Building Codes Assistance Project

On December 3, 2008, the D.C. City Council adopted new residential and commercial building codes that incorporate many energy efficiency and green building standards. Replacing the previous code based on the 2000 IECC that was adopted in 2003, the 2008 D.C. Construction Codes (PDF - 3.8 MB) have been developed from ASHRAE 90.1-2007 for commercial buildings (about 7% more stringent than the standard in place for neighboring Virginia and Maryland) and the "30% Solution" for residential buildings (about 30% more stringent than the standard in place for Virginia and Maryland), which was a comprehensive package of amendments offered at the 2009 International Code Council hearings in September.

Washington, D.C., was among the early cities to require privately owned buildings to meet LEED standards.

District of Columbia News Release, FEBRUARY 18, 2008