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Milpitas council adopts 2025 California building codes with local amendments
Summary
The Milpitas City Council on Aug. 19 unanimously approved Ordinance No. 65.155 to adopt the 2025 California Building Standards Codes, including local amendments; staff said the changes raise baseline energy and safety standards and include a temporary restriction on new local amendments through 2031.
The Milpitas City Council unanimously approved Ordinance No. 65.155 on Aug. 19 to adopt by reference the 2025 California Building Standards Codes, the council said during a regularly scheduled meeting.
The ordinance adopts the 2025 California Building Code, Residential Code, Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing codes, the 2025 California Energy Code and Green Building Standards, the Wildland-Urban Interface Code and related reference standards and international codes, with local amendments carried forward from the 2022 cycle.
The change matters because the 2025 cycle raises baseline requirements for new construction and incorporates measures to improve safety, resiliency and energy performance. "The baseline for new construction incorporates a lot of the things that we had on our reach codes previously, like electrification," Bill Tutte, the city building official, said during the council meeting. Tutte said the energy code now contains efficiency thresholds that "pretty much preclude the use of a standard tank hot water heater because they can't meet that efficiency level." He added the changes increase efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions without imposing an outright ban on gas appliances.
Tutte summarized the adoption timeline and the scope of the update, noting the city maintains many of its existing local amendments into the new code cycle. He also told the council that a recent state budget trailer bill places a temporary restriction on local amendments: under that provision the city generally cannot adopt new local amendments except for limited exceptions until June 1, 2031.
Councilmember Chua moved to approve the ordinance as recommended by staff; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Lian and passed on a unanimous vote.
The adoption starts a period of education and training for local builders, permit applicants and staff, councilmembers said. During the presentation Tutte emphasized that the new energy and green building provisions are intended to raise minimum performance standards and to encourage electrification and efficiency in design and equipment selection.
The council did not receive substantive public opposition during the hearing. A member of the public, Voltaire Montemayor, spoke in support, saying safety and seismic resilience were important considerations.
The council’s action updates the Milpitas Municipal Code to reflect the statewide 2025 code package with the local amendments listed in the ordinance text; the city manager and staff will proceed with outreach and implementation tasks noted in the staff report.
