The California Building Standards Commission has adopted new building standards

East Bay Business Times - 10:47 AM PST Monday

The California Building Standards Commission has adopted new building standards that will bring the state more in line with the rest of the country.

The new codes incorporate international building and fire standards with new California-specific codes such as the latest seismic standards and regulations for wildfire prone areas.

Many state offices had a hand in the creation of the new codes.

The new regulations include approval of CPVC plastic pipe for use in residential water supplies.

State standards for new buildings in the past several years were based in part on the Uniform Building Code, last updated in 1997.

Construction industry groups welcome the update. Matthew Wheeler, public affairs director of the California Building Officials, says updating the building code in California has been a top priority for the last several years.

"For a state that's been on the forefront of leadership, we certainly were not in this area," Wheeler told the Business Journal in January. "From our standpoint, public safety was compromised."

The new code will be published in July and become effective Jan. 1, 2008. Besides the new international codes, the publication will include portions of the 2005 National Electrical Code, the 2006 Uniform Mechanical Code and the 2006 Uniform Plumbing Code.

More information about the commission and building code issues can be found in www.bsc.ca.gov.