Every three years international national (see comment) bodies update suggested building codes to incorporate new technologies, new techniques and processes. States then have the option of adopting those codes, which would have to be followed by towns and cities.
New Hampshire last adopted international building codes in 2009, meaning we are two or three iterations behind (I’m not sure if 2018 codes are out). At a time when making buildings more energy-efficient is a big part of fighting climate change, not to mention saving money by wasting less, that seems kind of – how can I put this nicely? – stupid.
There’s a bill in the House (HB562) that would adopt the 2015 editions of the International Building Code, the International Existing Building Code, the International Plumbing Code, the International Mechanical Code, the International Energy Conservation Code, and the International Residential Code. It has a public hearing Tuesday, at which time I’m sure some people will complain that it will cost money and/or is a “nanny state” overreach.
There’s another aspect of this, however. During the February 2018 Science Cafe NH in Concord, which talked about building efficiency, it was pointed that a large number of New Hampshire towns don’t have a building inspector, which means it’s hard to confirm that new houses are even living up to outdated building codes. This astonished me – I couldn’t believe that banks would give a mortgage to a home built without building-inspector oversight – but was assured that it’s true.
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I am the retired vice president for national fire service activities at the International Code Council (ICC).
To describe the ICC codes as an “international body” is a bit misleading. ICC is a US-based member-driven organization with offices in Brea, California, Birmingham, Alabama, Country Club Hills, Illinois and Washington, DC. It is the result of the merger of three legacy US code groups.
The “International” moniker was selected as a marketing tool for the future: several countries now use the ICC codes as a model for theirs.
The 2018 edition of the codes has been available since 2018. Volunteers — who consist of industrial, construction, design and government employees — are working now on the 2021 edition of the codes to develop consensus on their content.
You can learn more about the ICC code development process — and how it’s open to anyone who has an interest in building safety — at http://www.iccsafe.org
A better option would be to allow towns to choose whether or not they want to adopt the changes. It is the extensiveness of these regulations that has sent the price of home ownership so high. It has become virtually impossible for someone to build there own homestead.
Towns do have – and probably would maintain – the option to adopt them or not. But unless the state adopts them first, it’s very hard (maybe impossible) for towns to adopt them themselves.
I believe the proposal is to make it part of the State Code which is mandatory. You are right that Towns can adopt them now which is why the change is unneeded.