House Bill 675 - 2019 Building Code Regulatory Reform

• Cities and counties are prohibited from requiring minimum square footage for structures regulated under the North Carolina Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, effective July 1, 2019.

• Cities and counties cannot require developers or builders to bury existing above-ground power lines located outside subdivision or development plan boundaries.

• Proposed building code changes that increase residential housing costs by $80 or more per unit must include a fiscal note prepared by the Office of State Budget and Management before implementation.

• Cities and counties conducting plan reviews for residential dwellings must complete initial reviews within 15 business days and cannot require sealed plans by licensed architects or engineers unless mandated by state building code.

• Temporary motion picture, television, and theater stage sets used for less than one year require no permits under the State Building Code if inspected by assigned fire code inspectors; Building Code Council must create a fire code inspection checklist for these inspections.