Michigan’s modular construction experience sets best practices for other states

Beginning in July 2019, the International Code Council’s Off-Site and Modular Construction Consensus Committee (IS-OSMC), which was appointed by the Code Council Board of Directors, began work on standards for off-site and modular construction. The committee developed ICC/MBI 1200-2021 Standard for Off-site Construction: Planning, Design, Fabrication and Assembly and ICC/MBI 1205-2021 Standard for Off-site Construction: Inspection and Regulatory Compliance. Those standards were approved on June 28, 2021, by the committee and then received ANSI approval as American National Standards on July 19, 2021. The following profile is one of several focusing on the value of these standards in supporting the off-site and modular construction best practices in building code departments across the country.

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs’ Bureau of Construction Codes is one of the nation’s leaders in setting codes and standards for pre-manufactured and off-site construction. In fact, the Michigan Premanufactured Units program within the bureau was established in the early 2000s in response to interest and growth in this market segment. Currently, pre-manufactured and off-site construction makes up about one-third of the plan reviews in the state.

It’s one of the reasons that Jon Paradine, state administrative manager for the Building & Permits section at the Bureau of Construction Codes, volunteered to participate in the International Code Council’s Off-Site and Modular Construction Consensus Committee (IS-OSMC). He’s been with the state of Michigan since 2003, first as a mechanical inspector and then as the assistant chief of the mechanical section in the Bureau of Construction Codes supervising mechanical inspectors. In his current role, Paradine supervises building inspectors, manages permit activity, and defines requirements for plan reviews and inspections of pre-manufactured units.

“Pre-manufactured construction has been a major staple in our state for many years,” explained Paradine, “which has required that we be at the forefront of addressing inspection and plan reviews of these units. The IS-OSMC was an opportunity for me to share lessons learned and help other states and jurisdictions facilitate similar programs as the demand for this type of construction continues to grow across the country.”

While his primary goal was to help develop standards for off-site and modular construction that other organizations could adapt, Paradine discovered that the committee was more than a way to share knowledge. He built connections with other agencies, associations and industry professionals that he believes will continue to shape and improve programs for this market segment in his state that will ensure public health and safety while streamlining the inspection and permitting of pre-manufactured units.

Coming to a consensus

As recently published, the inaugural IS-OSMC committee developed ICC/MBI 1200-2021 Standard for Off-site Construction: Planning, Design, Fabrication and Assembly and ICC/MBI 1205-2021 Standard for Off-site Construction: Inspection and Regulatory Compliance. A key focus of the standards is to provide manufacturers and inspectors a foundation for effective permitting and inspection processes.

“Every state handles the permitting and inspection process a little different,” Paradine noted. “For instance, in Michigan, we have one state code, while in some states, adoption is to the local level. There’s no right or wrong to any process. I think that’s what makes this standard particularly valuable. We were able to provide a good starting point that can be easily adapted and customized to nearly any jurisdictional process.”

When asked about specific areas that he focused on, Paradine points to the importance of documentation, or the details that should be included in the plan review, as well as the importance of a way to easily track inspected units — what the state calls labels.

In Michigan, a label is an approved seal evidencing certification in accordance with the state’s building system and compliance assurance program. It confirms that a unit has been inspected and approved by appropriate parties. The label includes details such as the manufacturer’s name, address and serial number, date of manufacture, unit serial number, building system approval number, the name of the agency issuing the label, and more.

“That label tells us all of the relevant details to that model,” Paradine explained. “It gives our inspectors a path to follow when tracking submittals and approvals. If there is a problem, that label provides a starting point for staff to get involved and find resolution. I think it’s a key reason for the success of our program.”

He also noted other critical practices such as the importance of auditing and related documentation as well as the role of certified third-party inspection agencies, such as ICC NTA, LLC, to meet these different standards.

Rules, relationships and the road ahead

As far as any best practices he has learned, Paradine was quick to point out the importance of seeing other state programs as well as the challenges faced by the industry. The committee included state organizations as well as manufacturers, third-party inspection agencies, design professionals and members of the Modular Building Institute.

“While we work with our manufacturers regularly, seeing the whole pre-manufactured process from the eyes of these individuals was enlightening,” continued Paradine. “The working meetings provided a raised awareness and a forum for new or improved practices. It was good to talk to the designers and the manufacturers and build those relationships. As well, we didn’t have a connection to the Modular Building Institute prior to this committee other than the occasional email. Now we do and I believe that will result in mutually beneficial improvements to the process.”

He also believes that some of the best practices documented in the new standards will make their way into the Michigan codes down the road. He concluded, “While we haven’t adopted the standards yet, we are reviewing them to make sure there’s no conflict with current rules and laws. I believe some of the concepts will be incorporated into our rules down the road.”

This year, Paradine is particularly excited about ICC/MBI Standard 1210: Standard for Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing Systems, Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation in Off-site Construction standard that is currently in work. This standard will address requirements for the energy efficiency and water conservation of off-site construction projects and the planning, designing, fabricating, transporting and assembling of commercial and residential building MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) system elements. Paradine’s coworker, Kevin D. Kalakay, the Bureau of Construction Codes’ chief mechanical inspector, is on that committee while Paradine contributes ideas as an interested party.