The City of San Antonio’s Development Services Department (DSD) will begin the adoption process of the 2021 International Code Council (ICC) building, fire, and property safety codes and the 2020 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) National Electric Code (NEC) in February 2022.
The 2021 ICC and NFPA are updated every three years. The following codes will be adopted and amended as part of Ch. 10 of the Municipal Code: Building, Existing Building, Fire, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, and Energy, and the NEC 2021 and 2020 editions, respectively. The fire code will be adopted as part of Ch. 11.
The Building-Related and Fire Codes Appeals and Advisory Board (BRFCAAB) advises the department and the Building Official on adoption of the codes, and recommends amendments to each as needed. City Council voted to add six new members and reappoint twelve existing members to the board on January 13, 2022. Throughout the process, DSD will hold stakeholder meetings for each adopted code to review the significant changes and how the industry will be impacted. The committee meetings will begin in mid-February and will be held weekly. Meeting dates, times, and agendas will be posted on the DSD website.
The city’s goal is to complete the adoption process and present to San Antonio City Council in August 2022. Once adopted, a 90-day grace period will be provided before the new codes go into effect. The adoption process was delayed due to the pandemic.