ICC Board Issues Split Decision on NAHB Building Codes Appeals
The International Code Council Board of Directors on October 8 issued a final decision on the last two NAHB appeals to the 2021 building code development process.
The Board sided with NAHB on the scope and intent of two changes to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) but rejected another appeal on 20 twice-defeated proposals that were disapproved at two different hearings before being approved in the online vote.
In the successful appeal, NAHB argued that two proposed changes to the IECC – requiring 40A, 220V receptacles to be installed in all new homes for electric vehicle charging stations (CE217 Parts I and II) and for gas appliances for future electric retrofit (RE147) – went beyond the scope and intent of the IECC. The Board agreed with this position and removed the two changes from the 2021 IECC, similar to another successful NAHB appeal decision issued last month.
NAHB also appealed the approval of 20 changes to the IECC that were defeated in two separate steps of the code development process only to be brought back to life during the final online consensus vote as a result of new governmental voters suddenly being approved.