Codes and CRE: How they are Developed, Adopted, and Applied

Codes are paramount to buildings and architecture. Building codes ensure that properties are built and operated in compliance with safety and health standards, as well as local laws and regulations. They guide what can and cannot be done when building, designing, and drafting architecture.

Adhering to building codes can help mitigate risks of property damage, injury, loss of life, and can help harden a property for extreme events such as tornados and floods.

For example, fire codes require the installation of fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and emergency exits, which can help prevent fires from spreading and protect building occupants in the event of an emergency.

These codes impact the day-to-day lives of many people, from the elevators we ride to the wires overhead, codes are everywhere. But where do they come from?

Codes are developed over many years, then adopted by states and localities, and finally applied to building projects in local jurisdictions.

The ICC

The International Code Council (ICC) is one of a few groups developing codes. Their I-Codes (International Codes) have been adopted in all 50 states and forms the basis of many countries’ building codes, such as Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Colombia.

I-Codes cover all aspects of a building, from energy conservation and swimming pools to plumbing and zoning. These codes are thorough and nuanced, many codes appear rigid and absolute, but almost all of them rely on code officials’ interpretations for application.

The ICC develops code on a three-year cycle and makes changes based on amendments made during the previous adoption cycle. These changes are made through an open and transparent process over a minimum of 120 days.

The ICC voting members meet and discuss proposed changes in an open forum. Any member of the public can submit a code change for the International Code Council’s review as an interested party and begin the development process.

Development

Code changes are posted at least 30 days ahead of a hearing, giving ample time for the public to review. This hearing is open to the public at no charge and can be viewed online as a stream or later as a video.

The hearing begins with a floor discussion during which the proposal is considered. This hearing allows for the code committee to both vet the change and parties putting it forward.

Interested parties may present their case on the proposed code change, and once it is discussed, the code development committee gives their recommendation on the code to the ICC.

ICC Members in attendance may challenge this as part of an Assembly Action. If there is no challenge and the assembly passes or denies the proposed change, the results of the hearing are posted to the ICC website 60 days ahead of the final action.

At this point, interested parties may submit comments on the code changes online to the code development committee. These comments are collected and posted publicly 30 days before final action.

The final part of development is a final action hearing, where eligible voters cast their votes on the proposed code change.

These voters consist of designated governmental and honorary members, and the hearing is open to the public both in person and online.

In the final action hearing, a code change is allowed or denied, and if it is allowed, it will appear in the next ICC edition on a three-year cycle.

Adoption

Codes are adopted and amended at a state level every few years, then local jurisdictions apply the codes within their spheres of influence. Adopted codes cannot be less stringent when used by local jurisdictions, only stricter.

States adopt codes on different cycles. Florida adopts changes every 3 years, Georgia adopts on a 6-year cycle, and many states, such as Texas, Alabama, and Tennessee, have a mixture of codes from different years.

States amend codes before adoption to better fit their local areas, and these amendments are an integral part of the adoption and development process.

For example, Georgia follows the ICC codes in most areas, but for chapter 10 of the International Building Code (IBC), they have adopted NFPA 101, the National Fire Protection Association’s Life Safety Code.

This amendment was part of a deal between the State Fire Marshal and the group in charge of the code adoption, the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), and illustrates the process through which States change codes as they adopt them.

Code adoption can be a long process, with many stakeholders and experts weighing in at every level. Once codes are adopted at a state level, a local jurisdiction, such as a city or county, applies these codes to building projects in their areas.