Fargo inspections staff review 2024 IBC/IRC changes, recommend local amendments

City of Fargo inspections staff reviewed proposed 2024 International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) changes and recommended a package of local amendments and deletions at a departmental meeting; staff made recommendations but the department did not vote to adopt the revised codes during the session.

The review, led by Sean Radnick, building official for the City of Fargo, covered a wide set of changes and local amendments across IBC Section 1809.5 and IRC chapters 1–24. Staff recommended modifying IBC 1809.5’s frost-protection exception to explicitly exempt certain freestanding, unheated storage buildings used for private or pleasure motor vehicle storage when they meet specified conditions — including an eave height threshold and that “the building is not normally occupied.” Radnick said these structures often receive only electrical service and do not require frost protection: “if they're not gonna be bringing in, water and they're just bringing in power, why we would need the frost protection for these buildings.”

Staff emphasized that many 2024 changes are editorial or organizational (restructured sections, clarified wording) rather than substantive. Still, they…