Douglas County adopts updated building codes, including state electric-ready and wildfire resiliency requirements

The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners voted March 24 to adopt a package of updated building codes that staff said will provide designers and builders flexibility for new materials and methods and align the county with neighboring jurisdictions and state mandates. The resolution approved adoption of the 2024 International Codes, the 2024 IECC energy code, the 2026 National Electrical Code with local amendments, the Colorado model electric-ready and solar-ready code (with thresholds modified by the Planning Commission), and a Douglas County wildfire resiliency code adapted from the state model.

"The item before you today is a resolution to amend the current adopted Douglas County building codes," said Matthew Dabrowski, the county’s chief building official, during the presentation. Staff told the board the updates aim to enhance public safety, reflect new products on the market and maintain the county's insurance-service rating. Staff also reported outreach to builders, developers and the Home Builders Association (HBA); the planning commission reviewed the proposal March 2 and recommended certification and forwarding to the board with modifications.

Planning Commission modifications raised the thresholds in the Colorado model electric and solar-ready code’s definition section: changing the threshold for additions from 500 square feet to a test based on gross floor area (50 percent) and increasing the threshold for major renovations from 50 percent to 80 percent gross floor area. Staff said those modifications are included in the packet before the board.

Dabrowski told commissioners the state requires adoption of the electric-ready/solar-ready and wildfire resiliency codes in areas the county controls, and that Douglas County’s wildfire code is limited to unincorporated areas outside fire protection districts; much of the county’s populated areas fall under municipal or fire district authority. The presentation noted that staff received an HBA letter expressing concerns about the state wildfire code and urging consideration of legislative delay, but staff also said the HBA later submitted support for adopting the proposed codes.

Staff advised the board the new county codes would take effect July 1, 2026, and that one electrical-code provision described by staff would take effect Jan. 1, 2027. Commissioners said the proposed adoption follows earlier work sessions and thanked staff for outreach. No members of the public spoke during the hearing. A motion to adopt the resolution passed by voice vote with assents recorded as "I. I. I." indicating unanimous approval.

The resolution directs staff to implement the adopted amendments and to carry out any required administrative steps; commissioners noted the code updates do not include proposed permit-fee increases.