Starting January 1st,
all new buildings built in California
will have to meet new
state building codes, which went into effect in July. Many of the new
requirements are designed to make homes more fire resistant, improve
earthquake safety and increase energy efficiency. At a recent workshop for
local builders and building designers sponsored by Amador County
city and county building officials, about 100 construction professionals were
briefed on the new code.
Significant among the many changes include requiring tempered glass
windows, fire marshal-approved roof vents and fire-resistant decking materials
for moderate to very high fire hazard areas. State maps delineate the
various fire hazard areas, and most of unincorporated Amador County
falls in at least the moderate hazard zone. Many areas of the county have been
designated high or very high fire hazard zones. To the dismay of the audience,
the workshop instructor from the California Building Officials Association
pointed out that some of the
required building materials, in particular fire marshal-approved roof vents and
fire-resistant decking materials, are not currently available for purchase.
Manufacturers are working
hard to get their products through the state approval process, the workshop
instructor said, but in some cases, there are few or no options today for
builders or homeowners who plan to build in the higher fire hazard areas. Another
important change to the building code is a lowering of the threshold that
determines when a registered engineer is required to design all or part of a
home or building. In a few cases, the 2007 code simplified or provided more
flexibility for code compliance, but most builders at the code workshop were
shaking their heads in apprehension over the new requirements. One builder said
at the conclusion of the workshop that he figured “these new codes are going to push up the cost of a new
home by at least $20,000.” Jackson
building official Larry White, who organized the workshop reminded the gloomy
crowd that he was just the messenger -- “this is not
your local building department at work,” he said. “This is now state law.”
All construction project applications that are submitted for permits beginning
January 1st must meet the new code – projects that are under
construction or are submitted to building departments before January 1st
are only required to meet the current building code.
