The International Code Council (ICC) has announced that the state of New Jersey under the guidance of its Department of Community Affairs, Division of Codes and Standards, in partnership with the state's municipalities and affiliated code officials, has adopted its 2018 International Codes (I-Codes). New Jersey continues to lead the nation in adopting the most up-to-date building and safety codes available in the industry and implementing them with a network of highly trained, dedicated code enforcement officials.

“The decision to adopt and enforce the latest model codes places New Jersey at the forefront of protecting the health and safety of its residents,” said Code Council Board President William R. Bryant, MCP, CBO. “We encourage all jurisdictions to update the codes on a three-year cycle as technology around the building trades evolves and becomes more advanced.”

The I-Codes are the most widely used and adopted set of building safety codes in the United States and around the world. The Code Council updates the I-Codes every three years to incorporate the latest technologies. The codes are developed using an open, governmental consensus process in compliance with the OMB A-119 requirements for U.S. national voluntary consensus codes and standards. The Code Council also develops a number of standards that cover important topics such as accessibility, energy efficiency, solar, bleachers and grandstands, log structures, storm shelters, residential dwellings in high-wind regions, and green construction using an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited process.

“Safety is the number one priority, especially in this day in age,” added Stephen Jones, New Jersey’s governmental relations regional manager at the Code Council. “The I-Codes provide minimum safeguards for people at home, at school and in the workplace. Having the latest technology readily available in New Jersey helps protect its residents against building failures, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, high-rise fires and other modern-day disasters. As the state continued to recover from the devastating effects of Superstorm Sandy, New Jersey’s officials recognized the need to provide its residents with the highest level of construction safety possible. The adoption of the latest editions of the I-Codes help to ensure structural integrity and resilience for all of New Jersey’s residents.”

The latest model codes are designed to save both time and resources after a disaster occurs. Homes and buildings that are built in compliance with the most current building safety codes result in resilient structures that minimize the risks of death, injury and property damage. Research shows that every dollar spent on mitigation saves about $11 taxpayer dollars in future disaster recovery costs.

Safety, top-notch technology, more money and a growing economy are all advantages brought to the Garden State with the newly signed codes. Building codes also play a central role in a wide range of industries that are crucial to providing jobs for workers, such as contractors, engineers, builders and architects.

The full list of adopted 2018 I-Codes in New Jersey as of Sept. 3, 2019, can be found on the State of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs website. More information about the latest building and safety codes can be found at www.iccsafe.org.