Building regulations are safety minimums

A viewer's repair example begins a discussion of the cheapest workable fix and the minimum standard required by code. Work below that standard may fail inspection and can invalidate insurance after an accident. Formal compliance also has to evolve, since serious failures can expose weaknesses that regulations must be updated to address. Political pressure to build housing cheaply can make governments reluctant to impose or enforce stronger requirements. Building slightly above the minimum gives a project a safety margin instead of treating the code as a target to shave down to.