10-12 - BUILDING CODE UPDATESItem Nos. 10 -12
memorandum
TO: Mayor & City Council
John Godwin, City Manager
FROM: Carla Easton, PE, City Engineer
SUBJECT: BUILDING CODE UPDATES
DATE: June 19, 2017
BACKGROUND: In 2010, the City of Paris adopted the state mandated building codes
developed by the International Code Council (ICC) in order to safeguard the public health, safety
and welfare, and to provide for the safety of emergency responders by regulating building
construction and renovation projects with consistent and standardized practices. The 2006
version of the International Building Code (IBC), Existing Building Code (IEBC), Residential
Code (IRC), and the 2008 National Electrical Code (NEC) became the official codes for Paris,
and are still the adopted codes today.
The ICC codes are drafted and updated by building professionals every three years. Local
government agencies are encouraged to keep current with code adoptions to maintain relevance
in code enforcement and training, and also to improve insurance ratings provided by the
Insurance Service Office (ISO). The ISO is responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of code
enforcement agencies, and assigning a rating that is used by insurance providers when setting
policy premiums with appropriate risk. The ratings range from 1 to 10, with a rating
classification of 1 being exemplary and 10 being deficient. The City was evaluated by the ISO in
June of 2016 and received a rating of 9 due to outdated codes. During the evaluation, the ISO
representative indicated that in order to improve the rating from a 9, the City would need to
adopt, enforce and maintain a code that is within 5 years of its release.
STATUS OF ISSUE: Many municipalities and counties in northeast Texas have adopted, or
plan to adopt the 2015 ICC codes as their official building code. The State of Texas has adopted
the 2015 International Residential Code and the Energy Conservation Code. Updating the model
codes will keep the City of Paris current with construction standards. This will simplify the
design and permitting process, advance the safety of building systems, promote a common code
interpretation between communities, facilitate the mobility of contractors, and improve training
opportunities and cost.
Item Nos. 10 -12
As with all adopted codes in Texas, local jurisdictions can adopt amendments to better suit the
region's specifications. The North Central Texas Council of Governments ( NCTCOG) has a
code committee and five advisory boards dedicated to the review and analysis of newly released
codes. NCTCOG recommends adoption of the 2015 set of ICC codes with a comprehensive list
of amendments. These codes, along with the amendments, would bring Paris up to date and
more consistent with area jurisdictions. By adopting a set of codes that are acknowledged as the
industry standard for building construction, paired with consistent application and enforcement,
Paris will improve in the areas of public safety, health, welfare and development.
BUDGET: This ordinance has no fiscal impact. Resource materials and training are included in
the 2017 -2018 budget.
RECOMMENDATION: Approve the adoption of the 2015 International Building Code (IBC),
Residential Code (IRC), Existing Building Code (IEBC), Fire Code (IFC), Plumbing Code (IPC),
Fuel Gas Code and the 2014 National Electrical Code (NEC), along with local amendments as
recommended by the NCTCOG.