Building Codes and Energy Codes Case Study
Building for Insurability, Resilience, Energy Efficiency, and Housing Affordability: Addressing the True Cost of Housing
Following Hurricane Katrina’s destruction, Louisiana established a statewide uniform building code to address the fundamental question of: How do we build to be able to continue to live here? Local homebuilders on the Louisiana Code Council advocated for stronger building codes protecting against disaster damage, and energy codes that lower costs, save lives in extreme heat, and prevent mold in Louisiana’s hot, humid climate. Louisiana homebuilders supported these codes because they saw them as key to preventing insurance market failure and keeping the home construction industry afloat in the face of extreme weather. A 2022 study from IBHS and CoreLogic (now Cotality) concluded that homes built to modern building codes are also less likely to go into delinquency following hurricanes, helping to ensure families stay in their homes. Louisiana now requires the most recent International Code Council (ICC) building code, the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) 2021 energy code, and requires elevating buildings above base flood elevation to protect against disaster damage.