U.S. Federal Government Reaffirms Support for I-Codes Suite; Adopts Code Council Off-Site Construction Standards in Updated Design Requirements for Largest Civilian Real Estate Provider
The General Services Administration Facility Standards (P100) reestablishes the International Codes, including the International Plumbing Code, as the building codes for federal construction.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has recently finalized the 2024 edition of its Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service (P100), reaffirming the use of the International Code Council’s International Codes® (I-Codes) as the standard for GSA-owned buildings and reiterating their position as the standard for other codes to be considered against. For instance, the P100’s continued selection of the International Plumbing Code® (IPC), establishes the IPC as the default for all GSA construction. Alternatives require special approval based on a comparison to the IPC.
As the largest civilian real estate provider in the federal government, managing more than 363 million square feet across 8,397 buildings nationwide, GSA’s adoption of these codes ensures consistency and high standards in building practices.
The P100 serves as mandatory guidelines for design and performance criteria in GSA-owned buildings, updated every three years to reflect industry advancements. Design and construction professionals must adhere to P100 standards, ensuring rigorous compliance across all projects.
Included in the 2024 P100 update for the first-time is the requirement of the ICC/MBI 1200 and ICC/MBI 1205 Standards, jointly developed by the Code Council and the Modular Building Institute (MBI), for off-site construction projects. These standards cover the entire life cycle of off-site construction, from initial design through fabrication, approval and inspection.
ICC/MBI Standards 1200 and 1205 are integral components of ICC/MBI’s broader series of off-site construction standards, already adopted statewide in Virginia and Utah over the past five months, with additional state adoptions anticipated soon. More information can be found here.
The 2024 P100 standard also includes continued requirements tied to the following I-Codes:
- International Plumbing Code®
- International Mechanical Code®
- International Fire Code®
- International Fuel Gas Code®
- International Wildland-Urban Interface Code®
- International Building Code®
- International Residential Code®
- International Green Construction Code®
“We welcome GSA’s continued support for the I-Codes and standards,” said Code Council Vice President of Innovation Ryan Colker. “Off-site construction is increasingly being recognized as a strategy to deliver higher performing buildings. Seeing off-site construction standards being required for the first time in P100 is a great step forward in helping federal agencies take advantage of the benefits. We look forward to continued work with all levels of government to support their use of the standards and leverage the benefits consistency in requirements provide.”
Learn more about the GSA’s 2024 P100 standard here.
About the Author
The International Code Council is a nonprofit association that provides a wide range of building safety solutions, including product evaluation, accreditation, certification, codification and training. It develops model codes and standards used worldwide to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.
