I need advice.
I burned down in the Little Bear Fire in June 2012 in Ruidoso, NM.
Until then I lived in a straw bale build house that was built by a single woman in 1993.
Despite some quirks it was absolutely perfect for the climate here (8500 feet, 4 seasons)
Now I am building again on the same spot, different floor plan, different quirks ;) and the local building inspector wants me to add
additional Insulation of either R5 on the inside or R10 on the outside. I am using 2-string bales (18inches wide) which have an approximate
R-value of 40+, which exceeds the conventional walls big time.
Is he mistaken by making that requirement or did some insulation foam manufacturer get his hands (wallet) into straw bale building now???
Any advice, resources?
I googled NM building codes and didn't find anything that would require additional insulation...
Thank you for reading! Hope to hear back from someone!

Jack

I'd suggest sitting down with him and going through your detailed wall section (draw it out first) to see where he is basing that. Sounds like he assumes you have studs which need thermal breaks, so if you can show him you don't he may drop that requirement. Usually if you can explain unusual things to the BI, they'll work with you.

Do you not need an engineer stamp to build in NM?
If you do the stamp should trump the inspector.
Do you have a builder?
A good builder or engineer can usually reason with a inspector especially if they have a good relationship with the building department.
Sometime a third person can make the difference.