A contractor receives a building permit for a commercial project on January 15th. The permit indicates it will expire in 180 days if work has not commenced. By what date must the contractor begin work to keep the permit valid?
Correct Answer
C) July 13th
Counting 180 days from January 15th: January has 31 days, so 16 days remain in January. February (28 days) + March (31) + April (30) + May (31) + June (30) = 150 days. Adding the remaining 14 days into July gives July 13th.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
The correct answer is A (July 13th) because when counting 180 days from January 15th, we must count each day sequentially. Starting from January 15th, there are 16 remaining days in January (including the 15th), then we add complete months: February (28 days), March (31), April (30), May (31), and June (30) for a total of 166 days. The remaining 14 days take us to July 13th, which is exactly 180 days from the permit date.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: July 16th
July 14th would be 181 days from January 15th, which is one day beyond the 180-day permit validity period.
Option B: July 14th
July 16th would be 183 days from January 15th, which is three days beyond the 180-day permit validity period.
Option D: July 15th
July 15th would be 182 days from January 15th, which is two days beyond the 180-day permit validity period.
Memory Technique
Remember 'Count the start, include the day' - always include the permit issue date in your count, and the permit expires at the END of the calculated day, so work must begin by that date.
Reference Hint
Florida Building Code Chapter 1 - Scope and Administration, Section 105 (Permits) for permit validity periods and expiration requirements
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