The Florida Building Code
The Florida Building Code became effective on March 1, 2002
and was created by the law ratified by Florida Legislature in 1998. The Florida
Building Commission was motivated to create the first state-wide building code
after Hurricane Andrew devastated South Florida on August 24, 1992.
Just because we have a statewide building code now, people assume we
have always had a building code in Florida.
New home buyers always ask me if the house they are buying is built to
code. As a home inspector we do not
quote code but the code in Florida is new.
If you are buying a home built before 2002 the question, "Is the
home built to code?" is not relevant.
South Florida Building Code
South Florida Building Code has been around much longer. The
reason for creating the South Florida Building Code was tropical and hurricane
storm damage. Between 1900 and 1950 108
Hurricanes affected the State of Florida resulting in 3,500 deaths and property
damage that would be equal to 4.5 billion dollars in today's currency.
In South Florida, a panel was formed and they worked with
the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and other research groups to
devise wind-loading design. They created a formula for calculating anticipated
wind loads from hurricane force winds, taking into account both the wind speed
and the height above ground. Miami-Dade
County commissioners voted October 29, 1957 and the South Florida Building Code
became effective in Miami-Dade County, December 31, 1957. Broward County later adopted a modified version
of the South Florida Building Code, Dade County Edition.
Florida Building Code Background
When Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida, it exhibited a
serious statewide deficiency in home construction standards. Our antiquated
system of locally administered building codes and enforcement was inadequate. A
statewide building code and enforcement agency was needed. Compliance or
enforcement in a single county could affect homeowner insurance companies
statewide.
Andrew broke all previous records for insurance losses at
the time, and was the direct source of Florida's worst insurance catastrophe.
Florida was seriously under-insured and overexposed; insurers suddenly
comprehended that all of the worst case calculations were completely
underestimated.
Many insurers just left Florida and the ones that stayed raised rates to staggering new levels in order to avoid the very real risk of sudden bankruptcy following another huge storm. Homeowners all over Florida were affected as they saw their rates rise drastically and found a lack of available new insurance threatening to pull the plug on development in every part of the state.
We were using the 5th Edition of the Florida Building Code from 2014. The Effective Date for the Florida Building Code 6th Edition (2017) is December 31, 2017.
Frank Carr is the Owner / Inspector at First Choice Home
Inspections in Deltona, FL serving Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Lake
Counties. Formerly in the building trades, Frank’s focus is a safe home
in the Orlando Metro and Daytona Beach areas of Central Florida and building FCHI. We believe that consumers have the right to expect
the highest standards of thoroughness, fairness and effectiveness from
their home inspector and that is exactly what we provide.
First Choice Home Inspections
Residential Home Inspections in Central Florida
(386) 624-3893
Website: http://1homeinspector.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/1stChoiceHomeIn
