The International Code Council announced that the code change submission window has been expanded to Thursday, January 11, at midnight Pacific Time for the 2018 Group A International Codes (I-Codes). This extension from the previous January 8 deadline is intended to reduce stress following the post-holiday work rush and provide extra time to submit proposals. All proposals must be submitted through the online code development website, cdpACCESS.

The I-Codes are the most widely used and adopted set of building safety codes in the U.S. and result in the highest level of building safety in the industrial world. The code change submission process marks the beginning of the ICC code development process for the 2021 I-Codes. This process takes place every three years and is open, transparent and inclusive. All interested parties are encouraged to participate in the process by submitting a code change proposal, testifying at the code hearings or applying for a position with a Code Development Committee.

The Group A Codes include the International Building Code (IBC-E, IBC-FS, IBC-G); International Fire Code; International Fuel Gas Code; International Mechanical Code; International Plumbing Code; International Property Maintenance Code; International Private Sewage Disposal Code; International Residential Code (IRC-M, IRC-P); International Swimming Pool and Spa Code; International Wildland-Urban Interface Code; and International Zoning Code.

The next steps in the process are the posting of the code change agenda on Wednesday, February 28, and the Committee Action Hearings (CAH) in Columbus, Ohio, on April 15-25. The CAH offers code and fire officials, architects, builders, engineers, designers, plumbing, mechanical, and energy conservation professionals, and others an opportunity to provide input on proposed code changes to the Group A Codes.

Additional resources:

• To submit a code change proposal, visit www.cdpaccess.com. Anyone can submit a code change, but registration is required. Registration is free and only takes a few minutes.
• For more information about cdpACCESS, visit www.iccsafe.org/cdpaccess.
• For more information about the code development process, click here.
• To register for the April Committee Action Hearings, click here.