How to keep your old house up to date with current building codes
When embarking on a large renovation or restoration of a historic home
it is likely you will not escape a visit from the local building
inspector, whose first instinct may not be focused on preserving the
historic integrity of your home. If you are concerned about preserving
its historic features, the challenge to do so while meeting modern
building codes (especially as they grow increasingly stringent) may seem
daunting. The first step is to talk to your local official. No matter
the state or town you live in, it is vital to develop an open, honest
relationship and keep communication flowing. The second step is to delve
into your state’s current building code to see what avenues are
available for negotiation and compromise.
To find out more, check out the full story on our Hot Topics page.
Alt codes for historic resources
•The Uniform Code for Existing Buildings and the Guidelines for the Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings, 2000 (merged with International Code Council in 2000);
•The International Existing Building Code, 2003;
•The Provisions (Chapter 15) of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 5000: Building Construction and Safety Code, 2003;
•NFPA 914: Code for Fire Protection of Historic Structures (has extensive information both prescriptive and performance based, but it contains over 2,000 pages);
•Draft Code for Historic Buildings, 2000;
•Chapter 34 of The International Building Code, 2000 (is for existing buildings and may not work very well for historic buildings. And, a newer edition may exist? As the newer editions removed Chapter 34.);
•The Life Safety Code in NFPA 101 – 2009 contains minimum requirements for existing buildings life safety and Chapter 5 has a performance based evaluation section;