Understanding Building Codes

Millions of Americans are in the paths of these disasters, and only 1 in 3 with live in a home built to a modern, adopted building code. Building codes specify basic standards for the design and construction of buildings to protect life safety. IBHS wants to push codes into loss reduction as well and have made significant improvements in the last two code cycles.

Modern building codes, when adopted and enforced, work. They save lives, reduce property damage, lessen disruption, and strengthen community resilience. IBHS strongly supports the statewide adoption of building codes, local code enforcement, and comprehensive training and licensing of building officials, builders, and contractors.
Explore: IBHS Building Code Progress

Building codes are laws that establish minimum requirements for the design and construction of buildings, historically with a primary focus on life-safety. They define what a building must be able to withstand from external forces like wind, rain, and wildfire, and they also help safeguard occupants from other internal hazards, including fire and electrical malfunctions. Building Codes don’t help us with the hail hazard…. many severe convective storm-prone states have the weakest adoption and enforcement of codes. In fact, only 3 local jurisdictions—all in Colorado–have a building code provision for hail.

Building codes are developed through a consensus-based process administered by the International Code Council (ICC), which produces the International Residential Code (IRC), International Building Code (IBC), and International Wildland-Urban Interface (IWUI) Code, among others. IBHS has been deeply engaged in this process for decades, and our research and insights have contributed to significant code advancements since 2000.

Lawmakers and government officials can adopt the codes or tailor them to meet state, county, or local city needs. In the absence of statewide codes, local jurisdictions must try to fill the gap, but they often lack the resources to do so effectively. IBHS research helps inform better outcomes, strengthening community resilience and supporting a more resilient tomorrow.

Use the research and tools below to strengthen resilience in your community. Explore these resources to understand current code gaps and take science-based steps to improve building performance across wind, wildfire, and winter hazards.

WIND AND WIND-DRIVEN RAIN

Analysis:

- Rating the States evaluates the 18 states along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, all vulnerable to catastrophic hurricanes, based on building code adoption, enforcement, and contractor licensing.
- Survey of Coastal Texas Building Codes Executive Summary surveyed this vulnerable region of Texas with no building code protection to understand building code adoption and enforcement at the local jurisdiction level.
- IBHS & CoreLogic Building Codes and Mortgage Delinquency Study demonstrates the financial value of building codes to individuals and the financial industry. Modern building codes reduce the expected spike in mortgage delinquency rates following hurricanes by 50 percent.
- Increasing Wind Safety Standards for Manufactured Housing identifies a pathway to strengthen the resilience of manufactured housing through changes to the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (HUD Code).

Tools:

- FORTIFIED is a beyond-code construction method backed by decades of research, that a roofing contractor or builder can use to further protect a home, multifamily or commercial structure against severe weather. Once a home or building has been built or retrofitted to this standard, a certificate is issued that can be distributed to their insurer.
- The beyond-code Coastal Construction Code Supplement and Inland Construction Code Supplement, developed by IBHS and Smart Home America, bridge the gap between existing I Codes and the IBHS FORTIFIED technical standard.

WILDFIRE

Analysis:

- Construction Costs for a Wildfire-resistant Home 2022. This report compares the costs for constructing three different versions of a wildfire-resistant home in California.
- Building a Wildfire-Resistant Home: Codes and Costs – Cost Roughly Same as a Typical Home. Analysis: Expense Should Not Be a Barrier to Constructing Safer Homes. Learn about codes and costs. (2018 Headwaters Research Report)

Tools:

- Wildfire Prepared Home is a beyond-code, research-based mitigation and designation program designed for homeowners to meaningfully reduce wildfire risk to protect their home. Once a home has been built or retrofitted to this standard, a certificate is issued that can be distributed to their insurer.
- WUI Model Ordinance provides a model ordinance addressing construction and defensible space requirements with three levels of increasing resilience to wildfire.

WINTER

Analysis:

- IBHS, ISO & VERISK Ice Dam & Building Codes Study helps to determine if you’re protected.

OTHER RESOURCES

- FEMA- Building Codes Toolkit for Homeowners and Occupants Help homeowners learn about building codes and how they can make a home more resilient against natural hazards.
- FEMA- Nationwide Building Code Adoption Tracking Tracks current building code adoption status for state, local, tribal and territorial governments (SLTTs).
- FLASH- Inspect to Protect Find the local building codes adopted in your area.
- IBHS Building Code Progress See our contributions to updating building codes based on our research.
- IBHS Building Codes & Standards White Paper lays out the history of the modern code era, and the importance of building codes across different perils. There is an advancement in resilience but continued resistance to adoption and enforcement.

CONTACTS

- Pataya Scott, PhD, Codes & Standards Engineer (pscott@ibhs.org)
- Ian Giammanco, PhD, Managing Director of Standards & Data Analytics (igiammanco@ibhs.org)