CP28 Cost Impact Supplemental Guidance

On October 7, 2023, the International Code Council Board of Directors approved an update to Council Policy (CP) 28, which required code change proponents to include more relevant cost impact information to assist committees in evaluating code change proposals. This action was taken in response to recommendations from the Long-Term Code Development Committee that a more detailed cost impact requirement be added to the code proposal process to enable committee members and eligible voting members to understand and consider the cost impacts associated with proposed code changes as they assess how best to ensure the safety of the built environment.  

The Board’s updated version of Section 17 of CP28 requires code change proponents to:   

1. Identify “the code change proposal’s estimated immediate cost impacts and estimated life cycle cost;”  
2. Identify how that number or range was calculated (“method”); and  
3. The data sources used (“basis for variables”).  

The Board’s intent was to require code change proponents to identify the initial cost impact for all the I-Codes® and for proponents of changes to the International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC®) to also identify the life cycle cost impacts of their proposed changes. For codes other than the IECC, the Board intended that it would be optional to provide life cycle cost impacts in support of a proposal. 

When the Code Council recently publicized draft guidance implementing the new cost impact requirement, it came to the Board’s attention that the updated language of CP28 did not clearly articulate its intention that the requirement to provide life cycle cost only applies to the IECC proposals. The Board will be updating the relevant policies to clarify the language.  The Code Council’s guidance document will also be revised to reflect the Board’s intentions regarding the life cycle cost requirement.