Senate Approves Bill To Cut Building Code Mandate

Requirement could increase housing costs by $3,000

The Senate today unanimously approved legislation to exempt Pennsylvania from a new building code requirement that was designed primarily for coastal areas and earthquake-prone regions, according to Senator Bob Regola, prime sponsor of the legislation.

Senate Bill 437 would amend the Pennsylvania Construction Code (Act 45 of 1999) by addressing a new mandate contained in the 2006 International Residential Code, which took affect on January 1, 2007.  Under the mandate, all new residential construction is now required to have “anchor bolts” when the foundation and retaining walls are built, which could increase home building costs by as much as $3,000, according to Senator Regola. 

The measure now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. 

“I am pleased that the Senate expeditiously moved this bill.  I hope it will move just as quickly through the House.  This is an excessive national standard that should have been instituted for certain geographic regions of the country only, not Pennsylvania” Sen. Regola said. “My legislation simply repeals the new mandate and reinstates the previous standard on foundation wall bracing.” 

Steve Black, President of the Pennsylvania Builders Association, stated “On behalf of our 12,000 members, I would like to thank Senator Regola for taking the lead on this legislation which will ensure that homes are structurally sound yet without adding unnecessary costs.” 

According to the Pennsylvania Builders Association, the states of Georgia and Indiana have removed the anchor bolt mandate and North and South Carolina are currently going thru the process of removing it as well.   

Engineers from the Concrete Foundation Association, the National Association of Home Builders, the Portland Cement Association, the National Concrete Masonry Association and the National Ready Mix Concrete Association are in agreement that these provisions are unnecessary and have jointly submitted a code change to remove these provisions from the next published edition of the IRC which will not be until 2009.

  

Contact:  Nate Silcox (717) 787-6063