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Cheat Codes
Development codes are full of lines: build on one side and you owe six figures, build on the other and you don't. The lines are public, legal, and mostly unknown. Here they are — with what each one saves and exactly what to verify locally before you bet money on it.
How to use this page. Every threshold below is real, but codes are adopted with state and local amendments — the concept travels everywhere, the exact number occasionally doesn't. Each entry ends with a Verify locally line. The professional way to run this whole list against your project at once is a half-day code consultant review (entry at the bottom) — typically the best $3–5k in the budget.
Your county
County-by-county verified notes on how these thresholds apply locally. We add counties as developers ask — request yours.
Educational content, not legal, engineering, or code-consulting advice. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and change over time — confirm everything with your building official and licensed professionals before committing capital.