HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 06/10/2025 - Memorandum from Marcus Coldiron re Adoption of the 2024 Building Codes updateCommunity Development and
Neighborhood Services
281 North College Avenue
PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522
970-416-2324
mcoldiron@fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
Date: 6/4/2025
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Caryn Champine, Director, Planning, Development & Transportation
Lori Schwarz, AICP, PDT Deputy Director, Community Development and
Neighborhood Services Director
From: Marcus Coldiron, Chief Building Official
Subject: Adoption of the 2024 Building Codes update
BOTTOM LINE
The purpose of this memo is to provide council with an update on the adoption and timeline for
the 2024 Building Codes. The 2024 International Codes (2024 I-Codes) represent the most up-
to-date, comprehensive, and fully integrated body of codes regulating building construction and
systems using prescriptive and performance-related provisions. The purpose of these codes is to
establish the minimum construction requirements to safeguard the public health, safety, and
general welfare by regulating structural strength and stability, sanitation, light and ventilation,
energy conservation, and property protection from hazards attributed to the built environment
within the City of Fort Collins.
BACKGROUND
Since 1924, the City of Fort Collins has periodically reviewed, amended, and adopted the latest
nationally recognized building standards available for the times. The City has updated the
minimum construction standards 17 times since 1924.
The 2024 International Codes will replace the 2021 editions of the International Building Code,
International Residential Code, International Mechanical Code, International Fuel Gas Code,
International Energy Conservation Code, Internation Existing Building Code, International
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Swimming Pool and Spa Code, International Property Maintenance Code and Colorado Plumbing
Code, all of which were adopted on April 15th, 2022.
Building codes and standards are reviewed and voted on by code officials and construction
industry professionals from across the country and published every three years under the
oversight of the International Code Council (ICC). These core 2024 I-Codes represent the latest
construction publications from ICC.
REVIEW PROCESS
The implementation of new building standards can impact the construction industry and local
economy. To better understand these impacts, a code review committee is convened to review
the new codes and all local amendments. In addition to representation from several surrounding
jurisdictions, the code review committee represents a wide spectrum of volunteers from across
the local construction industry including private developers, residential and commercial builders,
architects, engineers, representatives from the energy conservation sector, and Poudre Fire
Authority.
Starting in March 2025, the code review committee began meeting to discuss new code, proposed
amendments, and current amendments. This committee will continue to meet through July 2025
and will conclude with a vote to move for adoption of the 2024 I-Codes and amendments. While
this review process requires considerable time and resources, it produces enforceable and
effective building codes and amendments that the community and construction industry create
and support together while continuing to align with the City’s goals and priorities.
KEY ANTICIPATED UPDATES AND CHANGES
A handful of new amendments are being proposed, some of which support the City’s sustainability
and Our Climate Future goals. Part of the focus for this adoption is to simplify our local
amendments and achieve greater alignment regionally. There are also several state bills and laws
in different stages of approval that may have significant impact to building codes throughout the
state.
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Some current amendments are now represented in the new 2024 code as written (codes have
caught up to us) and will be proposed to be deleted, while other amendments that did not have
the intended outcomes, have proven to be ineffective or were cumbersome as written will also be
proposed to be deleted or modified.
State bills/laws:
• HB25-1273: Residential building stair modernization.
Signed by the Governor on 5/13/2025, this bill requires any jurisdiction with a population
over 100,000 to adopt a building code to allow up to 5 stories of a multifamily residential
building that satisfies certain life/safety requirements to be served by a single exit.
• Colorado model electric ready and solar ready codes.
This law requires that any City and counties with building code must adopt the 2021 IECC
along with the model electric ready and solar ready code, also including provisions for
electric vehicles, when updating any building code between July 1, 2023, and June 30,
2026.
o Note: Due to previous building code adoptions, current code meets or exceeds
these requirements and as such, no additional action is required by the City.
• SB23-166: The Colorado wildfire resiliency code bill.
Signed into law in 2023, This bill established a Wildfire Resiliency Code Board that was
tasked with defining the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and adopting rules for jurisdictions
in an area within the WUI by July 1, 2025. These rules will include a requirement that
jurisdictions adopt a code, such as the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code within
a predetermined timeline (currently proposed as 9 months after the July 1, 2025 date).
Local amendment highlights:
• EV Charging: After introducing EV charging requirements in the 2021 building code
adoption, staff has received significant feedback regarding the implementation and impact
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of these requirements on new and existing developments and buildings. Staff will be
working with the code adoption committee to identify what opportunities exist, if any, to
add some flexibility of choice in the application of the requirements while still maintaining
strong alignment with city plans and Council priorities. This could include some trade-off
options for builders and developers that want to install more EV chargers than the
minimum required by code. Changes will also include reworking language to better align
with the recently adopted changes to the Land Use Code.
• Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) appendix: Adoption of this appendix will allow flexibility in
adding an ADU to an existing dwelling. The provisions in the appendix allow for tradeoffs
that lessen the complexity, the construction waste, and financial impacts of the project
while maintaining equivalent life and safety considerations.
• Energy Code: An energy code path to zero carbon building for new construction by 2030
is currently in development. To reach this goal, Fort Collins plans to implement
performance code, or a modeled approach to energy (e.g. energy use index or EUI) and
carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) compliance targets for code years 2024, 2027, and
2030. Establishing targets out to year 2030 will enable the building community to plan
years in advance. This also moves new construction beyond the traditional prescriptive
code approaches in the International Energy Conservation Code with a focus on debiasing
the code from fossil fuels. This is achieved through a departure from energy cost
compliance that is replaced with EUI and CO2e target compliance.
The City’s approach would encourage a shift to efficient electric space and water heating
that results in improved comfort, health and safety, electric grid resiliency, reduced energy
burden, and the intent to improve cost of construction. Once established, EUI and CO2e
targets for new construction will subsequently require higher performance each code cycle
through a stepped approach to the 2030 code. Recognized as an innovative approach,
the City was awarded a U.S. Department of Energy federal grant in July of 2023 through
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The areas of interest within the project are on
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local code development and adoption, workforce training and education, implementation
and compliance, equity, energy and environmental justice, and partnerships.
• Water demand calculator (WDC): The WDC is a method used to right-size plumbing
distribution system in residential buildings, by using a more accurate method to estimate
peak flow rate. The proposed code requires the WDC be used for multi-unit residential
and allows it as optional for single-unit residential. The current method outlined in the IPC
has not been updated in decades to account for greater fixtures’ efficiency levels installed
in today’s buildings. Actual peak flows are much lower today than the current method uses.
Right sizing plumbing distribution systems inside a building can save on water
development fees and costs before construction, material costs during construction, and
energy and water use after occupancy.
• Visitability (guest accessibility): A visibility amendment was added and adopted with the
2021 building codes. Visitability is a common term used in building and accessibility codes.
However, the definition and requirements associated with visitability vary between those
codes. For added clarity and ease of understanding, our local amendment will propose
changing the nomenclature to “guest accessibility”. Additionally, allowing the required
main floor guest accessible bathroom to be accessed from a bedroom, in addition to the
living, dining or kitchen, will add additional flexibility in design while still providing improved
accessibility.
• Temporary Emergency Uses: As a long-standing program, the permitting process and
life/safety requirements associated with community based and seasonal overflow shelters
by way of an alternative means of compliance, will now be proposed to be codified. This
allows facilities, after obtaining a building permit and meeting all life/safety requirements,
to operate as a community-based shelter for no more than 180 days in a 12-month period
and seasonal overflow shelters to operate from the beginning of November through the
end of April.
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This amended appendix to the International Existing Building Code also provides the
ability to extend temporary uses to other existing structures in the case of an emergency
event declared by local, state or federal entities.
NEXT STEPS
Following the conclusion of the code review committee in July, staff will present the proposed
building codes and local amendments to numerous Boards and Commissions and external
community groups, seeking additional feedback and participation prior to bringing them to Council
for adoption by the end of the year. The anticipated effective date of the updated codes is January
1, 2026.
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