Section 3319. Unsafe Walls

3319.1 Presumption.

For purposes of this § 3319, any load-bearing wall that is cracked or bowed and any 4-inch load-bearing wall is considered a structurally unsafe wall unless certified to be safe by a professional structural engineer licensed in Maryland.

3319.2 Removal or correction required.

Any structurally unsafe wall that remains after the demolition or moving of a structure must be:

1. removed and replaced as required by all applicable sections of this Code, or

2. in the case of a party wall, corrected as provided in § 3319.3.

3319.3 Party walls.

If the structurally unsafe wall that remains is a party wall, the owner of the structure being demolished or removed must:

1. remove all or any part of the wall that the Building Official considers dangerous, and

2. reconstruct and do all other necessary work to properly enclose the adjoining structure.