Would this pass inspection?

[cgallery]

So I'm watching a build out in a retail store where they are trying to do it on the cheap. They are assembling a couple of partition walls that are not load bearing. Their studs, which they are reusing, are too short. So they are butting two together and adding a brace about 3' long at the joint.

I don't really care, just wonder if it is something that an inspector would sign off on?

[pelligrini]

For non load bearing I don't recall anything saying that it has to be continuous. I don't get into the structural parts of the codes very much though.

[Daryl]

Do they actually have a building permit? Maybe it won't matter what an inspector says if it isn't inspected.

[cgallery]

Do they actually have a building permit? Maybe it won't matter what an inspector says if it isn't inspected.

Well, I think they actually pulled a permit, and I think they are hoping to get the drywall up before the framing is inspected.

But they don't know if it is a problem, and neither do I. I just don't know if butting studs is acceptable when the wall isn't load bearing. I imagine it would be totally unacceptable on a load bearing wall, but I don't even know that for sure (although I would never accept it for a load bearing wall myself).

[Alex Franke]

I don't really care, just wonder if it is something that an inspector would sign off on?

I vote yes. (But the only expertise I can even begin to claim in this matter is what I pick up at H4H, so it's only a guess.)

[Uncle Cracker]

I have seen framing inspections done while only the roofing and bearing walls were framed. The interior non-bearing partitions were not even built yet. I don't know if that is a widespread practice or not. I suppose if you can make a partition out of a clothesline and a bed sheet, then it probably won't matter if the studs are spliced or not...

[LarryG]

I don't see a problem for a non-bearing partition. It might be subject to the whims of a given inspector, though.

A splice could also be acceptable for even a load-bearing wall -- the kicker is that you'd probably have to furnish calculations from a structural engineer showing it would work.