Tag Archives: International Code Council

North Carolina Will Now Revise Its Building Code Every Six Years, Instead of Every Three

Monday MemoPrepare to hold onto your 2012 North Carolina Building Code until 2019.

On March 11, 2014, the N.C. Building Code Council voted to update the commercial building code once every six years, instead of once every three years under current regulations.  The six-year commercial code cycle now mirrors the update schedule for the residential code, which was changed to a six-year cycle by House Bill 120, signed into law by Governor McCrory on June 19, 2013.

As an exception to the new six-year rule for commercial buildings, the electrical code will continue to be updated on a three-year cycle.

The Council’s vote to place the commercial code update on a parallel track with the residential code’s six-year cycle was close: 9-6.  Why such a sharp split?

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Important NCRC Update — Electronic Version To Be Online Tomorrow

N.C. Insurance Commissioner & State Fire Marshal Wayne Goodwin (courtesy ncdoi.com)

Good news, residential builders and local permitting authorities.  According to this press release that the Office of Insurance Commissioner / State Fire Marshal Wayne Goodwin kindly e-mailed to me just moments ago, the entire 2012 N.C. Residential Code will be available online no later than 2:00 p.m. tomorrow, February 28, at this website, and at no cost.

As Mr. Goodwin writes in his release:  “There is no need and no justification for jurisdictions to delay the issuance of building permits, as the 2012 N.C. Residential Code will be readily available prior to its March 1 effective date.”  Kudos to Mr. Goodwin for arranging for this accommodation with the International Code Council.

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2012 North Carolina Building Codes Available Through ICC

The International Code Council (“ICC”) has announced the availability of the 2012 North Carolina Building Codes.   The ICC’s press release summarizes some of the key code changes as follows:

One of the most visible changes to the 2012 codes is the inclusion of live/work unit provisions (North Carolina Building Code Section 419) to help building code officials better manage mixed commercial and residential properties in neighborhoods, buildings and within unit types.  North Carolina Fire Code Section 404.3.3 includes requirements for school lockdown plans and other similar occupancies while the North Carolina Mechanical Code Section 504.8 has new provisions for common exhaust systems for clothes dryer ducts in multistory structures. Increased safety provisions in the North Carolina Residential Code Section R312.2 now address child protection and fall prevention for windows located more than 6-feet above the exterior grade.

The following 2012 codes are available now: Building, Fire Prevention, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing.   The 2012 Residential Code, Administrative Code & Policies, Energy Conservation Codes and North Carolina Electrical Code (2011 edition) are scheduled for release in January, and are currently available for pre-order.  The entire 2012 North Carolina Building Code Collection, in soft cover, PDF Download and CD formats, will be available as a single package in March.  Ordering information can be found here.  The N.C. Office of the State Fire Marshal has uploaded the amendments to the 2009 Codes here.

FYI, the 2009 Codes are applicable to all permits issued before March 1, 2012.

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