Overview
Most carpentry is not inspected. Then you build a deck, and suddenly ledger flashing, guard deflection, footing depth, and stair geometry are all things somebody is going to measure.
This is the IRC narrowed to the parts that get inspected on residential carpentry work, with 2021 and 2024 edition coverage together.
What's inside
- Framing member span tables
- Stair and railing code reference
- Egress and window requirements
- Wall sheathing and bracing
- Foundation and footing requirements
- IRC 2021 and 2024 editions
- Excel and PDF formats
Deck work, which is where the citations are
Improper ledger flashing is the most common correction on residential deck work, usually flashing that does not extend far enough above the ledger or was never integrated with the weather barrier. Decay-resistant material requirements caught people out in the 2024 cycle. Guard connections built as custom wood railings without documented details get flagged regularly, and beam span tables were reorganised in a way that makes the old page numbers useless.
Stair opening framing under R502.11 is the quiet one, because it affects floor framing scope on any home with a stairwell and nobody thinks about it at bid time. What changed in the 2024 IRC covers the rest.
Who it's for
Framers, remodelers, and finish carpenters doing deck, stair, and structural work who want the inspected parts of the code in one place.
Works best with
The code governs what you build. The price book handles what you charge for building it.
- Carpentry Flat Rate Price Book, 207 services priced, decking and stair work included
See the full system on our How It All Works page.
Why buy this one
Filtered down to the inspected portion of residential carpentry, which is a much smaller document than the IRC and considerably more useful on a Tuesday.
- Built for the truck. Span tables and stair geometry without carrying the book to the site.
- Two formats. Excel for searching, PDF for printing and for the days your phone is dead.
- One payment. No subscription and no renewal to forget about.
- Answered by the builder. Message on Etsy and you get a reply from the person who made it.
What it is not
It is not the IRC and it is not engineering. Anything structural beyond the published span tables needs a designer, and several jurisdictions now want stamped drawings for decks above a certain height. Local amendments on footing depth and frost line vary considerably and this guide does not track them.