Published Article
ICC Unveils Redesigned 2024 I-Codes
Read Time: 1 minEarlier this month, the International Code Council (ICC), an international standard-setting organization that emphasizes building safety, started releasing the 2024 editions of its International Codes (I-Codes), including its 2024 International Plumbing Code and 2024 International Zoning Code. By the first quarter of next year, the ICC will publish its entire slate of 2024 I-Codes, which will include an updated International Building Code, International Residential Code, and International Energy Conservation Code.
Altogether, the ICC’s 2024 update revises more than a dozen I-Code standards and includes more than one thousand code changes, with a continued focus on energy efficiency. New features this year include embedded QR codes (for cross-referencing updates, revisions, and other code changes) and a near-field communication (NFC) pilot program (for linking code books and other physical documents with the ICC’s web or app-based subscription services). In addition, beginning with the 2024–2026 code development cycle, which will culminate with the release of the 2027 edition of the I-Codes, the ICC and its committees approved several procedural changes, including expanding the development process to a single, continuous three-year cycle (instead of multiple one-year cycles) and adjustments to the Public Comment Hearing period.
Understanding how the I-Codes affect construction and building safety requirements is critical for anticipating legal challenges. The ICC, through its various committees, updates the I-Codes on three-year cycles—with state, municipal, and local adoption usually trailing several years behind. While the I-Codes themselves are not legally binding, eventually, most U.S. jurisdictions will either adopt them as written or with amendments. As a result, the I-Codes are a reliable tool not only for anticipating building, manufacturing, and safety requirements but also for gauging future regulatory enforcement activity.
Reprinted with permission from the American Bar Association’s Business Law Today September Month-In-Brief: Business Regulation & Regulated Industries.