The City of Philadelphia Adopts a New Building Code for the First Time in a Decade
After nearly ten years of operating under the 2009 International Construction Code, in May 2018, Philadelphia City Council modernized the City’s commercial and multi-family building regulations by adopting the 2018 International Construction Code (2018 ICC). This move was made possible by legislation recently signed into law, which adopted the 2015 version of the ICC for the rest of the Commonwealth but expressly carved out permission for the City of Philadelphia to adopt the 2018 ICC. Supporters see it as a chance for Philadelphia to bolster its bona fides as a leader in both construction and sustainability on the state and national stage.
The 2018 ICC mandates the use of state-of-the-art materials, technology, and practices in order to obtain safer construction conditions and buildings. The code also responds to the effects of climate change and is a key step towards achieving the goal set by Mayor Kenney to reduce Philadelphia’s carbon emissions by eighty percent. To this end, the 2018 ICC has the potential to reduce the energy emissions of commercial and multi-family buildings by almost thirty percent. Because buildings in Philadelphia comprise over sixty percent of the City’s carbon emissions, such a decrease would be a major milestone in the City’s attempt to reach the eighty-percent reduction mark by 2050.
Some of the updates to the code include:
- New lighting regulations, such as more expansive occupancy sensor and space control requirements, as well as continuous dimming and daylight zone control
- Updates to the building envelope regulations, such as more stringent window to wall ratios and U-factor requirements for doors and skylights
- A stricter approach to insulation requirements for below grade walls, loading docks, and roofs
- New ventilation and air testing requirements in order to improve the health of building inhabitants
Advocates of the code’s adoption foresee multiple benefits. The updated code should improve fire safety and air quality in Philadelphia. More energy efficient buildings could decrease energy and utility expenses. Additionally, by using more modern materials and design that can better withstand Mother Nature, insurance costs may eventually drop.
Further, the process by which the 2018 ICC was adopted allowed, for the first time, for more local control by the City of Philadelphia and greater independence from Commonwealth-controlled legislation. This led to a more streamlined regulatory review process, which should benefit the City with respect to amendments or revisions.
Compliance with the new code will, of course, have its costs. Construction costs may increase by requiring more modern materials and practices. Further, contractors and subcontractors unfamiliar with the 2018 Code will need to get up to speed. All those connected with construction in the City of Philadelphia will need to identify how this significant building code update will impact their businesses.