This year, the city of Columbia is considering updating the local building code from the 2021 version to the 2024 International Building Code. Part of that decision will include adopting the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (Energy Code), which is designed to enhance energy efficiency standards. The City Council will make this decision based on recommendations from the Building Codes Commission and the Climate and Environment Commission, which oversee the city’s Climate Adaptation and Action Plan (CAAP).
In 2021, the city delayed implementing the Energy Code, citing higher costs, inventory shortages, and skilled labor issues. Now, three years later and still facing a housing crisis, the city should consider delaying the implementation of the Energy Code again.
The median price of a single-family home in Columbia hit another record — $375,000 — in June, and home appreciation shows no signs of slowing. Condo prices are also near all-time highs. A shortage of available homes to meet market demand fueled by population growth continues to drive prices higher, especially when 30-year fixed-rate mortgages dip below 7 percent. New code requirements will only increase the cost of owning and renting homes in Columbia, with some local estimates suggesting a $10,000 to $15,000 rise in construction costs for a single-family home with a 20- to 30-year payback time frame.
In the past, the city was able to implement and exclude parts of national building codes as recommended by our local commissions. Today many new homes are built with performance path compliance, using energy modeling software through building consultants to ensure a new home meets energy standards. Because of the software used for analysis, the city can no longer selectively approve parts of the code. It must either adopt the entire energy code as it is or not at all, ensuring the software used by the consultants accurately conforms to the energy code requirements.
Other parts of the country facing affordable housing issues are postponing the adoption of new building codes to help improve rental and homeownership affordability. Most notably, California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill into law that freezes residential building standards, with some exceptions, through 2031. The law also bans local municipalities from updating their building codes during this period. This same approach could help local affordability or at least slow the rate of home appreciation Columbia has experienced since 2013, a period in which the median price has risen by 115 percent.
Early adoption of building codes may seem sensible, but it can lead to unexpected issues. Code creation has political implications, as manufacturers lobby for requirements that would boost their sales. Several requirements in the 2021 Energy Code were eliminated in the 2024 Energy Code. By postponing adoption of new codes, builders won’t be required to install technological components (e.g., solar connections) during construction that won’t be used for years and may therefore need upgrades later.
I fully support energy efficiency and have invested a lot of time and money to make my 20-year-old home as efficient as possible and reduce my family’s carbon footprint. However, delaying the adoption of the 2024 Energy Code makes sense to help ease Columbia’s affordable housing crisis. A delay could help prevent further increases in construction costs, which are already rising due to economic issues, in addition to forthcoming significant increases in utility rates. It could also help avoid unintended consequences from adopting code items that don’t actually improve energy efficiency. Columbia should wait at least a year before adopting the new code to see how updates in the Energy Code are affecting housing costs elsewhere before making any more changes.
