The Florida Building Code Commission recently voted to strengthen the proposed statewide building code, calling for homes in coastal areas to be equipped with hurricane shutters or impact-resistant gl…
The Florida Building Code Commission recently voted to strengthen the proposed statewide building code, calling for homes in coastal areas to be equipped with hurricane shutters or impact-resistant glass. This third draft of the proposed code will be the subject of another public hearing on 6 December in Orlando, Florida. From there, it moves to the state Legislature for debate during its spring session. Statewide adoption of the code is to take place in 2001. Cecil Pearce, president of the Florida Insurance Council, said the stronger codes send the right message to primary insurers and reinsurers. “It says we recognize we sit in Hurricane Alley and are willing to do the things we need to build safe homes. Over the long haul, that impacts insurance.” For consumers, Pearce said, it should reduce property damage and bodily injury and save lives. Roger Schmelzer, vice president, regulatory affairs, for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, said the stronger codes should help mitigate damage. “We“d like to not have to pay a huge amount of claims,” he said. The Building Commission adopted the proposed code during an 8 November meeting in Naples, Florida. Homes in Miami“s coastal Dade County already were required to have hurricane shutters or impact-resistant glass. The Commission“s vote extends that requirement to all of Florida“s coastal counties. Rick Dixon, executive director of the Florida Building Commission, said the code gives the option of designing a building that encloses the exposed areas, or glazing window and door glass for increased wind resistance. Opponents in the home-building profession have balked at adopting these stronger codes for the entire state. One of their arguments presented to the building commission is that stronger codes will add to the cost of a new home. “Who knows if that will really be the case,” Schmelzer said. “I don“t think anybody knows until they put this in effect. The builders are in the business of building homes affordably. I can“t see anybody pricing anything 10 to 15% higher without pricing it less first.” Pearce said for the next 10 to 15 years, the proposed code might cost consumers US$ 500 to US$ 1,000 more for a home, but the long-term costs would be negligible. Savings could also come in the form of reduced assessments for the Florida Residential Property & Casualty Joint Underwriting Association and the Florida Windstorm Underwriting Association, Pearce said. Opponents have also argued the stronger provisions aren“t needed in every part of the state, because not every part of Florida is hurricane-prone, particularly the northern part. But every county in Florida has had a hurricane watch or warning in the past two years, said Leslie Chapman Henderson, executive director of the Florida Alliance for Safe Homes. The Florida Building Commission has been working since July 1998 to establish a code to bring all 67 counties under one, uniform standard that addresses all regional and local special concerns as well as statewide concerns. Public hearings have been held since July, and the draft of the proposed statewide code has seen some revisions. The December 6 meeting allows for more amendments to this third draft, Dixon said.