State building committee forwards IRC/IBC package, including modular-construction standards, to full council

The Building Code Council(BRFW) committee voted on Sept. 12 to forward a package of residential-code proposals from the IRC technical advisory group to the full council for adoption and CR102 public filing.

Dustin, staff to the committee, summarized the package as roughly 42 proposals the TAG reviewed and largely recommended to move forward. "We had good consensus on all these proposals," he said, noting the packet includes significant-changes and existing-amendments reports prepared by the IRC TAG.

The package includes a petition to incorporate three ICC Modular Building Institute reference standards (noted in the materials as MBI 1200, 1205 and 1210) into WashingtonState amendments. Todd Favor, who temporarily stepped down from chair duties to represent the proponent, told the committee the standards would create "a pathway that parallels" existing manufacturer and premanufactured-home processes. "This simply introduces new ICC MBI standards developed for off-site construction," he said.

Committee members pressed for additional scrutiny of a small number of items and asked the proponent to secure Labor & Industries input and any updated national comments from the ICC before the council meeting. "If there were changes in the second hearings at the ICC level, that would be brought forward in the CR102 if it was still in play," Favor said.

Dan Young moved the TAG recommendations and the related reports to the full council; the motion was seconded and approved by unanimous oral vote. The committee recorded the action as a recommendation for adoption by the full State Building Code Council at its next meeting.

Why it matters: The changes will feed into the public-rulemaking filing (CR102) that opens proposals to public comment and is the step before potential adoption into the state code. Incorporating MBI reference standards would create a clearer, statewide pathway for off-site construction and factory inspection practices; proponents said the move could reduce project-by-project alternative methods and provide predictability for manufacturers.

What comes next: Staff will post the CR102 materials and proponents were asked to return with L&I comments, any ICC comment responses, and information about other statesthat have adopted similar standards. The council will consider the package at its next meeting.