Utah State Construction Code
Intro/Brief:
Residential Code: The residential provisions of the Utah State Construction Code are based on the 2009 IRC with Utah amendments, but the energy efficiency section (Chapter 11) of the 2009 IRC has been replaced with Chapter 11 of the 2006 IRC and Chapter 4 of the 2006 IECC (see Section 202-20).
Commercial Code: The commercial provisions of the Utah State Construction Code are based on the 2009 IECC with Utah amendments. ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 is an acceptable compliance path through Chapter 5 of the 2009 IECC.
TEXT: Utah State Construction Code Act
Citation: Utah Code Annotated UCA Title 15A
Application: Mandatory statewide. Local jurisdictions may not adopt less efficient energy codes.
Approximate Efficiency: Residential: As energy efficient as the 2006 IECC | Commercial: As energy efficient as the 2009 IECC
Effective Date: July 1, 2010
Approved Compliance Tools: REScheck | COMcheck
RECA Residential IECC Compliance Guides for UT: 2006 IECC | 2009 IECC | 2012 IECC
Residential IECC Energy & Cost Savings Analyses for UT:
BCAP: 2009 IECC | 2012 IECC Memo | CZ5 | CZ6
Background: After the passage of the State Construction Code Adoption Act in early 2010, the Utah Legislature updated the Utah State Construction Code to reference the 2009 ICC codes series, including the 2009 IECC, beginning July 1, 2010. The residential provisions of the Utah State Construction Code are based on the 2009 IRC with Utah amendments, but the energy efficiency section (Chapter 11) of the 2009 IRC has been replaced with Chapter 11 of the 2006 IRC and Chapter 4 of the 2006 IECC (see Section 202-20).
On October 20, 2010, the Utah Senate Business and Labor Interim Committee chose not to follow the September 8, 2010 recommendation of the Utah Uniform Building Code Commission to adopt a modified version of the 2009 IECC for new homes and major residential renovations, keeping Utah’s energy conservation code for one- and two-family dwellings at the 2006 IECC.
On January 12, 2012, legislation (HB 262) was introduced in the Utah Legislature that would adopt the residential portions of the 2009 IECC. Though the bill was approved by the House Rules Committee in February, it was tabled by the House Political Subdivisions Committee on February 29, 2012, indefinitely postponing action during the general session.
Similar committees declined to take up similar update legislation in the February 2011 general session or the October 2011 interim session. Several local media outlets have highlighted the significant benefits of updating the energy code for Utah’s citizens.
Information last updated June 14, 2012
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Based on:
Date Effective:
Thursday, July 1, 2010 