New Building Codes Take Effect Jan. 1

Local contractors are encouraged to become familiar with updates to the City of DeKalb's building codes, which have been revised to meet the requirements of a new state law taking effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Public Act 103-0510 requires that municipalities with adopted building codes, which includes the City of DeKalb, to update those codes to regulate the structural design of new buildings, rehabilitation of existing buildings and residential buildings in a manner that is at least as stringent as the baseline statewide code standards. The state law preempts the City's home-rule authority.

To meet the new law, the City's Building Code Review Board, which is made up of local construction contractors, met biweekly since January 2024 to review the City's codes and recommended revisions. As this review process proceeded, the City Council has approved these revisions. Specifically, the City has adopted:

• 2021 International Building Code
• 2021 Illinois Energy Conservation Code
• 2021 International Fuel Gas Code
• 2021 International Mechanical Code
• 2023 National Electrical Code
• Amendments to the 2014 Illinois Plumbing Code
• 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code

The City thanks its Building Code Review Board for its diligent effort to perform a thorough review of our building codes. The Board's members are:

• Jason Bero (Bero Plumbing)
• Steve Doonan (DeKalb Mechanical)
• Ken George (Swedberg Electric)
• Keith O'Higgins (Consulting Engineer)
• Lisa Sharp (Sharp Architects)
• Chuck Shepard (Shepard Construction & Board Chair)

The City of DeKalb and its Building and Code Compliance Division are committed to working with our local contractors to provide a smooth transition to these new standards.