Every region in the U.S. has its own set of unique characteristics that help to define these places and make them distinctive and uncommon. Building codes are a part of that distinctiveness and certainly reflect the climate of the region. Michigan, Colorado and other cold winter states must plan for snow loads on roofs, just as California must design for trembling earth.
Coastal states, especially in the Southeast, must account for tropical heavy weather, even if the odds say the storm is only likely to hit your neighborhood once in 100 years. We’ve compiled resources for learning more about elevation certificates and hurricane straps so that you can get your arms around some of the most common differences in building codes on the coast.
Four Coastal Codes You’ll Need to Know
Getting familiar with the following “must know” codes will help you immensely during your pre-construction planning phase. In fact, several of these are helpful before you buy your lot. Remember, too, that it’s always a good idea to call your local building department if you have any questions or reservations about how to proceed. If you’re unlucky (or unwise) enough to proceed with your project using improper code, you’ll find that asking for forgiveness, instead of permission, doesn’t work.
Four Coastal Codes
1) Know your BFE (Base Flood Elevation)
Within designated flood zones (called VE, AE, AH, AO and X Zones) your municipality will assign Base Flood Elevation (BFE) requirements. The Base Flood Elevation indicates how high a structure must be elevated above Mean Sea Level (MSL).
Here’s how it works. Let’s say your property falls in a V-16 flood zone. For V Zones the first horizontal member under the structure must meet 16 feet MSL. Now, let’s look at property with a Base Flood Elevation of A-13. For A -Zone properties the first finished floor must be elevated to meet or exceed 13 feet MSL. Further, all materials used below the Base Flood Elevation are required to be Class 4 or 5 flood-resistant materials (eg. pressure-treated lumber).
It’s probably a good idea to know what a properties’ BFE is prior to buying it. Generally speaking, the higher the BFE number, the more your foundation will cost. The BFE will also influence the design decisions you make about the home plan you’d like to build.
2) Know Your Zone
Many coastal properties fall into flood zones. For the most part, this isn’t necessarily bad news. After all, getting close to a body of water is a large part of the allure of coastal living. You, however, do need to know how this may affect the cost of your building project.
Generally speaking, building in a V Zone is the most expensive. V Zones are typically ocean front, or near to ocean front, properties. The building codes that apply to V Zone properties will add about 15-30% to the total cost of the construction project. Much of the added cost will arise from 1) the additional ties, straps, hold downs and anchors required by the building code 2) additional cost for windows with upgraded wind ratings and 3) added cost for elevating the structure.
A -Zoned properties carry some of the same code requirements, but will generally only add about 10-15% to the cost of construction.
3) Ignoring Setbacks May Cause Setbacks
Setbacks are the set of dimensions that define where you’ll be allowed to build on your lot. They can be vitally important for coastal developments, where lots tend to be partitioned into smaller than normal parcels. Typically, setback dimensions are provided for front and rear yards and side yards. Here’s an example from the Isle of Palms, SC Building Department:
SR-1 Single Family Residential: Lot size 17,500 or greater, setbacks are 30 feet front and rear yard, 10 feet side yards. If lot is less than 17,500 sq,. ft., setbacks are reduced to 24 feet front and rear yard, 10 feet side yards.
In additional to setback rules, your lot may have utility right-of-ways as well as maximum lot coverage rules that apply. In a worst case scenario, these rules could combine to make your lot impossible, or at least challenging, to build on. So, do your due diligence and understand what the plat is telling you before proceeding.
4) Don’t Bump into Your Height Restriction
Many coastal communities are amending their building codes to shrink the total height allowed for residential structures. The idea is to avoid the creation of “corridors of darkness” caused by an excessive number of tall structures on a residential street. This can be tricky, especially because of the need for elevated foundations. The height restrictions can range from 28’ to 50’. As you can imagine, this will have a huge impact on the design that you choose for your property. In some instances, plans can be modified to squeeze under a given height restriction – just be sure to do the math before you purchase your plan.
You may be curious as to who is responsible for coming up with building code rules and regulations. Actually, it’s a combination of folks, including federal, state and local agencies. However, much of the country has adopted the standards set by the International Code Council (ICC). The ICC came into being when regional building code groups across the country decide to join forces. From their website:
The International Code Council (ICC) was established in 1994 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing a single set of comprehensive and coordinated national model construction codes. The founders of the ICC are Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), and Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBCCI). Since the early part of the last century, these nonprofit organizations developed the three separate sets of model codes used throughout the United States. Although regional code development has been effective and responsive to our country’s needs, the time came for a single set of codes. The nation’s three model code groups responded by creating the International Code Council and by developing codes without regional limitations the International Codes.
In
2003, the ICC published its most comprehensive set of changes, addressing what
many felt where inadequate, and unsafe, standards. This set of changes was
especially important for those building homes in coastal areas. The net result
is that, during catastrophic events, homes built to the new code are fairing
much better than the older structures. Which is great news for those of us who
live and make our livings in this industry.
If you’re interested in learning more about the International Code Council, check out their informative website at www.ICCSafe.org
Before You Buy Your Property
1) Know Thy Elevation. When you purchase a property, be sure to inspect the elevation certificate. While it is unusual, some properties may require that your first floor elevation (the height from the ground level to the top of your first living level) be 12', 13', 14' feet or higher. This may not be a deal killer, but the added height to the foundation level will add cost to your project.
2) Setbacks May Cause Setbacks Coastal lots, whether near ocean, lake or river, tend to be a tad smaller than their landlocked counterpart. As such, your setbacks may cause you some headaches in regard to locating a design that will work for you. Assuming you have a reasonable envelope to build within (a minimum of 24’ in width), you’ll have options for choosing a stock plan that will work.
3) Know Your Flood Zones Many coastal properties fall into flood zones. For the most part, this isn’t necessarily bad news. After all, getting close to a body of water is a large part of the allure of coastal living. You, however, do need to know how this may affect the cost of your building project. Generally speaking, building in a V Zone is the most expensive. V Zones are typically ocean front, or near to ocean front, properties. The building codes that apply to V Zone properties will add about 15-30% to the total cost of the construction project. Much of the added cost will arise from 1) the additional ties, straps, hold downs and anchors required by the building code 2) additional cost for windows with upgraded wind ratings and 3) added cost for elevating the structure. “A” zoned properties carry some of the same code requirements, but will generally only add about 10-15% to the cost of construction.
4) When Being Too Tall is Terrible Many coastal communities are amending their building codes to shrink the total height allowed for residential structures. The idea is to avoid the creation of “corridors of darkness” caused by an excessive number of tall structures on a residential street. This can be tricky, especially because of the need for elevated foundations. The height restrictions can range from 28’ to 50’. As you can image, this will have a huge impact on the design that you choose for your property. In some instances, plans can be modified to squeeze under a given height restriction – just be sure to do the math before you purchase your plan.
5) Be Coastal, Not Cookie Cutter At the risk of being obnoxious, here’s some sage advice for choosing a design for your coastal property. When choosing a design, take into consideration where your residence will be situated. If you’ve moving onto an island, please don’t build a mountain chalet, no matter how nice the A frame windows capture the view. In the same vein, subdivision-style homes (Colonials, Georgians, Federal-style, etc.) probably won’t work either. You have a wonderful opportunity to build a home that looks just right on your lot. There are dozens of coastal architectural options to choose from, so why not avoid the every day and pick something with style?
Before You Start Construction
6) Choose a Builder Who’s Done It Before Many coastal markets have been booming in recent years. Combine this with the fact that margins are higher for homes in “specialty” categories and you’ll find that builders from outside the market may decide to give the coast a go. Don’t go there. Choosing a builder who has experience in your coastal market offers the following advantages:
a. They’ll have a working knowledge of the construction methodologies unique to coastal home construction.
b. Your local coastal builder is more likely to have solid relationships in place with subcontractors and vendors. You don’t want to be the customer who gets stuck with “the only tile man we could find.”
c. If they’ve been around, you’ll be able to walk through homes they’ve built - when it comes to quality promises, seeing is believing.
7) Don’t Go Cheap on Materials We’re not suggesting that you import the most expensive tile from Italy or buy absolute top-of-the-line windows. We would recommend, however, that you avoid "cheaping out" on materials that are exposed to the elements. This would include: the roofing material you specify, the quality of window you choose, the grade of paint you pick, the decking material you buy and the type of ceiling fans you install. The coastal elements are famously tough on building materials – if you try to get by with lesser materials, you’ll lose the savings you realized by having to replace them inside of three years.
8) Details, Details One of the first things many customers consider is the elimination of all the “frilly” trimwork shown on your set of plans. This may save money and time by simplifying the design for the fascia boards, balustrades, gable trusses, cornice work, under-eave brace supports, eyebrow dormers, etc. Some compromise is OK, but be careful not too eliminate too much. Often, it’s this type of detail that gives the design its "coastal look and feel."
After You Build
9) Build an Outdoor Kitchen One of the joys of living on the coast (whether your coast is lake, ocean or river) is being outside. Over the past five years we’ve seen the introduction of hundreds of great products that make building your dream outdoor kitchen easy and affordable. Why not expand your usable living space to include the great outdoors?
10) Don’t Forget the Flowers Whether you do it yourself, or hire a professional, get started with beautifying your property with landscaping. You’ve endured 6 – 18 months of dirt during the construction of your home, you deserve this. Adding landscaping, whether it’s formal or casual in design, will make your house instantly feel like a home.