Building Codes
What are Building Codes?
A building code is a collection of laws, regulations, ordinances or other statutory requirements adopted by a government legislative authority involved with the physical structure and healthful conditions for occupants of buildings. Building codes are the government's official statement on building safety.
Building Codes establish predictable and consistent minimum standards which are applied to the quality and durability of construction materials. "Minimum requirements" means that construction meets the criteria of being both "practical and adequate for protecting life, safety and welfare of the public".
So who needs building codes? We all need protection from tragedy due to fire, structural collapse and general deterioration in our homes, offices, schools, manufacturing facilities, stores or places of entertainment.
Building codes embrace all aspects of building construction - fire and structural items as well as the plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems. They provide safeguards and ensure uniformity in the construction industry. While codes provide the means to reduce risks to an acceptable level, no code can totally eliminate all of the potential hazards. Only through proper design, sound construction practices and effective code administration programs, can owners ensure safe and hazard-free buildings for occupants.
Inspection during construction is the only way to independently verify that compliance has been achieved. Inspections are conducted in homes, offices and factories to verify conformity to minimum standards, prior to the issuance of an occupancy certificate.
Building codes are adopted by a state or local government's legislative body, then enacted to regulate building construction within a particular jurisdiction. The primary purpose of a building code is to regulate new or proposed construction. Building codes only apply to an existing building if the building undergoes reconstruction, rehabilitation or alteration, or if the occupancy of the existing building changes to a new occupancy level as defined by the building code.
Building Codes in Alachua County
The Alachua County Board of County Commissioner by the adoption of Ordinance 02-01 on January 8, 2002, adopted the Florida Building Code with certain administrative amendments, adopted wind speed lines for Alachua County, and adopted a new swimming pool code for Alachua County. The Ordinance took effect on March 1, 2002 at the same time the Florida Building Code became effective throughout the State of Florida. Ordinance 02-01 is now codified in the Alachua County Land Development Code as Chapter 331 and Chapter 334 of the ULDC.
For the complete text of Ordinance 02-01 Click Here.
History of Building Codes in Florida
The State of Florida first mandated statewide building codes during the 1970's at the beginning of the modern construction boom. The first law required all municipalities and counties to adopt and enforce one of the four state recognized model codes known as the state minimum building codes. During the early 1990's a series of natural disasters, together with the increasing complexity of building construction regulation in vastly changed markets precipitated the comprehensive review of the state building code system. The study revealed that building code adoption and enforcement was inconsistent throughout the state and those local codes thought to be the strongest proved inadequate when tested by major hurricane events. The consequences were devastation to lives and economies and a statewide property insurance crisis. The response was reform of the state building construction system which placed emphasis on uniformity and accountability.
The Florida Building Code is the center piece of the new building code system. This single statewide unified code is developed by the Florida Building Commission. It is administered and enforced by local jurisdictions and certain state agencies which may, under certain strictly defined conditions, amend requirements to be more stringent. The reformed building code system also establishes building code education requirements for all licenses and uniform procedures and quality control in a product approval system.
The Florida Building Code, which became effective March 1, 2002, supersedes all local codes. The Code is based on a national model building code and national consensus standards and incorporates all state agency building codes and regulations. It has been harmonized with the Florida Fire Prevention Code to establish unified and consistent standards. Together, the Florida Building Code and the Florida Fire Prevention Code contain all state standards for the design and construction of buildings in the state of Florida. All local amendments to these codes may be obtained from the Florida Department of Community Affairs or the Florida Department of Insurance, State Fire Marshal, respectively.
The Code is compiled in four volumes with the national Electric Code adopted by reference. The four volumes are: Building, which includes energy, accessibility and state agency regulations; Plumbing; Mechanical and Fuel Gas. The National Electrical Code is reference standard NFPA 70-1999 which must be obtained separately.
Chapter 98-287, Laws of Florida, established the Florida Building Commission and directed it to develop the Code. In October 1998 the Commission selected the model codes which form the base requirements of the Code. These base codes were then amended to tailor requirements, including energy, accessibility and hurricane resistance, to be Florida specific. The draft Code was presented to the 2000 Florida Legislature which directed specific changes and authorized, by Chapter 2000-141, Laws of Florida, the final Code to become effective July 1, 2001. The Commission completed the changes and reconsideration directed by the Legislature and adopted the first edition of the Code by administrative rule in January of 2001.
The base codes include: the Standard Building Code, 1997 edition; the National Electrical Code, 1999 edition; the Standard Plumbing Code, 1997edition; the International Mechanical Code; 1998 edition; the International Fuel Gas Code, 1997 edition; and, structural requirements of the South Florida Building Code as they apply to the "High Velocity Hurricane Zone." State codes adopted include the Florida Energy Efficiency Code for Building Construction and the Florida Accessibility Code for Building Construction and the Fair Housing Guidelines.
The base codes were amended through an extensive public review and input process. Nine technical advisory committees (TAC) were established using ANSI guidelines for consensus standards committees. The TACs reviewed proposed amendments to the Code and made recommendations to the Commission. After public comment was obtained, the Commission refined the Code with two more drafts and then presented it to the 2000 Florida Legislature for review and approval.
The Florida Building Code is adopted and updated by the Florida Building Commission. The first edition and future updates and editions supersede all previous codes and adoption by the Commission and do not require adoption by local jurisdictions. Minimum requirements for permitting, plans review and inspections are established by the Code, and local jurisdictions may adopt additional administrative requirements which are more stringent. Local technical amendments are subject to strict criteria established by F.S. Section 553.73. They are subject to Commission review when it updates the Code triennially and are subject to appeal to the Commission according to the procedures established by F.S. Section 553.73.
History of Building Codes in the United States
In early America, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson encouraged the development of building regulations to provide for minimum standards related to public health and safety. During the early 1900's, model building codes were written by code enforcement officials of various communities with assistance from all segments of the building industry. In 1915, code enforcement officials met to discuss common problems and concerns. Out of these meetings came the formation of three organizations of code enforcement officials. The first of these organizations, known as Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) International, Inc., was created in 1915 and represented code officials from eastern and Midwestern portions of the United States. BOCA International's headquarters are located in County Club Hills, Illinois, with regional offices in Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and New York. The second organization, known as International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), was formed in 1922 and represented code officials from the western United States. ICBO's headquarters are located in Whittier, California. The third organization, formed in 1941, was the Standard Building Code Congress International (SBCCI) and represented the interests of code officials in the Southern United States. SBCCI's headquarters are located in Birmingham, Alabama. Each organization had it own model code.
The International Code Council (ICC) was established in 1994 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing a single set of comprehensive and coordinated national model construction codes. The founders of the ICC are Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), and Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBCCI). Since the early part of the last century, these nonprofit organizations developed the three separate sets of model codes used throughout the United States. Although regional code development has been effective and responsive to our country's needs, the time came for a single set of codes. The nation's three model code groups responded by creating the International Code Council and by developing codes without regional limitations the International Codes.
There are substantial advantages in combining the efforts of the existing code organizations to produce a single set of codes. Code enforcement officials, architects, engineers, designers and contractors can now work with a consistent set of requirements throughout the United States. Manufacturers can put their efforts into research and development rather than designing to three different sets of standards, and can focus on being more competitive in worldwide markets. Uniform education and certification programs can be used internationally. A single set of codes may encourage states and localities that currently write their own codes or amend the model codes to begin adopting the International Codes without technical amendments. This uniform adoption would lead to consistent code enforcement and higher quality construction. The code organizations can now direct their collective energies toward wider code adoption, better code enforcement and enhanced membership services. All issues and concerns of a regulatory nature now have a single forum for discussion, consideration and resolution. Whether the concern is disaster mitigation, energy conservation, accessibility, innovative technology or fire protection, the ICC provides a single forum for national and international attention and focus to address these concerns.
Ancient History of Building Codes
Building regulations date back to the beginning of recorded history. The Code of Hammurabi (2200 B.C.) Included a simple but effective building code provision; if an architect built a house so negligently that it fell down and killed the owner's son, then the architect's son was put to death. Present-day building codes have evolved into a comprehensive system of regulations which define safety requirements for the built environment.
