News

The State Building Code Council voted on May 24, 2023, to delay the effective date of the 2021 codes for 120 days. The new effective date for all building codes is October 29, 2023. Previously, the effective date was July 1, 2023.

The Council also directed SBCC staff to convene two Technical Advisory Groups to consider stakeholder proposals to modify sections in the commercial and residential energy codes. The modification would be intended to address legal uncertainty stemming from the decision in California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley recently issued by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Council will accept proposals addressing this issue through June 9, 2023. All proposals must be submitted on the Council's code change proposal form. SBCC staff will compile those proposals for the full Council to consider at a later date. 

The Washington State Building Code Council has filed an emergency rule pertaining to energy storage systems regulated under WAC 51-54A-1201 and WAC 51-54A-8000 in WSR 23-11-148. This emergency rule is in effect from May 24, 2023, through June 30, 2023, and will be rescinded as of July 1, 2023. A new emergency rule is expected to go into effect July 1, 2023.

For more than four decades, the International Code Council, its members, and a diverse group of professionals for the building construction, design and safety communities have come together to celebrate Building Safety Month.

Building Safety Month provides education for the public about solutions that improve the safety, sustainability, affordability, and resiliency of buildings, infrastructure and communities. Contemporary planning, building materials, design and construction can make our communities more resilient in the aftermath of disasters, fires and other events. 

Building Safety Month unites industries, associations, academia and government under a common goal to protect the public by creating a safe and resilient built environment.

Public Testimony Sign Up Sheet

Please download, fill out the sign up sheet, and email it to SBCC@des.wa.gov

Estimated submission period for proposed state wide amendments for the Group 2 Code Cycle will be between the dates of February 21 - April 8, 2022.

• Group 2 Codes (IBC structural, IRC, IEBC, IMC, UPC, WUIC, WSEC-R) The anticipated effective date for the 2021 codes is July 1, 2023. 

The Department of Natural Resources has finalized the development of the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Code maps. The links to these maps are located here on our website. 

The State Building Code Council has begun the new adoption and review process for the 2021 code editions. The deadline for code change proposals for the Group 1 Codes (IBC, IFC, WUIC, WSEC-C) is June 1, 2021 at 5:00 P.M. The process for the Group 2 Codes (IBC structural, IRC, IEBC, IMC, UPC, WSEC-R) will begin in the fall of 2021. The anticipated effective date for the 2021 codes is July 1, 2023. 

Click here for the 2021 Code Review and Adoption Schedule

All proposed statewide amendments need to be submitted in writing, on the provided forms here.

For the TAG Reports, please click here.

House Bill 2701 relating to inspection and testing of fire and smoke control systems and dampers, and penalties, will go into effect July 1, 2021.  Local authorities, as defined, are the enforcement authorities identified in the statute to enforce the requirements.

RCW's cited in HB 2701 19.27.700, 19.27.710, 19.27.720, 19.27.730, and 19.27.740

See WSR 21-06-068 for WAC 51-54A-0904

The Governor repealed the 2018 Code Effective Date extension of July 1, 2021. 

Richard Brown, Managing Director of the State Building Code Council, is set to retire on January 31, 2021, after 21 years of working in state government.

A Washington native, Richard started in state service in 1999 as an architect at Washington State Parks and Recreation. He left State Parks as a capital program manager in 2017 to join the State Building Code Council (SBCC), a state agency created by the legislature to provide independent analysis and objective advice to the legislature and the Governor's Office on state building code issues. Richard oversaw the integration of the SBCC into DES’s Contracts, Procurement and Risk Management in 2018.

While at SBCC, Richard increased funding by working with DES’ Government Relations Manager Ann Larson to pass a permit fee increase for the first time since 1989. He was then able to grow the staff from two to five and update an antiquated website to help customers. He and his staff also updated 13 building codes and completed 12 significant modifications to the Washington Administrative Code (WAC).

His crowning achievement was improving transparency with the building code rulemaking process. He will miss working with the incredible staff, council members and volunteers at SBCC.

Prior to the state, Richard worked in the private sector as an architect and planner. He taught architecture and planning at North Dakota State, Temple University, Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania and The University of Washington.

Richard plans to enjoy his retirement by his volunteering, working on his 107-year-old house in Tacoma and spending a lot more time on the Puget Sound.

At the Special Council meeting on June 26, 2020, the Council voted to extend the effective date to February 1, 2021.

Governor Jay Inslee has issued Proclamation 20-40, extending the implementation date of the Washington State Building Code to November 1, 2020.

To read the Proclamation in full, Click This Link.

The State Building Code Council voted on the final rules for the adoption of the 2018 International Building Code, International Fire Code and the Washington State Energy Code (Commercial) on July 26, 2019. The final language should be posted beginning of 2020.