Today, members of the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA), over 7,700 builders and trade partners in the state, applaud Governor Rick Scott for signing into law the Building Code Bill, which represents the collaborative work of many diverse organizations in the construction and homebuilding industry.
“Builders and trade partners worked hard with the legislature to make sure that very important building codes were implemented with Florida’s residents in mind,” stated Ray Puzzitiello, FHBA President. “These codes are essential to the building process and will move our industry in a resilient direction. We are thrilled that Governor Scott agrees.”
Improvements to the bill include corrections to a number of code changes, which occurred July 2015, that rendered over 1,000 home lots either unbuildable or added $2,000 of increased costs per lot. The intention of many of these lots were to build “affordable housing” for Florida’s growing workforce. The increased costs would have made the option of home ownership unobtainable.
The bill finalizes an effort begun last year that addresses the “tightness” of new home construction. The compromises in the bill represent an important code change that will help new homes in Florida to achieve energy efficiency in the most economic manner.
“We know that the issues within the previous building code have been improved,” says Rusty
Payton, FHBA CEO/Chief Lobbyist. “Working with our colleagues in the industry, we are able to enhance construction and homebuilding for Florida’s homebuyers, builders, and trade partners.