Dallas BA Works with Dallas City Council for Sensible Amendment to Updated Building Code
The Dallas City Council on April 12 adopted their local amendments for the 2021 cycle of codes, including the International Residential Code. A chief concern of the Dallas Builders Association was a provision mandating an “EV Ready Space” for one-to two-family dwellings and townhouses. Without amendment, the code would have required that new home construction include a 40-ampere, 208/240 – volt dedicated branch circuit that would have had a termination point such as a receptacle or junction box. Dallas BA requested that the council offer an amendment changing that reference to “EV Capable Space”, in which just having electrical panel capacity and space to support the branch circuit, along with installation of conduit, is sufficient. The amendment, offered by Councilman Chad West, won approval by a vast majority of the City Council.
While electric vehicles are slowly growing in use, the reality is that the vast majority of Dallas Residents will not own or nor afford an EV in the near future. Moreover, with technology changing, the infrastructure used for this aftermarket product may change. By adopting Dallas BA’s recommended amendment, the City Council not only avoided adding cost for a product not used by many, but also avoided a waste in materials that are already in short supply.
Dallas adopted the regionally recommended amendments from the North Central Texas Council of Government’s Regional Codes Coordinating Committee (RCCC). The RCCC’s process provides for a much-needed standardization and uniformity for the code amendments adopted by the dozens of municipalities in Dallas BA’s 10-county jurisdiction. As a member of the RCCC, Dallas BA participates in the committee’s review process.
Photo: David Lehde, Dallas BA staff director of government affairs, speaks before the Dallas City Council on April 12