The last major revision to Chicago's building code was in 1949. Source: Peter Stewart via Flickr

Chicago's Buildings Department proposed what it said was a major update to the city's building code to better align the construction requirements with model codes and national standards.

The new code would represent the first comprehensive revisions to the city's building code in 70 years.

Proponents said the revisions will reduce barriers to cost-effective construction by expanding options to design and build with a wider range of materials and technologies. In particular, the new code aims to promote greater use of green technologies and best practices for sustainable building design and construction.

The last comprehensive revisions to the code were adopted in 1949. The proposed code update moves Chicago closer to national standards in several areas including building planning, fire and life safety, enclosures and materials, structural, small residential and rehabilitation of existing buildings.

(Read the proposed ordinance to change the building code.)

More specifically, the updated code will:

• Adopt specific requirements for a wide range of building materials such as walls, roofs and other construction that will provide guidelines and standards that are lacking in Chicago’s existing code.
• Enhance safety by requiring sprinkler systems in new construction including hotels, most apartment buildings with more than four units, places of assembly with 300+ occupants and new office buildings greater than 70 ft tall.
• Encourage new development by allowing buildings with sprinkler systems to have greater height, number of stories and floor area per construction type.
• Allow for more cost-effective construction of single-family homes by adopting risk-based structural design requirements so that a two-story single-family home will not need to meet the same structural requirements as a 15-story hospital.
• Create greater opportunities for conversion of existing basements and attics as livable spaces without costly structural alterations by reducing minimum ceiling heights, as well as providing more options to meet light and ventilation requirements.
• Encourage preservation of Chicago’s existing building stock, including historic buildings, by providing additional flexibility and options for rehab work. This is expected to bring down the cost of projects like the adaptive re-use of schools, retail buildings and many vacant buildings.
• Promote energy efficiency and sustainability by making it easier to construct green buildings that are durable, functional and energy efficient.
• Enhance public safety in the event of a natural disaster by adopting seismic design requirements for critical facilities such as hospitals and fire stations and some taller buildings.
• Adopt the International Building Code’s terminology and classification systems for building occupancies and construction types, making it easier for architects and builders to follow and meet Chicago’s code requirements.

The Department of Buildings has worked with the Chicago Fire Department and other city departments along with more than 150 volunteer technical experts and industry leaders to review and refine several drafts of the Chicago Building Code.

The code modernization ordinance is based on the latest editions of the International Building Code for new construction and International Existing Building Code for rehab of existing buildings. Part of revising the Chicago Building Code involved adopting the common terminology and format used in other major U.S. jurisdictions. This is intended to make it easier for architects, designers and builders to understand Chicago’s requirements. In addition, the revised code is expected to be easier to keep up-to-date going forward as national standards are changed or refined.

The proposed changes would be phased in gradually, beginning June 1 and completely replace the current Building Code by August 1, 2020.