WA State Shoots Down Delay in Anti-Natural Gas Building Codes

Last Friday, the Washington State Building Code Council voted down a requested delay from 25 businesses and other entities involved in homebuilding.

  Building Industry Association of WA requested a delay

In case you had not heard, the Building Code Council (BCC) in an effort to sidestep the legislature, passed two large code changes having to do with natural gas. According to The Center Square: 

"In November, the building code council voted to mandate heat pumps in all new residential construction in Washington. Last April, the council mandated that new commercial and multi-family construction be outfitted with all-electric space heating and hot water systems."

These new requirements are looming, going into effect on July 1st of this year.  The Building Industry Association of WA (BIAW) and 24 other groups-entities requested a one-year delay, but it was voted down 8-4.

According to information provided by The Center Square, these new electric mandates are adding an average of $9,200 to the cost of a new home in WA, and will also cause significant issues with restaurants that utilize natural gas for cooking.

Data shows WA State homes are nearly 1/3 more expensive to build than in other states, with an average cost of $635,131 compared to the national average of $425,786, according to information released by the BIAW.  The BIAW says 81 percent of families in WA state cannot afford that steep of a home price.

Yet, as our state is facing a serious shortage of homes, the codes and other restrictions continue to be changed, making construction and purchasing more and more expensive.

The BIAW had made the request for the delay following last week's 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimous ruling that the City of Berkeley, CA could not make certain bans on natural gas delivery systems or usage because to do so violated Federal law.