Proposed building codes could decrease insurance rates, increase building costs [The Decatur Daily, Ala.]

Sep. 1—Decatur's Building Department and Construction Industries Board are working on a proposed switch from the 2009 to the 2018 version of a uniform international building code in a move that could decrease homeowners' insurance rates but increase construction costs.

Tom Polk, field services manager in the city's Building Department, and Frank Pate, member of the city's Construction Industries Board, presented the proposed code switch to the Greater Morgan County Builders Association this week. The International Code Council prepared both the 2009 and 2018 versions of the uniform building codes.

The Building Department and Construction Industries Board began working on the possible switch about six months ago and now they're working toward presenting the final proposal to the City Council sometime this fall, Polk said.

Pate said the board approved the switch to the 2018 version of the commercial building codes, but there are still some delays in adopting new residential codes. On Tuesday, Polk, Pate and the builders made some changes to the 2018 uniform codes to eliminate requirements that they believe are unnecessary and would raise building costs.

Polk said one of the main reasons for the proposed switch is to make sure Decatur is in line with the neighboring north Alabama cities of Florence, Athens, Madison, Huntsville, Cullman and Hartselle plus Madison County, the only local county with a building code.

"We've all heard how when you go from one jurisdiction to another everything is different," Polk said. "Everybody was on a different code at one time, but we've had a goal of being on the same code. We want to be on a uniform building code for builders and contractors who cross jurisdictions."

Pate said the Alabama Building Commission is working on a statewide code next year that has "some teeth to it. But, if a municipality has an inspection department, we can still do what we want to on our building code. The mandated code is going to be for places that are in the county."

Polk said moving to the 2018 building code "puts us in a good parking place" if the state approves a new code next year.

"We're always lagging behind on the code cycles and we're already a few code cycles behind now," Polk said.

Polk said they could jump forward to the 2021 or 2024 version of the International Code Council building codes in anticipation of the state change "but that puts us out of sync with our neighbors. We want to be in the philosophy and mindset to be more uniform."

Pate reminded the contractors that they jumped to the 2009 code "before everyone else did and it hurt us. My personal opinion is I for sure don't want to get ahead of our neighbors. I'm not even real sure I want to go to 2018."

Local contractor Danny Hill questioned why they would switch at all.

"Why are we having to do this every year or two years? Does somebody need a job?" Hill said. "We haven't had any homes fall in yet."

Pate said Morgan County doesn't have inspections. He added that areas currently without inspections will eventually be mandated to implement them.

"This is driven mainly by (the Federal Emergency Management Agency)," Pate said. "FEMA is not going to help people if they're in an area that doesn't have a uniform building code that includes inspections."

Pate said insurance companies are also pushing for updated building codes.

"We can still do what we want to as long as we're on a uniform code," Pate said. "The mandate won't apply to us. If we're on the 2018 code and they go to the 2021, we won't have to change."

Polk said the protection classes in the fire code are one reason for the change. Decatur is rated at a 2 ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating. The rating is done every three years, and the city could drop to a 3 ISO if it doesn't move to a newer building code.

He said not moving to a new building code "could affect our homeowners' insurance for consumers." He said there is so much weight on which code edition the city is on that insurance rates would take a substantial hit if the city is two or three editions behind.

However, Pate said he talked to some insurance salesmen and they assured him that moving from a 2 to a 3 ISO does not significantly increase estimates on the cost of insurance.

"When you get into the 5s, 6s and 7s, that's when your homeowners' insurance would go up significantly," Pate said.

Pate said they met with the fire chief and the fire marshal and both want the city to change to the 2018 building code.

"It gives them some brownie points and they want (the best ISO rating) possible," Pate said.

Pate said the insurance companies aren't going to look at what they take out of the code.

"They're going to say, 'You're on the 2018 code so you're good,'" Pate said.

Pate said he's not sure if they should change to the 2018 code because "we don't have a problem with the 2009 code. We don't have an inordinate amount of houses burning down, flooding or roofs blowing off. I think the 2009 code serves us well."

He warned the contractors that there are some changes in the new code that will cost them additional money, so they reviewed proposed changes and removed some they deemed unnecessary.

The first section they looked at that could cost them money was fire protection of floors. Polk said 2-by-8-inch wood or smaller for framing of a floor joist or I-joist has to be protected from fire damage by sheetrock if there's an electric- or gas-powered heating appliance.

Todd Witt, of Synergy Home Performance, said the floor has to be sprayed with intumescent paint, which is more expensive.

"They're worried about firefighters falling through the floors," Witt said. "Fire marshals are driving these codes."

Polk said these are substantial code changes, but the contractors agreed they would be an unnecessary cost to the customer of an additional $10,000 to $20,000.

They also agreed to remove a requirement that the door between the garage and the home's interior have a self-closing device, designed to keep flames or smoke from entering the house from the garage. They estimated that would cost an extra $100 but they said they can buy a less expensive hinge to accomplish the same goal.

Polk said another additional cost is that the new code would reduce floor joist spans.

"The code is going to tell you how much weight you can have on it and how much that lumber can span," Polk said. "Those dimensions are reduced from the '09 to the '18. The lumber association determines those dimensions."

The contractors agreed they were OK with this change.

Polk said there are some changes to the plumbing code that address the piping system by requiring more restraints on sharp bends. The thermal expansion tank on a water heater will no longer be allowed to be self-supporting.

While Hill was vocal on the changes he wanted to see to the 2018 uniform building codes, he said after the meeting that he understands the city needs to move forward with an amended version of the 2018 codes.

"We've got to keep up with the times," Hill said. "We just seem to deal with this way more often than we used to. The good thing about this is all of the municipalities will be on the same code."

— [email protected] or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.

___

(c)2023 The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.)

Visit The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.) at www.decaturdaily.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.