New Building Code Changes Approved
The Florida Building Commission recently approved a number of new regulations that construction professionals should be aware of. The new regulations result from bills passed earlier this year by the Florida Legislature.Florida HB 1A Becomes Law Impacting Approximately 85% of New Home Construction on West Coast, 30% on the East Coast
House Bill 1A was signed into law by Gov. Crist on January 30, 2007. The 25 percent average rate reduction in wind storm insurance Floridians are expected to see has been grabbing headlines. What are not receiving much attention are the HB 1A changes that provide long-term cost-savings to homeowners by increasing the survivability of homes during high-wind events.
Compliance Tools On Existing Buildings
By Richard Reynolds
• Guidelines and a template for compliance with the Florida Existing Building Code can be found at www.fhba.com.
The purpose of the Florida Existing Building Code (FEBC) is to provide some leniency in applying regular building code requirements to existing buildings. Thus an existing building may not need to meet all the requirements of the building code or the residential code. The intent is to encourage work on existing buildings without costs being so burdensome that rehabilitation work is prohibitive.