Home builders—some still smarting over a controversial ballot-stuffing event six years ago—have launched a campaign that seeks to produce building codes they believe will favor builders and homeowners, not special interests. The initiative by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) follows the International Code Council’s (ICC) decision to approve changes in construction and energy codes based on votes collected online from all eligible participants rather than solely from those voters who traveled to a hearing. NAHB’s campaign presumes that local code officials—particularly those outside the biggest cities and those who care about construction issues—will be sympathetic to home builders’ attitudes toward code changes, particularly when they force up construction costs. Read more
