NC Building Code Delayed – March 20, 2025
The Senate and House voted yesterday to delay the implementation of the new building codes by one year after the codes are published.
HB 47 — The Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 Part 1 – contains a provision that further delays the implementation of new building codes (residential and commercial):
- Delays the implementation of the new building codes by one year after the codes are published.
- Prohibits new codes from being adopted until the Residential Code Council is fully constituted and functional.
The codes were originally delayed by six months this year, set to take effect on July 1, 2025. The passage of this legislation will result in another delay, with the new codes unlikely to take effect until the latter part of 2026. You can reference the relevant section starting at the bottom of page 21, carrying over to page 22 of the bill.
When the new codes are published, builders will have the option of using the existing codes or the new codes during the delay period. The new codes will have to be followed when the implementation date becomes effective.
The bill passed the House on a vote of 115-1 and the Senate on a vote of 50-0. Governor Josh Stein signed the bill into law yesterday afternoon.
Special thanks to NCHBA & TREBIC for their support of this and many other legislative actions impacting the building industry.
3.18.25 Potential Implementation Delay
Originally postponed for six months in December, the new code cycle is currently set to begin on July 1, 2025. However there is an amendment that was added to HB 47 – Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part 1 that would delay implementation of the new building codes by at least one more year. The amendment, which was added by Senator Tim Moffitt (R-Henderson), would do the following:
- Delay building codes by one year from the time they are published
- Not allow the building codes to take effect until the new Residential Building Code Council is seated and activated (currently not functional due to litigation)
While the new commercial and residential codes are set to become effective on July 1st, this amendment could push the implementation date into next year. The bill is currently in “conference committee” between the House and Senate, where various details of the bill are being discussed. NCHBA and TREBIC are monitoring this closely and will advise any additional updates as a final vote on the bill could happen soon.
NC Building Code Update: June 5
We have scheduled an update on the new 2024 building codes for Thursday, June 5 at 12 noon featuring Cliff Isaac, NCHBA Director of Codes & Construction. Updates will be provided on proposed changes to the 2024 NC Residential, Electrical and Administrative Code and Policies. Watch for additional details on this event…and plan to attend regardless of implementation date as the new code will be available as an option to use once published.