The Sunnyvale City Council on Sept. 30 voted 5–0 to adopt a package of local amendments to implement the 2025 California building standards, including updates to the building, residential, mechanical, plumbing and electrical codes as well as green building and energy provisions.

What council adopted

The ordinance amends Title 16 of Sunnyvale’s municipal code to reference the 2025 California Building Code and related state model sections, with local amendments that are permitted provided they do not reduce state safety levels. Major local changes flagged by staff include administrative updates (permit timelines, document retention, address procedures), a new local definition for newly constructed buildings that triggers full compliance when a structure is altered beyond 50% of its value, strengthened fire‑resistant roofing requirements (raising the minimum from class C to class B in some locations), and special inspection requirements for high‑rise fire‑resistive construction.

Energy and electrification

Staff noted that the city’s earlier reach‑code work — including electric‑readiness and heat‑pump measures — was coordinated with these updates and that the green building code changes reflect the state’s reorganization of green‑building provisions.

Council process and vote

Council Member Jen Cisneros moved to approve the ordinance (with updated findings provided to council); the motion was seconded and passed unanimously, 5–0 (Council Members Mellinger and Lay absent). The amended local code will be enforced on the state schedule with a Jan. 1, 2026 effective date for the 2025 state cycle.

Why it matters: Adopting the 2025 codes with locally tailored edits preserves Sunnyvale’s ability to require higher local standards for safety (for example, roof coverings and special inspections) while keeping the city aligned with statewide technical updates that take effect every three years.