Builder calls a sill plate hanging off the foundation 'within tolerance'. What is actually allowed

The buyer posted photos and the builder's reply on Reddit's r/Homebuilding forum. According to the post, the basement slab is already poured and $45,000 is on deposit.

Under IRC section R403.1.6, as summarized by the home inspectors' association InterNACHI, sill plates on a continuous foundation need 1/2-inch bolts no more than 6 feet apart, embedded at least 7 inches, each with a nut and washer, at least two per plate section and one within 12 inches of each end. Every bolt has to sit in the middle third of the plate's width. A bolt that misses the plate, or lands at its edge, fails that test regardless of the overhang.

The overhang itself has no number in the model code. Minnesota's Department of Labor and Industry put draft language before its structural technical advisory group in February 2025: a plate could extend past the wall by up to 1.5 inches, and only if anchor and hardware tolerances are met, the overhang carries no direct vertical load and bearing stress under posts stays at 425 psi or less counting only the plate area over the concrete. A larger overhang would need blocking or support against cross-grain bending. It was a discussion draft, not adopted code. A 2x6 plate is 5.5 inches wide, so bearing on less than half of one leaves more than 2.75 inches unsupported.

The buyer's leverage is time and paper. Ask for an engineer's written evaluation and repair detail before insulation and drywall go up. Minnesota's statutory warranty, chapter 327A, holds the builder responsible for one year for workmanship defects and for ten years for major construction defects caused by noncompliance with building standards. After written notice, the builder must inspect within 30 days and then make a written offer to repair within 15 days.