Leaders from South Carolina’s smaller cities and towns will have a chance to take a closer look at the issues most important to their communities during the Municipal Association’s first-ever Small City Summit, taking place in Greenville on Thursday, July 27. Code enforcement will serve as one of the topics for the conference.
Because unsafe construction and building alterations pose a significant threat to life and property, cities and towns adopt and enforce building codes to reduce risks to public safety. City building officials and fire marshals are responsible for enforcing building codes, and some cities in the state contract with their counties or private companies to enforce building codes.
Here are some of the basics of how building codes work:
Where do building codes come from?
The International Code Council writes and updates the building codes that are required by South Carolina law. State law found in SC Code Sec. 6-9-50 tasks the South Carolina Building Codes Council with approving and modifying ICC codes for the state.
South Carolina’s codes council is comprised of public and private building industry officials who are appointed by the governor.
What building code is currently in effect?
The 2021 South Carolina Building Code, also known as the 2021 International Building Code with SC modifications, is the most current code that cities must adopt and enforce for building, residential, fire, mechanical, electrical and plumbing work. Cities are not allowed to opt out of enforcing these mandatory codes. However, South Carolina cities are not required to adopt and enforce the administrative policies or procedures within the code. Instead, cities may adopt their own administrative policies and procedures.
What happens when the ICC changes its code?
If the ICC changes its code, the SC Building Codes Council reviews the change and votes on whether to adopt it for South Carolina. No action is required by a city, but it must enforce the change. Building officials and contractors across the state receive training on the changes as part of their state-mandated training requirements.
What training is required for a building official?
To enforce building codes in South Carolina, building officials must be certified by a nationally-recognized organization to conduct building code enforcement. Once certified, building officials must register with the SC Building Codes Council.
Building officials must complete at least 24 hours of training every two years to maintain their registration with the Codes Council. All municipalities enforcing building codes must employ or contract with a certified building official. Any inspectors who are not building officials may only inspect areas in which they are certified.
How are disputes about building codes addressed?
Cities may appoint a construction board of appeals to hear and rule on disputes about building code and fire code enforcement.