2018 Code Adoption Status
During the January 2020 meeting of the Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) it was announced that the 2018 version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) will be adopted and amended by Massachusetts. The BBRS has filed the paperwork with the Secretary of State’s Office for final promulgation. You can view the new Massachusetts amendments here: https://www.mass.gov/doc/780-cmr-ninth-edition-chapter-13-energy-efficiency-amendments-as-of-272020/download
Effective Adoption Date
The effective adoption date for the 2018 IECC was February 7, 2020. As with previous code adoptions, there will be a concurrency period, which will end November 7, 2020.
What Does This Mean to the Design/Build Community?
All projects that file for permit between February 7, 2020 and November 7, 2020 can apply either the MA amended 2015 IECC or the MA amended 2018 IECC. Permits applied for after November 7, 2020 are subject to compliance with the MA amended 2018 IECC.
There are many changes between the 2015 and 2018 editions of the codes of which designers, builders, owners, and AHJs need to be aware. If you are interested to learn more about the code changes or implications on your current or future projects, please contact us with questions.