Builder News Hartford Courant CT weighs tougher building codes to combat climate change Somewhere there’s a long list of expectations and The homebuilding industry is taking a waitand-see approach to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s recent executive order directing state agencies to strengthen building codes in response to climate change. Homebuilders aren’t opposed to stronger codes where necessary, particularly in wind-prone areas along the coast, but want decisions based on sound research and cost-benefit analyses. Most importantly, they don’t want regulations that price customers out of the market, said Bob Hanbury, a longtime builder and co-owner of Newingtonbased House of Hanbury Builders Inc., which does residential remodeling and additions. Hanbury is active in the industry, including serving on committees for the International Existing Building Code and on the board of the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Connecticut Inc. “The motives are good; we just want to make sure the outcomes are as good as the motives,” Hanbury said. In April, Malloy issued an executive order instructing the Department of Administrative Services, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Insurance Department to work with the Office of the State Building Inspector to ensure that the next revision to the State Building Code contains standards that increase the resiliency of new and renovated homes and buildings. Malloy hasn’t proposed anything specific, but said measures to consider include sealing seams in roof decks to guard against water infiltration if shingles blow off; stronger tie-downs of roofs to building structures; and impact-resistant glass in high-wind areas. Many measures to make buildings more resilient are relatively inexpensive, he said. He also cited research that every $1 spent on resiliency measures can save $4 in insurance claims. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) backed Malloy’s recommendations. The institute released a report last year on the progress of 18 hurricane-prone coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast in strengthening their residential building-code systems. Connecticut scored 88 out of a possible 100, ranking it fifth best among the 18 states, up from a score of 81 in 2012. Top-rated states have strong statewide residential building codes and regulatory processes for building officials, homebuilders and residential construction contractors, IBHS said. It evaluated 47 key data points to assess the effectiveness of states’ residential-building-code programs, including code adoption and enforcement; building official training and certification; and licensing requirements for construction trades that implement building code provisions, IBHS added. IBHS cited a study conducted by Texas A&M University on hurricane-related building requirements in Texas that found the benefits of adopting the code provisions exceeded the costs by a factor of 4.5 to 7. READ MORE hbra@buildfairfieldcounty.com May 2016 | HBRA of Fairfield County | 14
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