Scott,
I think their wrong. Once we have a contract in place at CNU for a large commercial building it is a done deal. We can't change the specs, if we do the contractor has every right to change his quote. This applies to every aspect of a new building project.
Imagine that we wanted to replace an HVAC system or a boiler on a twenty year old building. We would stick to the original building specs, the current specs are starting to implement all the "Green" features and the price is going up considerably.
Consider that you get a call and a customer needs two signs for a thirty year old building, they want the new signs you make to match their existing signs. They have every right to stick with their original specifications. If the customer is adding a new wing to a Hospital lets say, then they must comply with the current codes. Here in Hampton Roads we have some very old buildings that have signs with no braille and no tactile text, you surely have some in Richmond which is almost as old as the City of Hampton
Larry,
Personally I don't have a preference concerning which code, heck I like them all the same
I do have a preference when it comes to customer satisfaction though so if a customer wants new signs to match their existing signs and it is legal that is what I would provide.
We have a nuclear power plant in Virginia built in the early 1970's. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has tried to get our Electrical company to update to the latest Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code but it ain't ever gonna happen. It would be crazy to change from the code you built anything to, you would forced to spend whatever it takes to comply with the current regulations.
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