Section 327.700

Title XXII OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS

Chapter 327

Effective - 28 Aug 2026, see footnote   

  327.700.  Definitions. — As used in sections 327.700 to 327.750, the following terms mean:

  (1) "Building equipment", any mechanical, plumbing, electrical, or structural components, including a conveyance, designed for or located in a building or structure;

  (2)  "Conveyance", an elevator, dumbwaiter, vertical reciprocating conveyor, escalator, or other motorized vertical transportation system;

  (3)  "Interior alteration or construction project", a project, including construction, modification, renovation, rehabilitation, or historic preservation, for an interior space or area within a proposed or existing building or structure that involves changing or altering:

  (a)  The design function or layout of a room; or

  (b)  The state of permanent fixtures or equipment;

  (4)  "Interior nonstructural element", an interior design element that does not require structural bracing and that is not load-bearing according to any applicable building codes;

  (5)  "Interior technical submission", the designs, drawings, and specifications that establish the scope of the interior alteration or construction project, the standard of quality for any materials, workmanship, equipment, and construction systems of an interior alteration or construction project, and the studies and other technical reports and calculations prepared in the course of the practice of licensed interior design;

  (6)  "Practice of licensed interior design", the design of interior spaces as a part of an interior alteration or construction project in conformity with public health, safety, and welfare requirements, including the preparation of documents relating to building code descriptions, project egress plans that require no increase in the capacity of exits in the space affected, space planning, and finish materials, and the preparation of documents and interior technical submissions relating to an interior alteration or construction project.  The term practice of licensed interior design:

  (a)  Shall include:

  a.  The programming, planning, predesign analysis, and conceptual design of any interior nonstructural elements including, but not limited to, the selection of materials, except for building equipment;

  b.  The alteration or construction of any interior nonstructural elements and any interior technical submissions related to such alteration or construction;

  c.  The preparation of a physical plan of space within a proposed or existing building or structure, including:

  (i)  Determinations of circulation systems or patterns;

  (ii)  Determinations of the location of exit requirements based on occupancy loads; and

  (iii)  Assessments and analyses of any interior safety factors to comply with applicable building codes related to interior nonstructural elements;

  d.  The rendering of designs, plans, drawings, specifications, contract documents, or other interior technical submissions; and

  e.  The administration of the construction of interior nonstructural elements and contracts relating to interior nonstructural elements in the interior alteration or construction of a proposed or existing building or structure; and

  (b)  Shall not include:

  a.  Services or work that constitute the practice of architecture, as provided in section 327.091, except as otherwise provided for in this chapter;

  b.  Services or work that constitute the practice of professional engineering, as provided in section 327.181;

  c.  Services or work that constitute the practice of professional land surveying, as provided in section 327.272;

  d.  Services or work that constitute the practice of professional landscape architecture, as defined in section 327.600;

  e.  Altering or affecting the structural system and seismic system of a building, including changing the building's live or dead load on the structural system;

  f.  Changes to the building envelope, including exterior walls, exterior wall coverings, exterior wall openings, exterior windows or doors, architectural trim, balconies and similar projections, bay or oriel windows, roof assemblies and rooftop structures, and glass and glazing for exterior use in both vertical, horizontal, and sloped applications in buildings and structures;

  g.  Altering or affecting the mechanical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, ventilation, electrical, vertical transportation, fire sprinkler, or fire alarm systems, and any building elements, spaces, or areas that are for the purpose of containing such systems;

  h.  Changes beyond the exit access component of a means of egress system;

  i.  Construction that materially affects any life safety systems pertaining to fire safety or fire protection of structural elements, smoke evacuation and compartmentalization systems, or fire-rated vertical shafts in multi-story structures;

  j.  Changes to the existing use group for an occupancy;

  k.  Changes to the construction classification of the building or structure according to any applicable building codes;

  l.  Creating or modifying any atriums, floor openings, community spaces, or vertical openings; or

  m.  Any person who renders services within the practice of licensed interior design in connection with the construction, remodeling, or repairing of any privately owned building described in item (i), (ii), or (iii) of this subparagraph, and who indicates on any drawings, specifications, estimates, reports, or other documents furnished in connection with the services within the practice of licensed interior design that the person is not a licensed interior designer:

  (i)  A dwelling house;

  (ii)  A multiple family dwelling house, flat, or apartment containing not more than two families; or

  (iii)  Any one building or structure, except for those buildings or structures used exclusively for agricultural purposes, which provides for the employment, assembly, housing, sleeping, or eating of not more than nine persons, contains less than two thousand square feet, and is not part of another building or structure.

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(L. 1998 H.B. 1601, et al. § 1, A.L. 2004 S.B. 1122, A.L. 2008 S.B. 788, A.L. 2026 S.B. 1233)

Transferred 2026; formerly § 324.400

Severability clause, see § 1.1009