Replacing old door

[bosbean]

HI, I live in Boston and i'm new to this site looks great .But I have to replace my front door it 34"w and the code 36" for new constrution do I have to put in a 36" door ?

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

Depending on the reason why you are changing the front door that would be classified as either a "repair" or a "level 1 alteration", regardless, though, both have the same requirement in the aspect that you are asking about:

From the ICC Existing Building Code (underlining and bold are mine)
- CHAPTER 5
- - REPAIRS
- - 501.3 Conformance. The work shall not make the building less conforming than it was before the repair was undertaken.
- CHAPTER 6
- - ALTERATIONS—LEVEL 1
- - - 601.2 Conformance. An existing building or portion thereof shall not be altered such that the building becomes less safe than its existing condition.

That means you can replace a non-conforming 34" door with a non-conforming 34" door, but you could not replace the non-conforming 34" with a non-conforming 32" door - that would make the building less conforming/less safe than it was.

The Massachusetts Building Code, Existing Buildings Chapter 34, refers to Appendix F, which states in:
- F-103.1 General conditions
- - 3. the degree of compliance of the building after changes must not be below that existing before the changes, except that nothing in 780 CMR 34 will require compliance with requirements more stringent than that required for new construction.

In other words, the Massachusetts Building Code says the same basic thing as the ICC International Codes says: Just do not make it worse than it was before the alteration (work) started.

[bosbean]

Thanks for all the help