Building Code Validator

Expected Inputs

context/staging/structure.json containing the user's location string.

Core Operations

1. Load localized logic (e.g. BC Building Code tables for coastal vs interior snow loads).
2. Look up baseline assumptions required for safe structural span sizes.
3. Output the required psf limits to context/staging/building-code.json so the structural-engine can read it.

Gotchas

• Snow load is city-level, not province-level. BC coastal (Richmond) = 24 psf; BC interior (Kelowna) = 48+ psf. Using the provincial average produces a structurally under-designed system. Always look up the specific municipality.
• Permit threshold is NOT in scope. This skill outputs design loads only. Whether the project requires a building permit (e.g. > 10 m² in BC triggers permit) is a separate determination — do not include permit guidance in building-code.json or this skill will be conflated with legal advice.
• Unknown jurisdiction must be flagged, not silently defaulted. If jurisdiction cannot be resolved, output "jurisdiction_resolved": false and a "jurisdiction_warning" field. Never silently fall back to a generic load without indicating the assumption.
• Wind loads compound with snow loads. High-wind coastal zones may have lower snow but higher uplift requirements. Ensure both snow and wind load fields are populated in building-code.json.

Smoke Test

1. Interior BC lookup: Given structure.json with jurisdiction=BC-Interior (Kelowna): outputs building-code.json with snow_load_psf ≥ 40, jurisdiction_resolved: true. ✓
2. Coastal BC lookup: Given jurisdiction=BC-Coastal (Richmond): outputs snow_load_psf ≤ 25. ✓
3. Unknown jurisdiction: Given jurisdiction=Unknown in structure.json: outputs building-code.json with jurisdiction_resolved: false and a non-empty jurisdiction_warning. ✓