Access: Entrance or opening.

Accessible: Adequate clearance for inspection, service, repair, and replacement, and within physical reach.

Accessory use: A building or structure, the use of which is incidental to the main building structure.

Addition: Any extension or increase in floor are a or height of a building or Structure.

Alley: Any public space, or thoroughfare, 20’ 0" or less in width, with public right of way.

Alteration: Any change or modification of construction, arrangement of space, and/or occupancy of a building; or change in the area of cubic contents; a change in equipment.

Apartment: One or more rooms occupied as a home or residence for an individual or a family or a household. The existence of, or the installation of sink accommodationsand cooking facilities with in a room or suite of rooms shall be deemed sufficient to classify such room or suite of rooms as an apartment.

Apartment building: A building which is used or intended to be used for human habitation as a residence for two or more families living in separate quarters.

Application: An application to the Authority for permission to carry out development or for an approval required by the Land Development and Control Act and any subsidiary legislation made hereunder including the Building Code of the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Approved: Approved by the Authority under the requirements of this Code, including the Director or other designated persons given jurisdiction by this Code.

Architect: A person technically qualified and approved by the Board or Authority to design and supervise the construction of buildings and in accordance with existing laws of she State.

Area of storey: The gross area of such Storey measured from the internal faces of external walls or where there are no walls, to the outside edge of floors.

Area of building: The total of the areas of the stories comprising that building, measured from inside the face of the external walls.

Attic: Shall be taken to mean any space immediately under the roof rafters and above the ceiling joists of the Storey nearest the roof.

Automatic: Applied to a door, window, or other opening. Not requiring manual operation.

Awning: A projecting canopy.

Authority: The Authority or other body appointed by the Government for the administration of the Code.

Balcony: That portion of a seating space of an assembly room. The lowest part of which is raised four feet or more above the level of the main floor.

Balcony exterior: A landing or porch projecting from the wall of a building. Where serving as a required means of egress the long side shall be at least 50 percent open and the open area above the guard rail shall be so distributed as to prevent the accumulation of smoke or toxic gases.

Basement: Any storey or part of a storey where more than half of the height from the finished floor to the finished ceiling is below the average of associated finished ground levels at external walls.

Boundary line: A line dividing One site from another or from a street reservation or other publicly owned space.

Board: See Authority

Building: Includes any erection, structure or any part of a building erected on or made on or in or under any lands, and where the context so permits, includes the land on, in or under which the building is situated but does not include plant or machinery comprised in a building. Where a building is separated into two or more parts by fire division walls each part may be deemed a separate building for the purpose of this Code.

Building line: The line established by law beyond which no building shall extend except as provided for by the requirements of this Code.

Building operations: Includes rebuilding operations, structural alterations of, or additions to buildings and any other operations normally undertaken by a person carrying on business as a builder.

Bulkhead: A part of a structure enclosing stairs, elevator machinery, or ventilating equipment; the part of an external wall immediately below a shop window; are raining type Structure.

Canopy: A covering to an entrance way or walk way fixed to a building.

Car port: A covering are a for sheltering a motor vehicle, not fully enclosed by walls.

Code: The Building Code of the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Combustible: Any material that will ignite at or below are temperature of 1200 degrees F. and which ignited will continue to bum or glow.

Condominium: Multi-units with individual ownership of single units.

Corridor: An access connecting more than one room; a link at each floor level, open or covered.

Construction: Unit building or component assembly additive process; includes reconstruction and /or alteration and/or addition to building or structure.

Court: An open or occupied space enclosed at any level on two or more sides by the walls of a building or in the case of a rear court enclosed on three sides by the boundaries of the site.

Cubic content of a storey: The volume of enclosed space measured a storey from the internal faces of enclosing walls and from finished floor level to ceiling level or where there is no ceiling to the average of the underside of the roof construction.

Cubic content of a building: The total of the cubic content of the stories comprising that building.

Curtain wall: Any prefabricated assembly of various components to enclose a building usually supported externally from the structural frame, and passing all Stories.

Dangerous building: Any building which constitutes a danger to public safety or to the safety of the occupants or adjacent buildings.

Dead load: The weight of all walls, floors, roofs, partitions and other permanent construction.

Developer: See owner

Development: Subject to the provisions of Section 8(2) of the Land Development and Control Act means the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land, or the making of any material change in the use of any buildings or other land, or the segregation, division, or subdivision of any building or land whether or not any building, engineering or other operations have been carried out or are intended to be carried out for the formation of lots.

Dining room: Any building or part thereof, in which food is dispensed or served.

Director: The Town and Country Planner or other person appointed by the Government and responsible to the Authority for the administration of this Code.

Dormitory: A room in which sleeping accommodation is provided for more that four persons.

Duplex building: A building providing two separate apartments with or without common entrance and/or exit facilities.

Dwelling: A building occupied exclusively for residential purposes; for the purposes of this Code, "dwelling" also includes any verandah or porch attached permanently to the building.

Egress: See means of Egress.

Elevator: A lift or hoist; a device for carrying persons or goods up or down.

Engineer: A person technically qualified to design and supervise the construction of building and civil engineering structures, electrical, and who is approved by the board.

Engineering operations: Includes the formation or laying out of means of access to highways and other roads.

Enclosed: Bounded by walls or floors or roof or ceilings provided that, where a building is not fully enclosed by walls, the external face of the external frame shall be deemed to be the line of enclosure for the purpose of this Code.

Equipment: Fixtures, fittings, appliances or apparatus of any sort within or associated with a building whose installation is covered by the requirements of this Code.

Erection: In relation to buildings includes extension, alteration, re-erection.

Escalator: A moving inclined stairway for persons or goods.

Exit Court: A yard or court providing egress to a further place.

Existing building: Any building constructed or in the course of construction prior to the effective date of this Code.

Fire Assembly: The assembly of a fire door, fire window, or fire damper, including all required hardware, anchorage, frames and sills.

Fire Assembly, automatic closing: A fire assembly which may remain in an open position and which will close automatically if subjected to either of the following:

An increase in temperature.

Products of combustion. Unless otherwise specified, the closing device shall be one that is rated at a maximum temperature of 165 degrees F.

Fire Assembly, self-closing: A fire assembly which is kept in a normally closed position and is equipped with an approved device to ensure closing and latching after having been opened for use.

Fire division: A portion of a building so separated from the rest by fire-walls that it may be erected to the maximum height and area allowed for the governing Occupancy and the Type of Construction, independently of adjoining Occupancies or Types of Construction.

Fire door: A door and its assembly so constructed and placed as to give protection against the passage of fire.

Fire escape: A single or series of steel framed balconies attached to the exterior walls at windows or doors and connected to each other and to the ground by flights of Steel stairs.

Fire resisting: Ability to resist fire and prevent its spread as regulated in this Code. Fire resistant.

Fire retardant treated wood: Wood that has been treated to retard spread of flame.

Flameproof: The property of a material, usually decorative fabric, whether treated or not treated, to not burst into flames or support combustion when subjected to flames for a period of 30 seconds.

Floor area, gross: Gross floor area shall be the floor area with in the perimeter of the outside walls of the building with no deduction for corridors, stairs, closets, thickness of wall, columns, or Other features.

Floor area, net: Net floor area shall be the actual occupied area, not including accessory unoccupied areas or thickness of walls.

Formation level: Finished ground level, see Grade.

Foyer: An area or space with in a building located between a lobby and main entrance and the main floor.

Gallery: That portion of the seating capacity of a theatre or assembly room having a seating capacity of more than ten persons and located above a balcony.

Garage: A building, shed or enclosure, or part thereof, in which a motor vehicle containing flammable liquid in its fuel tank is housed or stored or repaired.

Grade: The average elevation of the ground paved or unpaved, adjoining a building or structure, at the centre of each exterior wall line.

When used in connection with lumber, means a division of sawn lumber into quality classes with respect its physical and mechanical properties, as defined by the association under whose rules the lumber is controlled.

When used in connection with structural or reinforcing steel, means the quality and strength of the material as defined by the relevant ASTM or other recognized international standard.

Gross Floor Area: The total area of floors of all stories of the building including common halls, stairways, porches, overhanging balconies, and the thickness of walls.

Ground floor: The lowest storey or part of a storey of a building of which more than 50 % of the floor area is above the average of associated finished ground levels at external walls and no part of the floor area is more than 2 feet below such associated ground levels.

Habitable room: A room in a residential unit used for living, eating, sleeping or cooking, but excluding baths, storage spaces or corridors.

Height-building: The vertical distance from grade to the highest finished roof surface of a flat roof or to the average level to a gable or hip roof.

Height-storey: The vertical distance from top to top of two successive floors or floor and roof.

Height-structure: The height of a structure erected on the ground shall be the vertical distance from grade to the highest point thereof, and for roof structures shall be the vertical distance from the mean level of the roof to the highest point of such structure. In general the height of a structure shall be its overall height.

Height of a wall: The vertical dimension measured from top of foundation or beam, to top of highest course, with or without tie beam.

Hazardous operation: A hazardous operation shall be classified as one which is liable to give rise to fife and burning with extreme rapidity, or from which poisonous fumes or explosions are likely in the event of fire or leakage.

Horizontal exit: A means of passage from one building into another building occupied by the same tenant, or from one section of a building to another section of the same building occupied by the same tenant through a separation wall having a minimum fire resistance of 2 hours.

Hotel: Any building or group of buildings (including all structures appurtenant thereto or within the curtilage thereof) used or intended to be used for the accommodation of guests for gain or reward.

Imposed Load: All loads other than dead loads

Incombustible: A material which in the form in which it is used meets the following requirements:

• Material of which no part will ignite or burn when submitted to fire.
• Material having a structural base of incombustible material as defined in para. (a) above, with a surfacing not more than 1/8 inch thick having flame spread rating not greater than 50 when tested in accordance with the appropriate standards.
• Incombustible does not apply to surface finish materials or to materials required to be incombustible for reduced clearances to flues, heating appliances or other materials, or
• No material shall be classed as incombustible which is subject to increase of combustibility or flame spreading rating, beyond the limits herein established, through the effect of age, moisture or other atmospheric condition.

Inspector: A building inspector appointed by the Authority under Section 19 of the Act.

Joists: Secondary horizontal supporting members in floors, ceilings, or roof construction.

Jurisdiction: The Development Control Authority, or any body appointed by the Government for the administration of this Code.

Lintel: The beam or girder placed over an opening in a wall which supports the construction above.

Live load: Any load imposed or capable of being imposed on a Structure other than dead load or wind load.

Lobby: An enclosed vestibule directly accessible from the main entrance.

Load bearing: Any part of a building including foundations bearing a load other than that due to its own weight or to wind pressure.

Lot: A portion or parcel of land shown on the land register or in a deed as a piece or parcel of land or an official subdivision.

Lot line: A line dividing one Lot from another or from a street or other public space.

Manhole: Defined in Section 9.

Masonry: Brick, stone, plain concrete, hollow block, solid block or other similar materials or units bonded together with mortar. Reinforced concrete is not classified as masonry.

Means of egress: Continuous path of travel from any point in a building or structure to the open air outside at ground level.

• Exit is that portion of a means of egress which is separated by walls, floors, doors or other means from the area of the building from which escape is to be made.
• Note; An interior aisle, corridor, hallway or other means of travel used to reach an exit door is not an exit.

Mezzanine: An intermediate floor placed in any storey or room. When the total area of any such mezzanine floor exceeds 33-1/3 percent of the total floor area in that room or storey in which the mezzanine floor occurs, it shall be considered as constituting and additional storey. The clear height above or below a mezzanine floor shall not be less than 7 feet.

Multiple family: As in a building, meaning more than two families or households living independently of each other and cooking within their living quarters; includes apartments, tenements and flats.

Normal dimension: The dimension or size in which such material, part or unit is usually manufactured or supplied.

Non-combustible: See incombustible.

Non-conforming: Applies to any building or structure which does not comply with the requirements set forth in this code. or amendments thereto.

Occupant load: The total number of persons that may occupy a building or portion thereof at any one time.

Occupancy: As used in this Code, pertains to and is the purpose for which a building is used or intended to be used. Occupancy is not intended to include tenancy or proprietorship.

Occupied: Shall be construed as though followed by the words "or intended, arranged, or designed to be occupied".

Open plan: Open plan buildings are Group D Occupancy buildings having rooms and corridors delineated by the use of furniture, or low (5 feet) partitions.

Owner: A purchaser, developer, property holder or any other person, firm or corporation having a vested or contingent interest, or in the case of leased premises, the legal holder of the lease contract, or his /her legal representative, assign or successor, or duly authorized agent of any of the aforesaid.

Parapet: That part of a wall entirely above the roof line.

Parking garage: Parking garages for passenger vehicles involving only the parking or storing of automobiles and not including automobile repair or service work or the sale of gasoline or oil.

Partition: A non-loading vertical separation between rooms or Spaces. If such separating construction closes less than three -fourths of the area from wall to wall and floor to ceiling, it shall be considered a decorative separation and not a partition.

Path of egress: The course taken by an occupant to effect egress from a public space.

Penthouse: An enclosed one-storey structure extending above the roof of a building not exceeding as percent of the roof at the level on which such penthouse or penthouses are located.

Permit: A written authorization by the Authority to proceed with construction, alteration, repair, installation or demolition.

Permit holder: The holder of a permit granted for the construction, Alteration, repair, installation or demolition of a development.

Planning Permission: Development permission. Permission granted pursuant to Section 8 of the Land Development and Control Act.

Platform: A portion of an assembly room which may be raised above the level of the assembly floor and which may be separated from the assembly space by a wall and proscenium opening provided the ceiling above the platform shall not be more than 5 ft. above the proscenium opening.

Plot Ratio: The ratio of the gross floor area of a building to the ground area and expressed in proportionate terms in which the ground area shall be shown first and the gross floor are shall be shown second.

Prefabricated: Pre-engineered, fabricated prior to installation or erection.

Primary member: A structural member, such as a column, beam, girder or truss, that carries dead, live and/or wind loads to the foundation.

Private stair: A stairway serving one tenant only and not for general use.

Public space: For the purpose of determining allowable floor areas and/or egress from building such open spaces as public park & rights-of-way. waterways, public beaches and other permanent unobstructed yards or courts having access to a street and a width of not less than set forth herein for required units of exit width may be considered a public space.

Rafters: Secondary inclined supporting members in roof construction.

Required: Required under this code.

Repair: The making good to or replacement of existing construction in a similar manner to and of similar materials to the construction.

Room: Any enclosed part of a building not being a lavatory, corridor, hallway, foyer, staircase, escalator, ramp, service area or store.

Sanitary facilities: The facilities provided in a lavatory in accordance with the requirements of this Code.

Site: A portion of land registered by title as a unit.

Subdivide: To divide or subdivide a lot or parcel of land into two or more parts for sale, transfer, lease, letting, use, trust or for any other transaction as well as for the development of a new building.