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Abuilding code (alsobuilding control orbuilding regulations) is a set of rules that specify the standards for construction objects such asbuildings andnon-building structures. Buildings must conform to the code to obtainplanning permission, usually from a local council. The main purpose of building codes is to protectpublic health, safety and general welfare as they relate to theconstruction and occupancy of buildings andstructures — for example, the building codes in many countries require engineers to consider the effects ofsoil liquefaction in the design of new buildings.[1] The building code becomeslaw of a particular jurisdiction when formallyenacted by the appropriate governmental or private authority.[2]
Building codes are generally intended to be applied byarchitects,engineers,interior designers, constructors andregulators but are also used for various purposes bysafety inspectors,environmental scientists,real estate developers, subcontractors, manufacturers of building products and materials,insurance companies, facility managers,tenants, and others. Codes regulate the design and construction of structures where adopted into law.
Examples of building codes began in ancient times.[3] In the USA the main codes are theInternational Building Code or International Residential Code [IBC/IRC], electrical codes and plumbing, mechanical codes. Fifty states and the District of Columbia have adopted the I-Codes at the state or jurisdictional level.[4] In Canada, national model codes are published by theNational Research Council of Canada.[5] In the United Kingdom, compliance withBuilding Regulations is monitored bybuilding control bodies, either Approved Inspectors or Local Authority Building Control departments. Building Control regularisation charges apply in case work is undertaken which should have had been inspected at the time of the work if this was not done.[6]
The practice of developing, approving, and enforcing building codes varies considerably among nations. In some countries building codes are developed by the government agencies or quasi-governmentalstandards organizations and then enforced across the country by thecentral government. Such codes are known as thenational building codes (in a sense they enjoy a mandatory nationwide application).
In other countries, where the power of regulating construction and firesafety is vested inlocal authorities, a system ofmodel building codes is used. Model building codes have no legal status unless adopted or adapted by an authority having jurisdiction. The developers of model codes urge public authorities to reference model codes in their laws, ordinances, regulations, and administrative orders. When referenced in any of these legal instruments, a particular model code becomes law. This practice is known as 'adoption by reference'. When an adopting authority decides to delete, add, or revise any portions of the model code adopted, it is usually required by the model code developer to follow a formal adoption procedure in which those modifications can be documented for legal purposes.
There are instances when somelocal jurisdictions choose to develop their own building codes. At some point in time all major cities in theUnited States had their own building codes. However, due to ever increasing complexity and cost of developing building regulations, virtually all municipalities in the country have chosen to adopt model codes instead. For example, in 2008 New York City abandoned its proprietary1968 New York City Building Code in favor of a customized version of theInternational Building Code.[7] The City ofChicago remains the onlymunicipality in America that continues to use a building code the city developed on its own as part of theMunicipal Code of Chicago.
In Europe, theEurocode: Basis of structural design, is a pan-European building code that has superseded the older national building codes. Each country now has National Annexes to localize the contents of theEurocodes.
Similarly, inIndia, each municipality and urban development authority has its own building code, which is mandatory for all construction within their jurisdiction. All these local building codes are variants of a National Building Code,[8] which serves as model code proving guidelines for regulating building construction activity.
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The purpose of building codes is to provide minimum standards for safety, health, and general welfare including structural integrity, mechanical integrity (including sanitation, water supply, light, andventilation), means of egress, fire prevention and control, and energy conservation.[9][10]Building codes generally include:
Building codes are generally separate fromzoning ordinances, but exterior restrictions (such as setbacks) may fall into either category.
Designers use building code standards out of substantial reference books during design. Building departments review plans submitted to them before construction, issue permits [or not] and inspectors verify compliance to these standards at the site during construction.
There are often additional codes or sections of the same building code that have more specific requirements that apply todwellings or places of business and special construction objects such as canopies, signs,pedestrian walkways,parking lots, and radio andtelevision antennas.
Building codes have been criticized for contributing tohousing crisis and increasing the cost of new housing to some extent, including through conflicting code between different administrators.[11] Proposed improvements include regular review andcost-benefit analysis of building codes,[12] promotion of low-cost construction materials and building codes suitable to mass production,[11] reducing bureaucracy, and promoting transparency.[13]
Building codes have a long history. The earliest known written building code is included in theCode of Hammurabi,[3] which dates from circa 1772 BC.
The book ofDeuteronomy in theHebrew Bible stipulated thatparapets must be constructed on all houses to prevent people from falling off.[14]
In the Chinesebook of rites it mentions that ancestral temples and houses should be a certain standard length in ancient China they measured land in the chu orwell field system so it was important to be precise though most of the actual lengths are lost or obscure.[15][16]
In ancient Japan a certain official destroyed a courtiers house because the size was above his rank.[17]
In Paris, under the reconstruction of much of the city under theSecond Empire (1852–70), great blocks of apartments were erected[18] and the height of buildings was limited by law to five or six stories at most.
After theGreat Fire of London in 1666, which had been able to spread so rapidly through the densely built timber housing of the city, theRebuilding of London Act 1666 was passed in the same year as the first significant building regulation.[19] Drawn up bySir Matthew Hale, the act regulated the rebuilding of the city, required housing to have some fire resistance capacity and authorised theCity of London Corporation to reopen and widen roads.[20] TheLaws of the Indies were passed in the 1680s by theSpanish Crown to regulate the urban planning for colonies throughout Spain's worldwide imperial possessions.
The first systematic national building standard was established with the Metropolitan Buildings Act 1844. Among the provisions, builders were required to give the district surveyor two days' notice before building, regulations regarding the thickness of walls, height of rooms, the materials used in repairs, the dividing of existing buildings and the placing and design ofchimneys,fireplaces anddrains were to be enforced and streets had to be built to minimum requirements.[21]
TheMetropolitan Buildings Office was formed to regulate the construction and use of buildings throughout London. Surveyors were empowered to enforce building regulations, which sought to improve the standard of houses and business premises, and to regulate activities that might threaten public health. In 1855 the assets, powers and responsibilities of the office passed to theMetropolitan Board of Works.
The City ofBaltimore passed its first building code in 1891.[22] TheGreat Baltimore Fire occurred in February 1904. Subsequent changes were made that matched other cities.[23] In 1904, a Handbook of the Baltimore City Building Laws was published. It served as the building code for four years. Very soon, a formal building code was drafted and eventually adopted in 1908.
The structural failure of the tank that caused theGreat Molasses Flood of 1919 prompted the Boston Building Department to require engineering and architectural calculations be filed and signed. U.S. cities and states soon began requiring sign-off by registered professional engineers for the plans of major buildings.[24]
More recently, the 2015Berkeley balcony collapse has prompted updates toCalifornia's balcony building codes, set for 2025, which include stricter material requirements, enhanced load-bearing standards, and mandatory inspections which known as SB326 and SB721.[25] These laws mandate regular inspections every six years for multifamily buildings. Property owners and HOAs are required to address any structural or waterproofing issues identified during inspections to ensure compliance and safety. Failure to comply can result in fines, increased liability, and legal consequences.
The current energy codes[clarification needed] of the United States are adopted at the state and municipal levels and are based on theInternational Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Previously, they were based on the Model Energy Code (MEC). As of March 2017, the following residential codes have been partially or fully adopted by states:[26]
Australia uses theNational Construction Code.
