What a bummer!

And why are there codes for that anyway??? There are ways around it... too late for you, though. Hope you can use the lights elsewhere.

There are some code requirements I do not understand at all, for example, in some places the center of the sink needs to be X inches from the wall - why is beyond me. But this one - that you shouldn't have an electrical fixture over a tub, is a no-brainer for me, and not one that I would fool around with, whether I've ever seen a chandelier fall from the ceiling or not.

If my chandelier (hanging over my tub) were to fall but stay connected, it would "fall" a few inches. Nowhere near hitting the water. If it were to fall and DISconnect, it would no longer be an electrical danger. And way too many other things to grab if I were falling. I think I'm in more danger whilst sitting on and using my electrical bidet seat and those aren't under any scrutiny (except from friends that roll their eyes at the idea :o) No code where I live.

What got me was that my chandeliers aren't over the tub. They are away from the tub. But, because they aren't UL Damp listed, they aren't up to code.

Welcome to my world. This was a great disappointment for me to learn a year ago when looking to hang a fixture over my new tub.

In general, NATIONAL code states where damp and dry fixtures are required. If they are not within those zones, then they don;t need to be damp/dry.

If the lighting fixtures are within 3' horizontally of the footprint of the tub or within 3' of the footprint of the shower then at a minimum they have to be damp rated.

If they are subject to water spray (usually just the shower area) then they have to be wet rated.

And yes, there can be no pendant/hanging lights withing the 3' tub footprint that also happen to be lower than 8' above the rim of the tub. The idea is to prevent someone who is standing in the tub from slipping and in a panic movement, grabbing a light fixture that is suspended over the tub and perhaps pulling it off the ceiling. ZzzZZZZzzzzZZZZZZAAAPPP!

If your lights indeed within the allowable "dry zone" meaning they are not within the damp or wet zones, then I'd ask your inspector for a photocopy of that pages of the applicable code. Simply tell him you need to pass it along to your builder/designer so the mistake doesn't happen again and so you can work out a refund or exchange credit for your supposedly "improper" lighting fixtures.

Your locale could be more restrictive than national code, so they may indeed be prohibited.

Good luck.

Oh dyhgarden! That's horrible! I feel so bad for you! $1,000--YIKES! That is a lot of money. How very disappointing!

I have three comments:

1. It sounds like you did your due diligence in carefully consulting with your electrician in advance. In my opinion, if indeed the inspector is right about the code, the electrician shares at least some culpability here. It should not be your job to memorize the code; it's his or hers. Have you asked him what he's willing to do to fix the situation? As a side note, can you return the fixtures?

2. I agree with sjhockeyfan. I realize you're not hanging it over your tub, but I agree in general with the concept of safety first. I know I'm a complete buzz kill, so feel free to ignore me, ;-) but I'm not a fan of people passing code and then going back and putting things in non-code, whether it be the bathroom, kitchen, car, whatever. I'm not judging anyone who has done this in any way; I'm just saying it's something I'm not personally comfortable with.

3. I agree with MongoCT 100%!!!! It's entirely possible your electrician is correct and the inspector is not. I would most definitely ask for a copy of the code. If he or she won't provide it, go down to the courthouse and get a copy. By law, it's a matter of public record and you have the right to have a copy of it.

I wish you the very best of luck! Please keep us posted! :-)

Buy cheap damp fixtures. Install them. Get them inspected. After inspection, reinstall the fixture of your choice. Save the cheap fixture until you sell the home.

The electrician is going to install the steel plates over the lights to get through inspection. Then, we'll revisit this issue. Can't return the lights. They were purchased in August and have been hanging for over a month while waiting for the rest of the addition.

"The electrician is going to install the steel plates over the lights to get through inspection."

With those j-boxes covered, make sure you still have at least the code-minimum lighting available in that bathroom. I'd hate to see you bust another inspection.

Why would a light bulb falling into the tub be a problem, other than hitting you, but that could happen everywhere.

Mount code fixtures. get inspected and passed and then swap in your lights. Trust me, you would not be the first to cope with stupidity in an expedient matter. Some codes I would never break. That one? Any day of the`week.

nosoccermom,

I had never heard the bulb thing. The explanation that I received from a contractor for this rule was that in the event that you were standing in the tub or space and started to fall, you could inadvertently reach for the fixture to prevent a fall since they are not very high over the tub.

Good luck!

I always wonder if you don't follow code , will the insurance carrier deny your claim should something happen?

Yes

Well, since you would be electrocuted, you wouldn't actually have an insurance claim. And if you were only seriously injured with the electricity passing through your body, exactly what kind of insurance claim could you file against yourself?

On the other hand, if it were a guest in your home that was killed, your insurance company wouldn't have your back on that at all. Especially the going around after the inspection and violating the building codes. That would be the equivalent of taking a railing off of your 20 foot stairs. You would be the one that deliberately introduced the cause of the accident, which would make you criminally and civilly liable.

They're down -- and I do have code-appropriate recessed lighting over the shower, over the toilet, scones flanking the mirror. There's a SolaTube centered over the tub. In this photo, the tub wasn't yet placed -- it is now closer to the window.

The two chandeliers have wooden beads hanging down, not metal. I couldn't get a good shot of the two of them. It's a long room 8.5' x 20'. The other one was over my head when I took the photo.

The two reflect in the mirror in this shot. Again, the tub wasn't in the permanent place.

Very pretty bathroom!!

The idea is to prevent someone who is standing in the tub from slipping
and in a panic movement, grabbing a light fixture that is suspended over
the tub and perhaps pulling it off the ceiling.
ZzzZZZZzzzzZZZZZZAAAPPP!

Okay, that scenario never occurred to me because the kind of fixture that I would like to do wouldn't provide much of a handhold for me. I love the bling of this one from Pottery Barn but at 11" tall with 8' ceilings, it wouldn't pass the 8' clearance between top of tub and ceiling requirement. But for me to reach it while standing in my tub, I'd have to stretch tall, which would be difficult to do while falling.

I also like this one

and it's a better compliment to the bathroom sconces (and also much more likely to get DH's thumbs up, he's not a fancy chandy kinda guy) plus it's wet room rated. But it also wouldn't pass the 8' requirement even though it's only 8" tall.

Beautiful bathroom, dhygarden!

Lighting fixture requirements in bathrooms are subject to the IRC (International Residential Code) and state and local residential codes. Your interior designer, if they are truly a professional, will be familiar with these codes or know how to look them up. Your electrician should be knowledgeable as well. If they don’t know something offhand then they should know how to look up applicable codes. As a homeowner, you can look up residential codes online pertaining to electrical or plumbing, etc., but may need a professional to explain it if the code is unclear to you.