The regulation of building construction is not a recent development.  It can be traced through recorded history for over 4,000 years.  This provides evidence that people have become increasingly aware of their ability to avoid the consequences of building construction failures.

In early America, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson encouraged the development of building regulations to provide for minimum standards that would ensure health and safety.  Today, most of the United States is covered by a network of modern building regulations.

During the early 1900's, model building codes were authored by the code enforcement officials of various communities with assistance from all segments of the building industry.

Building safety code enforcement has historically been accomplished by defraying the costs of administration through a system of fees relating to the specific project.  These fees are generally less than one percent of the overall cost of the building project.  Public protection is thus obtained with the entire process, from plan review to field inspection, carried out in a professional manner. The true complexity of the system is so well developed that the process is obscure to most people.

Who needs building codes?  We all do.  In our homes, offices, schools, stores or factories, we rely on the safety of structures that surround us in our everyday lives. The public need for protection from disaster due to fire, structural collapse and general deterioration underscores the need for modern codes and their administration.  Most aspects of building construction including electrical wiring, heating and sanitary facilities, represent a potential hazard to building occupants.  Building codes provide safeguards.  Although no code can eliminate all risks, reducing risks to an acceptable level helps.

A building code is the City's official statement on building safety.  It is a compilation of laws and Ordinances setting minimum safety standards and is arranged in a systematic manner for reference.  Inspecting a building during construction is the only way to independently verify that code compliance has been achieved.  Did you know that before you occupied your home or workplace that an average of at least ten inspections have been made on all aspects of the building construction such as fire and structural items, plumbing, electric and mechanical systems.

In addition, the local building department provides a wide range of services beyond the usual plan review and building inspection processes.  These range from the administration of planning and zoning laws, citizen complaint investigations, sign code and floodplain administration to substandard structure abatement.