Building code

[2] Building codes are generally intended to be applied by architects, engineers, interior designers, constructors and regulators but are also used for various purposes by safety inspectors, environmental scientists, real estate developers, subcontractors, manufacturers of building products and materials, insurance companies, facility managers, tenants, and others.

In other countries, where the power of regulating construction and fire safety is vested in local authorities, a system of model building codes is used.

However, due to ever increasing complexity and cost of developing building regulations, virtually all municipalities in the country have chosen to adopt model codes instead.

Similarly, in India, each municipality and urban development authority has its own building code, which is mandatory for all construction within their jurisdiction.

The purpose of building codes is to provide minimum standards for safety, health, and general welfare including structural integrity, mechanical integrity (including sanitation, water supply, light, and ventilation), means of egress, fire prevention and control, and energy conservation.

[11] Proposed improvements include regular review and cost-benefit analysis of building codes,[12] promotion of low-cost construction materials and building codes suitable to mass production,[11] reducing bureaucracy, and promoting transparency.

The book of Deuteronomy in the Hebrew Bible stipulated that parapets must be constructed on all houses to prevent people from falling off.

[17] In Paris, under the reconstruction of much of the city under the Second Empire (1852–70), great blocks of apartments were erected[18] and the height of buildings was limited by law to five or six stories at most.

[20] The Laws of the Indies were passed in the 1680s by the Spanish Crown to regulate the urban planning for colonies throughout Spain's worldwide imperial possessions.

Among the provisions, builders were required to give the district surveyor two days' notice before building, regulations regarding the thickness of walls, height of rooms, the materials used in repairs, the dividing of existing buildings and the placing and design of chimneys, fireplaces and drains were to be enforced and streets had to be built to minimum requirements.

The structural failure of the tank that caused the Great Molasses Flood of 1919 prompted the Boston Building Department to require engineering and architectural calculations be filed and signed.

U.S. cities and states soon began requiring sign-off by registered professional engineers for the plans of major buildings.

Property owners and HOAs are required to address any structural or waterproofing issues identified during inspections to ensure compliance and safety.