Plan review, inspection, and enforcement of the building code (commercial) is limited to state-owned and state-funded buildings, all public and certain private schools, hotel/motels, and movie theaters. Commercial Energy and Accessibility codes apply to additional buildings, mandatory statewide. The combined residential and residential energy code is enforced at the local level only, but is mandatory statewide.

State inspectors exist for projects under the jurisdiction of the state.

The tall mass timber provisions went into effect in 2022.

The State Building Code became the 2015 IBC on July 1, 2016 but with a 6-month grace period for certain buildings related to ongoing projects; all buildings regulated by the state building code must comply with the 2015 IBC after Jan. 1, 2017. The state commercial energy code is either the 2015 IECC or the 2013 ASHRAE 90.1 standard. A new residential energy code based on the 2015 IECC residential provisions was adopted in fall 2015 (effective 10/01/16 and further amended 10/07/16), along with ASHRAE 90.1-2013 for commercial buildings (effective 01-01-16). R-values and U-factors in the residential energy code were amended to reflect the 2009 IECC. The public is notified of the Commission’s intended action in the Alabama Administrative Monthly, published by the Legislative Reference Service, Administrative Procedure Division. Very limited amendments are made and opportunities for input are limited.

Energy codes were adopted in fall 2015 with effective dates of 01/01/16 (commercial energy) and 10-01-16 (residential energy). The previous statewide mandatory residential building code (including the residential energy provisions, all based on the 2009 IRC) and the previous statewide commercial energy code (based on the 2009 IECC) were adopted for the first time only a few years ago. They have a state commercial building code as well (based on the 2015 IBC), but for the most part that applies only to state-owned buildings and certain other occupancies. The State Building Code became the 2015 IBC (which previously was the 2009 IBC) on July 1, 2016, but with a 6-month grace period for certain buildings related to ongoing projects; all buildings regulated by the state building code must comply with the 2015 IBC after Jan. 1, 2017.

Even though the base code is the 2015 IECC, the residential R-value and U-factor tables were modified to reflect the 2009 IECC. U-factors are set at 0.084 for climate zones 2-3, slightly higher than factors for climate zones 2-3 in the 2009 IRC. In addition, specifications for the standard reference in the performance approach permit the standard reference design to be the proposed system complying with minimum federal standards.

Page last updated: December 2023