2008 D.C. Construction Codes

Residential Code: 2008 D.C. Construction Codes, based on the "30% Solution" (developed to be 30% beyond the 2006 IECC), which is more stringent than the 2009 IECC.

Commercial Code: 2008 D.C. Construction Codes, based on ASHRAE 90.1-2007, with several greening amendments.

On December 5, 2006, the D.C. City Council unanimously passed the D.C. Green Building Act, according to which the Mayor was to submit a comprehensive set of green building standards by January 2008. These standards were not only expected to include the provisions of the 2006 IECC; starting in 2012, they were expected to require all commercial development of 50,000 square feet or more to qualify for LEED certification. Incentives for early adopters of green building practices were envisaged for the period before 2012.

On December 2, 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 became effective in January 2004, the 2008 D.C. Construction Codes 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 (30% energy savings above the 2006 IECC, or 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 were effective immediately upon publication in the D.C. Register on December 26, 2008, but contain a one-year transition period during which building permit applications may use either the new code or the previous code adopted in 2003 (based on the 2000 IECC). 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."

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