Info on the new codes

I don’t feel the newspaper report was entirely clear about what we did in our last council meeting. In short, we are aligning ourselves with the rest of the country and what is happening at the state level. Let me explain:

What we did was nothing more than bringing our local codes in line with the International Code Council – specifically the 2009 International Building Code, 2009 International Plumbing Code, 2008 National Electrical Code, 2009 International Residential Code, 2009 International Mechanical Code, 2009 International Fire Code, 2009 International Fuel Gas Code, 2009 International Property Maintenance Code, and the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code.

The last time this was done was in 2003.

The new sprinkler requirements are just one part of the 2009 International Residential Codes standards. It is probably an inevitability that these standards will be eventually be adopted across the country. The sprinkler requirement for residential dwellings is receiving the most attention nationwide and many states are passing extensions to address it.

In Missouri, the sprinkler issue has already been worked out at the state level with the Missouri Home Builders Association. This year, Governor Nixon signed a bill into law delaying this mandate until 2012, until which time builders will be required to offer it as an option only for new homeowners. In January 2012 it will be required for all new homes and, in return for signing this bill, the Missouri Home Builders Association has agreed not to ask for another extension.

Our city, of course, will be subject to that extension, as state laws supersede our local ones – so local builders will not be required to install sprinklers in new residential developments until January 2012.

It’s worth noting that sprinkler systems have been proven to save lives and the cost of installation is expected to drop dramatically once this is a standard across the board in all states. Our fire chief told us that this was true in Arizona, which adopted its own similar sprinkler code in the 80s and saw both a measurable increase in lives saved and decreased cost of installation. It also helps protect the personal property of others around a home that is on fire.

It is estimated that it would cost an additional $1.40 per square foot currently, which would add about $1,400 onto the cost of a 1000 sq-ft home. But the savings in insurance premiums would help offset those costs.

Like all code revisions, these requirements are only for new construction, and current homeowners would obviously not be required to retrofit their existing homes with sprinklers.

The council felt it was doing the best for the safety of Kirksville’s citizens by bringing our codes in line with the minimal international standards, while keeping in mind that Missouri Builders Association has already worked out an extension for the sprinkler requirements with the governor, which we will abide by. We felt it was best to align Kirksville with what is happening at the state level.