Coastal Smart Growth Home: Getting Started: Rehab Codes

REHAB CODES

To encourage renovation of historic buildings, communities may have to adopt “rehab” codes to offset the unintended barriers to redevelopment that standard building codes for new construction may contain.

How to Get Started

Nationally Applicable Recommended Rehabilitation Provisions

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development supported the preparation of the NARRP, which sets forth a recommended framework for addressing all types of work in every type of building. These provisions are intended to be suitable for use by State and local jurisdictions or model code organizations with a minimum of adaptation.


Smart Codes in Your Community: A Guide to Building Rehabilitation Codes
cover

This guide produced by Building Technology Inc provides a broad overview of the general regulatory environment governing the use and reuse of existing buildings. It also provides examples of state and local efforts to reduce regulatory complexity and suggests possible strategies for encouraging the adoption of “smart codes” at the state and local level.


International Existing Building Code

The International Code Council has an existing building code, which includes a chapter on historic buildings. This building code establishes minimum regulations for existing buildings using prescriptive and performance-related provisions. It is intended to encourage the use and reuse of existing buildings while requiring reasonable upgrades and improvements.


Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings

The National Park Service has an existing building code, which includes a chapter on historic buildings. This building code establishes minimum regulations for existing buildings using prescriptive and performance-related provisions. It is intended to encourage the use and reuse of existing buildings while requiring reasonable upgrades and improvements.

(top)