Utah building codes likely to be revised

SALT LAKE CITY — When Utah lawmakers convene next month, one of the items on their 2010 legislative agenda will be reconstructing the state's standards for commercial and residential construction.

HB45, also known as the State Construction Code Adoption Act, details standards to be applied to new building construction, remodeling and repair in the state.

Rep. Michael Morley, R-Spanish Fork, is sponsoring a measure that would adopt many of the same regulations as the national and international building codes, with a few exceptions.

"We didn't want to summarily adopt a national code without looking at what it does and get stuck with a lot of unintended consequences," he told the Deseret News. "We're adopting (most of) the code, but we're excluding certain portions of the code that we didn't feel were appropriate for Utah."

Morley said the proposed law excludes a provision that requires all new residential home construction to include sprinkler systems for fire protection.

"We will be adopting the (national) standards minus a few things that we thought would be onerous and expensive to the state," he said.

Among the other excluded provisions are those addressing the energy code, such as those involving insulation, windows and appliances, according to Taz Biesinger, executive vice president of the Utah Homebuilders Association. He noted that the bill adopts all of the provisions for commercial construction.

National building codes are updated approximately every three years, Biesinger said, to ensure construction standards remain current. But, when the state revises its standards, lawmakers typically choose the parts of the update that best suit builders and homeowners in Utah, he noted.

"The idea is to try and make homes (in Utah) as good and as safe as we can and do (it in a way) that makes sense," Biesinger said.

The bill, recommended by the Business and Labor Interim Committee, would become effective July 1, 2010.

e-mail: jlee@desnews.com