Virginia, New Jersey Get High Marks in Building Code Report

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, an industry group, issued a new report this month that analyzes residential building codes in the 18 hurricane-prone coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast.

Building codes are intended to increase the safety and integrity of structures, thereby reducing deaths, injuries and property damage from hurricanes and other hazards. These residential building codes are minimum life safety standards used in designing, constructing and maintaining homes.

“The report offers each state the detailed information and tools it needs to improve its building code process to better protect its citizens,” said Julie Rochman, IBHS CEO.

Virginia, along with Florida, got the highest marks, earning 95 in a ratings scale of 100. The Old Dominion State adopted the 2009 edition of the International Residential Code (IRC), but with the sprinkler provisions deleted. Virginia requires mandatory code adoption and mandatory code enforcement statewide. The state does not allow local amendments to the code.

New Jersey came in second among the Northeastern states, earning 93 points. The Garden State adopted the 2009 IRC and has a good system in place for code adoption and enforcement. The main deficiency is that the state does not require sprinklers in homes and townhouses by executive order.

Massachusetts follows New Jersey, with 87 points. The Bay State adopted the 2009 IRC with Massachusetts amendments; a study commission is looking at the fire sprinkler issue. The state requires mandatory enforcement and does not allow local amendments to the residential code. Additionally, the state adopted a plumbing and electrical code. However, some of the Massachusetts amendments have weakened important wind provisions of the IRC.

Connecticut came next, earning 81 points. The Constitution State has a statewide code and mandatory enforcement, but the state is using an older version (2003) of the IRC and has weakened its wind provisions. Connecticut does not allow local amendments to the code and has adopted a plumbing and electrical code.

Rhode Island came after Connecticut, with 78 point. The Ocean State adopted the 2009 IRC and requires enforcement of that code statewide. However, Rhode Island has weakened the wind provisions, specifically allowing partially enclosed design, which weakens opening protection requirements of the code. Additionally, the state reduced other wind provisions of the model code.

Maryland is next on the list, with 73 points. The Old Line State adopted the 2009 IRC, including the fire sprinkler requirement, with very few amendments. However, local jurisdictions are allowed to amend the code, which defeats the goal of uniformity and could weaken wind protections even in the most vulnerable coastal areas.

Maine follows with 64 points. The Pine Tree State adopted the 2009 IRC without the fire sprinkler requirement. A major gap is that the code does not apply to towns with fewer than 4,000 people, which equates to one-third of the state’s population. The state has adopted a plumbing and electrical code.

New York got one of the poorest scores, with 60 points. The Empire State adopted the 2006 IRC and requires mandatory enforcement. The state also has adopted a plumbing and electrical code. However, New York City is exempt from the state requirements and has its own building code. Despite the metropolitan area’s hurricane risk, New York City has weakened several important wind protections that are in the state code. At the state level, wind provisions have been weakened to allow partially enclosed design in lieu of the code requirements for opening protection, which is another source of concern.

New Hampshire did even worse than New York, with 49 points. The Granite State has a statewide code (2009 IRC), but does not have mandatory enforcement. Additionally, a 2011 law prohibits adoption of the sprinkler requirement, as required by the 2009 IRC. The wind provisions of the New Hampshire Code are consistent with the model code. The state adopts a plumbing and an electrical code.

Delaware came in dead last among the Northeastern states, with 17 points. (The worst overall score in the study, however, belongs to Mississippi.) The First State does not have a statewide residential code or any mandatory enforcement, but the state has adopted a plumbing code.