Provision could impact safety of homes, buildings in state
By David Hodges
Published: Mar. 28, 2025 at 5:00 PM EDT|Updated: Mar. 28, 2025 at 6:40 PM EDT
RALEIGH, N.C. (WBTV) - The latest bill passed by the North Carolina General Assembly allocating an additional $500 million in funding for recovery from Hurricane Helene included a little-known provision that may impact the safety of homes and buildings across the state.
The little-known provision delays the implementation of North Carolina’s newly adopted building codes for at least a year.
That amendment to the original bill is why state Representative Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford) cast the lone vote against the funding bill.
“I know it’s difficult to vote against hurricane relief, because we haven’t provided nearly enough,” Rep. Harrison told WBTV. “But I just can’t continue to support bad policies being tucked into otherwise good bills.”
Rep. Harrison said the building code changes being pushed by her fellow state lawmakers and the North Carolina Home Builders Association have crossed a line.
“What we’ve been doing for the last 15 years is continuing to roll back the safety provisions in our building code and, right now, we’re operating under very dated building code,” Rep. Harrison said.
While the building code amendment delays implementing new codes passed by the North Carolina Building Code Council, it does not appear to stall code changes passed by state legislators over the past several years that already went into affect.
The amendment in the hurricane relief bill to delay the building codes was added by Senator Tim Moffit (R-Henderson). Moffitt told WBTV that delaying the new codes will allow flexibility for communities still rebuilding from the destruction and disaster.
“Delaying these for only a year makes a lot of sense,” Moffitt said. “The builder can use the 2024 codes, or they can use the existing codes until the new ones are signed off on.”
When Moffitt’s amendment was introduced in the Senate, it was approved on a 34-11 vote, with Democrats split between supporting and opposing the change.
“We just want to get back to the life we had before the storm, and the greatest obstacle we have is the requirements for floodplains,” Sen. Moffitt said.
Normally, building codes are studied, reviewed, debated and amended by industry experts at the international and state level. Last year, the state Legislature split the North Carolina Building Code Council into two groups: a residential council, and a commercial council. Those boards have not been seated yet.
The major code changes passed by state lawmakers come as WBTV has been investigating construction defect cases impacting homeowners across North Carolina.
---> More: North Carolina homeowners call for accountability from big builders
Before the House vote on the Helene relief bill, Rep. Harrison asked for an explanation of the building code delay. Rep. Mark Brody (R-Union), a homebuilder himself, was called on to address the House about why the delay was needed.
“There were some issues that we found somewhat problematic in the last code, but yet we did not take those out,” Rep. Brody said. “What we determined is that when a new code council is seated, that they will take them up.”
Brody didn’t mention how delaying the new building code impacts North Carolinians rebuilding after Hurricane Helene.
State lawmakers backed by homebuilders have found significant success in rewriting state building codes, overriding governor vetoes and overruling the building code council.
More than 10 bills have been filed in the 2025 session already that could have a significant impact on building codes and safety. That includes a bill that would allow some multi-story apartments to build with only one exit stairwell -- which one national expert said could increase danger if a fire broke out.
“The risk to occupants will be increased by increasing the height of single exit buildings,” fire safety expert Jeff Shapiro told WBTV.
Shapiro said a version of this bill is being proposed in states across the country, but the legislation in North Carolina “appears to be substantially more generous/less safe than what we’ve seen elsewhere.”
“Unfortunately, we will not know the true consequence of this until such buildings experience a fire and an occupant is trapped standing at a window four or more stories above grade, perhaps with no ability to be rescued.”
During the SouthPark apartment construction fire, Reuben Holmes and Demonte Sherill died while trapped on the far end from the only functional staircase on the site.
“I’ve been in the Legislature a long time, and I’ve watched how special interests influence how legislation and policies are drafted,” Rep. Harrison said. “We should have more pushback on the construction industry.”
State bills that could impact building codes, development
Below are links and summaries to bills filed in the North Carolina Legislature this year that could have a substantial impact on building codes, development and construction.
House Bill 184 aims to promote local sawmills by allowing the use of ungraded lumber in certain construction scenarios. This bill mandates amendments to the North Carolina Residential Code and Building Code to permit ungraded “dimension lumber” from small mills, provided specific conditions are met.
House Bill 309 aims to establish a specific building code classification for family child care homes within the state. The bill directs the Residential Code Council and Building Code Council to create this new occupancy classification.
Senate Bill 266 would create an exemption from certain floodplain regulations for property owners rebuilding structures damaged by historic flood events, defined as floods meeting or exceeding a 200-year flood.
Senate Bill 451 proposes reducing continuing education requirements by 50% for numerous occupational and professional licensing boards, such as architects, engineers, geologists, and other licensed professions.
Senate Bill 492 proposes amending the state’s building code to authorize single-exit stairways in certain multifamily residential buildings.
Senate Bill 602 would create a temporary waiver of certain state building code requirements for fire-resistant windows. This exemption would apply specifically to commercial buildings in downtown areas damaged by Hurricane Helene that are undergoing repairs to their original condition.
Senate Bill 700 proposes to create a new “Office of Engineering and Codes” within the Department of Labor. A primary function of this new office would be to consolidate various existing councils, boards, and divisions related to building codes and manufactured housing, which are currently under the purview of the State Fire Marshal.
Senate Bill 705 proposes to limit agency rules that impose substantial financial costs. It mandates a fiscal note and approval by the Office of State Budget and Management for any proposed permanent rule change with an economic impact exceeding $1 million over five years.
Senate Bill 713 aims to restrict the ability of local governments to enact certain environmental regulations that are stricter than state or federal law with certain exceptions.
Senate Bill 755 outlines proposed modifications to the disciplinary authority of the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. The bill clarifies the process for filing complaints against licensed contractors, emphasizing that they must be written and sworn. It also introduces a requirement that applicants for general contractor examinations must have paid any outstanding court awards related to violations before being eligible to test.
Senate Bill 758 aims to promote the development of water and sewer infrastructure and streamline the allocation of these services for residential development. The bill places limitations on local government units, preventing them from imposing unauthorized conditions, or using certain scoring systems when allocating water and sewer services for new housing.
Copyright 2025 WBTV. All rights reserved.
