At an Off-Site Construction Summit on June 9, 2023, the International Code Council and the Modular Building Institute (MBI) are launching a U.S. national initiative focused on the adoption of standards for off-site construction. ICC/MBI Standards 1200 and 1205 capture best practices to streamline the deployment of off-site projects.

Communities throughout the U.S. and globally are struggling with housing affordability. In the U.S. alone we have seen housing costs rise 52% from 2017 to 2022. Off-site construction offers an affordable solution that reduces construction timelines and costs by 20% while providing sustainability benefits with the potential to reduce material waste by more than 80%. Despite the significant benefits that can be achieved through off-site construction, some barriers are limiting uptake, including varying state and local regulatory requirements and a lack of understanding of the off-site construction process.

“Currently, a patchwork of compliance processes exists for off-site construction, hindering some of the efficiency gains that modular projects can provide,” said Ryan Colker, vice president of innovation at the International Code Council. “The ICC/MBI standards provide a consistent approach for state and local governments that can accelerate the opportunities off-site construction provides, including much-needed access to affordable housing.”

Off-site construction has been identified as a key strategy to advance national, state and local priorities around increasing the availability and affordability of housing, addressing workforce challenges and workplace safety and enhancing sustainability and resilience. The current administration recognized this opportunity in the Housing Supply Action Plan and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is supporting research to help expand its use.

“One factor contributing to high housing costs is the inability of the residential construction industry to supply enough new housing units to meet demand, and off-site construction provides a solution,” said Tom Hardiman, CAE, executive director of the Modular Building Institute. “Consistency in requirements based on the ICC/MBI Standards enhances off-site construction’s ability to fill those gaps efficiently and safely.”

The Code Council is collaborating with HUD on the June 9 Off-Site Construction Summit to bring together key stakeholders from across the building industry to identify solutions through public policy and governmental actions. Additional information on the Summit, including registration information, is available here. The summit is part of HUD’s annual Innovative Housing Showcase event on June 9-11.

ICC/MBI Off-Site Construction Standards

• ICC/MBI Standard 1200-2021: Planning, Design, Fabrication, and Assembly – Provides requirements for designers, manufacturers, transporters and assemblers to assure that off-site construction components are produced under a quality assurance/quality control process and that they can demonstrate compliance with building code requirements.
• ICC/MBI Standard 1205-2021: Inspection and Regulatory Compliance – Addresses the compliance verification process including permitting, in-plant and on-site final inspections, third-party inspections, the role of industrialized building departments, state modular programs and the authority having jurisdiction.