Duplicative, Unnecessary Language Removed from Ohio Building Codes

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Administrative Code is getting simpler.

Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted on Friday announced that the Ohio Board of Building Standards recently adopted the 2024 Ohio Building, Mechanical & Plumbing Codes rules.

The process resulted in the removal of duplicative and unnecessary language in the codes and decreased the number of words in the Ohio Administrative Code by more than 610,000, making it easier for businesses to comply, a news release states.

The adoption of the rules and removal of duplicative language is part of a plan announced by the DeWine administration in January to eliminate one-third of the Ohio Administrative Code. 

Under Husted’s direction, Ohio’s Common Sense Initiative was tasked with identifying sections of the OAC that are duplicative, unnecessary or no longer used.

“As businesses continue to thrive and grow in Ohio, the updated building codes come at a perfect time,” DeWine said. “The Board of Building Standards is making it easier for businesses by not only removing unnecessary and duplicative language but also by including new technologies and materials used in construction today.”

The new building code rules have 90 percent fewer words than the previously adopted rules and have more than 10,000 regulatory restrictions eliminated, the release states. The new mechanical code rules have 85 percent fewer words and have more than 2,500 regulatory restrictions eliminated. The new plumbing code rules have 75 percent fewer words and more than 1,800 regulatory restrictions eliminated.

“When we set out on our mission to eliminate one-third of the OAC, our goal was to make it easier for people and businesses to comply – saving people time and money,” Husted said. “Streamlining Ohio’s building code was a big part of this effort.”

The entire 2024 Ohio Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, and Existing Building Codes will be available on the International Code Council’s Ohio eCode Bookshelf no later than Nov. 1. The newly adopted codes will go into effect March 1, 2024.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.