NH: Statewide Residential Building Code Signed into Law

Representatives of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of New Hampshire joined local building code and code review board officials, legislative sponsors and Governor John Lynch at a ceremony on May 10th to sign SB 234 into law. The new law adds the International Residential Code 2000 to the statewide building code for New Hampshire.                                                                                

"Over regulation of the housing market, especially by local governments, continues to be a major cost driver for housing in New Hampshire," said HBRANH President Ed Stewart, CGR. "The enactment of a statewide residential building code is a major step in helping reduce over regulation.

SB 234 was one of the signature pieces of legislation that the HBRANH asked to be introduced this legislative session and the association put on a strong push with legislators to gain approval.

HBRANH worked with other groups such as the New Hampshire Building Officials Association and conumer groups to pass this important legislation.

This law encourages greater consumer safety by ensuring that building codes are up to date, improves the ease of compliance and enforcement, and reduces administrative costs associated with having to comply with a myriad of local building codes.

In its testimony before the relavant commmittees that took up the bill, Kendall Buck, Executuve Vice President of the HBRANH stated that it was not uncommon for three neighboring towns to follow three different building codes or to reference different editions of the same code.  This complexity translated into confusion for builders, who had to adhere to different, sometimes out-of-date requirements when working in multiple municipalities, and problems for towns with training and enforcement.

Additionally, some municipalities have no building codes that owners and contractors must follow and this could lead to substandard and, possibly, unsafe construction practices.

Ultimately, home owners and taxpayers foot the bill for this regulatory inefficiency.  Construction delays, reconstruction necessitated by building errors and additional administrative costs associated with complying with multiple building codes all serve to increase construction costs for home owners. 

"We want to recognize the work of all the bill sponsors, most notably Senator Bob Clegg and Representative Will Infantine, for their efforts on this important issue," said Kendall Buck, Executive Vice President of the HBRANH. "Their work not only has improved safety for consumers, but provides a major step forward in bringing greater affordability to the state's housing market."

The new law goes into effect on July 8, 2006, and will be administered by the NH Building Code Review Board.

For more information about New Hampshire's new residential building code law, e-mail Kendall Buck with the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of New Hampshire, or call him at 603-228-0351. [ return to top ]