Earlier this summer, the state’s Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Department (LARA) submitted rules for final publication that would put the 2021-International Residential Code (IRC) into place as our Michigan Residential Code (MRC). This was their second attempt to move these proposed changes and your state association has steadfastly objected to this for nearly two years. The 2021-IRC, particularly its energy efficiency requirements, are inflexible and outdated.

In mid-December, LARA held a public hearing on whether the state should adopt the recently published 2024-International Residential Code (IRC). HBA Leaders from across the state attended, (with hundreds of others submitting electronic comments) encouraging the state to do just that. “We believe strongly that the state should scrap attempts to put an outdated and inflexible 2021 model code in place and proceed with the 2024-IRC,” said HBAM Building Code Committee Chair, Aaron VanderMeulen from Holland. Michigan has not updated its residential code in nearly ten years and an update needs to happen. By law, such updates are required to be made at least once every six years.

A Few of the Top Reasons HBAM Believes the State Should Adopt the 2024-IRC:

1.         It is the latest and most modern, updated model code now available and we would be one of the first states to put it in place, making our state a true leader. Further, it will enable us to get back into a proper sequence of updating our state’s residential code. Enacting the 2021 code now would mean we would continually be behind going forward, as the state could not update again until 2028.

2.         The 2024-IRC will be easier for building officials to enforce and result in quicker processes to get new homes built. There is a more consistent grouping of content in the 2024-IRC and there are QR codes throughout that provide links to more detailed explanations of what those provisions mean. 

3.         The 2024-IRC will save more energy than the 2021 residential code currently being advanced by LARA. Recent estimates show that it would result in 6% to 7% more energy efficiency gains and provide more flexibility to builders to meet energy saving requirements. It would also encourage energy efficiency savings that the 2021 doesn’t through a point/credit scoring system.

4.         The energy efficiency chapter of this model code was developed through an ANSI-certified peer review process that included a consensus committee made up of diverse experts, including representatives from the building industry but also from the U.S. DOE, American Chemistry Council, Natural Resources Defense Council, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy and others. They all voted through this consensus process to support what is now Chapter 11 (energy section) of the 2024-IRC. This process was NOT used for the 2021 code and that’s why only 5 states have adopted it since it was published nearly 4 years ago.

At the time this issue of Michigan Builder went to print, there had been no indication or decision on whether the State of Michigan would jump to the 2024-IRC. Stay tuned.