ICC Commissioning Guideline Available for Public Comment Submissions

The International Code Council has released the ICC Commissioning Guideline for a 30-day public comment period. The purpose of the guideline is not to define what commissioning is but rather to provide regulators and third parties with a guide on how to apply building commissioning to satisfy regulatory requirements and outline the skill sets necessary for commissioning activities. The ICC Commissioning Guideline Committee, a group comprised of global industry leaders and technical experts, developed the guideline. Commissioning is currently required by the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), CalGreen and LEED certification.

“Commissioning is the only way to ensure that the design and performance of the building is being met,” said ICC CEO Richard P. Weiland. “This new guideline shows that ICC is committed to its mission to provide the highest quality to safe and sustainable construction.”

The guideline is aimed at Code Officials who want to use commissioning as a tool to verify compliance with Green or High Performance Building design. Building Departments and owners are looking for ways to streamline the construction process in tough economic times. The guideline will show Building Officials, owners, architects, engineers, raters and others how to use commissioning to also satisfy regulatory requirements like the IgCC. This will provide additional value to commissioning by giving Building Officials a path to apply commissioning to satisfy inspection requirements similar to a special inspection.

“The ICC Commissioning Guideline is a companion piece to codes and standards,” said ICC Executive Director of Sustainability Programs Dave Walls. “We want Code Officials and professionals to have a clear guide on how to apply the commissioning of buildings within the particular adopted sustainable codes or standards of their jurisdiction to satisfy any regulatory requirements.”

The adoption of green codes and standards is the driving force for the guideline. IgCC, CalGreen and LEED all require levels (architectural, structural, HVAC, energy, water, etc.) of commissioning.

“As the construction industry continues to recover, it is expected the market will drive the demand for commissioning experts, both public and private,” Weiland said. “The Guideline provides a standard to ensure consistency in the market place for commissioning personnel and how commissioning will be enforced by regulators.”

The ICC Commissioning Guideline will be open for public comment until Oct. 27. The comments will then be reviewed by the ICC Commissioning Guideline Committee.

The International Code Council is a member-focused association dedicated to helping the building safety community and construction industry provide safe and sustainable construction through the development of codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process. Most U.S. communities and many global markets choose the International Codes.