Annapolis Mayor Michael Pantelides announces new building codes will go into effect tomorrow. The adoption of updates to the building codes, published by the International Code Council, was passed by City Council on February 13th.
Effective March 1, 2017 the following codes will take effect:
- 2015 International Building Code
- 2015 International Residential Code
- 2015 International Existing Building Code
- 2015 International Energy Conservation Code
- 2015 National Fuel Gas Code
- 2015 International Plumbing Code
- 2015 International Property Maintenance Code
- 2015 Swimming Pool and Spa Code
- 2011 National Electrical Code
- 2012 National Electrical Safety Code
Individuals working on a project in Annapolis need to know about a few changes:
- The city has adopted the International Plumbing Code, which benefits residents and commercial businesses alike. Our plumbing code is now the same as the Anne Arundel County Code, eliminating contractors and designers from having to make revisions and field corrections because they were using the wrong code.
- For construction projects in existing single family homes, the city has changed the requirements for sprinkler systems. The city no longer relies on the State Department of Assessment and Taxation’s value of the property. Starting in March, the requirement to install a sprinkler system will be determined by the size of the structure. If construction takes place in more than 50% of the structure, a sprinkler system is required to be installed.
- Finally the city has adopted the Swimming Pool and Spa Code. This solves one of the issues with the newest version of the building code. The 2015 version of the building code removed most of the swimming pool requirements and placed them into the stand alone code. The requirements don’t change significantly but it’s important to recognize where to find the building standards.
For more information on code updates, please contact John Menassa, Chief of Code Enforcement at 410-260-2200 ext 7808.
