Complying with comprehensive legal and regulatory codes plays an essential role in constructing safe, energy-efficient, and “sustainable” buildings – and helps drive up the cost of Construction Insurance.
The International Code Council, a think tank of building officials and engineers, keeps writing increasingly complex building codes that cover every aspect of residential and commercial construction from foundation to roofs. Consider this: the ICC manuals doubled in thickness from 2003 to 2009. By adopting new ICC standards, local and state governments seek to limit their liability and protect their communities more effectively. The National Fire Protection Association and the International Fire Code Council have developed and adopted stronger building codes to protect building occupants and firefighters.
Continuing revisions and updates to building access standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act require extensive and costly improvements.
What was once seen as a moral obligation to sustainable building practices is becoming mandatory. You might have heard the terms Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze, which distinguish the “greenness” of a building. More and more municipalities are requiring new buildings to meet the rigorous LEED design, construction, operations, and maintenance standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Compliance with all of these legal and regulatory requirements is boosting construction costs and lengthening timetables throughout the nation. At the same time, failure to comply with building codes has triggered a significant increase in the number and size of insurance claims – which keeps driving up premiums – and pressures contractors to recover their costs by raising prices.
To help you keep up with the potpourri of building codes, keep your Construction insurance program protecting you and keep your premiums under control, feel free to consult the professionals at our agency. We’re here to serve!
