In February, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) adopted its Policy Statement on Housing and Historic Preservation which includes the International Code Council’s International Existing Building Code (IEBC) as a resource for building conversions. The ACHP Policy Statement follows an October 2023 White House launch of a new guidebook to facilitate commercial to residential conversions to address post-pandemic office vacancies.

Created by the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the ACHP is an advisory council that works to promote the preservation, enhancement and sustainable use of diverse historic resources in the United States.

Adopted by 45 states, the IEBC encourages the continued use and reuse of existing buildings, including historic buildings, by enabling changes in occupancy and use types without requiring full compliance with building features otherwise required for new construction. The 2024 IEBC covers repair, alteration, addition and change of occupancy for both existing and historic buildings.

“The Code Council welcomes ACHP’s support for the role the IEBC can play in enabling building reuse—including of historic buildings, which present unique challenges,” said Code Council CEO Dominic Sims, CBO. “With the increased interest in converting underutilized commercial buildings to residential, it’s imperative that communities, design professionals and developers leverage the IEBC’s flexibilities, which can facilitate their efforts through faster completions and generate cost savings.”

The 2024 IEBC is now available for purchase. Learn more here.