Building Codes
BOMA Releases Summary and Cost Analysis of the 2018 ICC Code Changes
During the 2018 ICC code development cycle, BOMA International achieved significant victories resulting in real cost savings for the industry. Overall, the average 200,000-square-foot new office construction will save $10 million in expenses thanks to the defeat of proposals that would have raised the cost of new construction and alterations by $49 per square foot—and many of these savings are also applicable to existing buildings. Additionally, several BOMA-supported proposals were approved that also reduced costs—in some cases by 20 percent.
Some of our major victories:
- Reduced inspections of mechanically operated smoke and heat vents from every year to every five years.
- The occupant load factor for business uses has been revised from one occupant per 100 square feet to one occupant per 150 square feet.
- Defeated a proposal that would have required rooftops to be considered a story in high-rise buildings.
- Defeated a proposal that would have required whole building air leakage testing of commercial and multifamily buildings based on building size, climate zone, building use and the floor area of the conditioned space.
You can view the full summary of the report here.