Modular builder warns Vermont energy code could rot walls without building‑code enforcement

Jason Webster, co‑owner and operator of Huntington Homes, told the Vermont House Committee on Energy and Digital Infrastructure on April 29 that Vermont’s newest residential energy code is effectively unattainable without a statewide building‑code program and enforcement. Webster said the state has an energy code but no agency or licensing structure to administer or inspect single‑family residential construction, and he urged a measured policy response that pairs higher standards with the infrastructure to achieve them.

Webster said Vermont “truly stands alone in being, without a building code for single family residential housing. Every other state has one,” and warned that the mismatch between a higher energy standard and no inspection or licensing system is producing very low compliance and new technical risks. He told legislators his company employs about 85 people in East Montpelier and has built roughly 5,000 houses since 1978, and used those on‑the‑ground experiences to explain where the rules and practice conflict.

Why it matters: The committee is considering H.181, legislation tied to the 2024 energy code. Webster argued that raising the technical floor without building‑code oversight leaves homeowners and contractors exposed — contractors could face statutory liability to bring houses up to code, while homeowners risk hidden…