to limit air movement. Additionally, the access hole cover, commonly called a “scuttle hole cover” must be insulated to the same R-value as required for the roof/ceiling construction [§ 402.1.3 of the 2009 IECC].

 

it's an older house built in 1973.

 

We suspect they closed it up. The houses around them appear to all have attic access.

 

Yes you should have access to your attic, no matter how old. Is there an attached garage, that’s where some are.

 

no garage, they are very small town homes.

 

I am sure you checked all closet ceilings, that’s all I can think of as typical spots.

 

Most likely a spec home. Ask a neighbor that has the same floor plan where theirs is, then use a stud finder to see if yours was in the same location.

 

Yeah, if they don't want ya looking as its covered for some reason. That's a red flag

 

A home that new definitely should have an access. I had co-worker recently buy a condo that has a common wall with the adjacent condo. They share an attic space. If that's the case for yours, it's possible one of the previous owners was weirded out by that fact and closed it up. It's unlikely a handyman or licensed contractor would do, so you could possibly find it by looking for a crappy tape/mud job on ceiling somewhere. It would usually be a hallway or a closet somewhere.

 

I’ve run into houses without access before. The city has always made me add one.

 

the neighbors house has the access at the top of the stairs just outside the bedrooms and bathroom. I think it was covered up. Thanks for the help