Building Codes Assistance Project

On December 3, 2008, the D.C. City Council adopted new residential and commercial building codes that incorporate many energy efficiency and green building standards. Replacing the previous code based on the 2000 IECC that was adopted in 2003, the 2008 D.C. Construction Codes (PDF - 3.8 MB) have been developed from ASHRAE 90.1-2007 for commercial buildings (about 7% more stringent than the standard in place for neighboring Virginia and Maryland) and the "30% Solution" for residential buildings (about 30% more stringent than the standard in place for Virginia and Maryland), which was a comprehensive package of amendments offered at the 2009 International Code Council hearings in September.

The new codes also contain several greening amendments recommended by the D.C. Green Building Advisory Council (GBAC), including (among others) cool roofs, on-site stormwater retention, and low-flow residential and commercial plumbing fixtures. The GBAC had recommended adoption of the energy efficiency section of ASHRAE Standard 189.1, which would have yielded a 30% increase in commercial energy efficiency requirements, but due to delays in its publication, it could not be referenced in this D.C. code edition.

The new codes are effective immediately, but contain a one-year transition period during which building permit applications may use either the new code or the previous code. The D.C. Green Building Act of 2006 requires that updated building codes be submitted to the City Council by January 1, 2010 and again every three years thereafter. The Act requires that codes "shall incorporate as many green building practices as practicable."

For more details, please view the 2008 D.C. Construction Codes (PDF - 3.8 MB), or visit the website of the Institute for Market Transformation.

For D.C code status information, please consult the BCAP D.C. Code Status page.