Building Codes Assistance Project

In April, the Atlanta suburb of Chamblee became the first jurisdiction in the state of Georgia to require U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification. Effective April 1, 2009, all new private buildings (commercial, office, industrial, and multiple residence) larger than 20,000 square feet are required to achieve at least a LEED-NC Certified rating. All new city buildings must meet the new standards regardless of size.

On April 4, 2008 the Georgia General Assembly passed Senate Bill 130, which was signed by Governor Perdue on May 6, 2008. Section 4 of this bill is known as the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Construction Act of 2008. This Act directs the Department of Community Affairs in consultation with the Georgia State Finance and Investment Commission to adopt policies and procedures as recommended standards for all buildings owned or managed by the state that:

The new edition of the Georgia Energy Code took effect on January 1, 2008. The new Energy Code is the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code with Georgia Supplements and Amendments. It is imperative that building designers, general contractors, home builders and code enforcement officials are knowledgeable of the new Energy Code. The adoption of this Code by the State of Georgia represents a significant step toward lowering total energy consumption. All new residential and commercial buildings and significant renovations will be required to comply with the new code.

Georgia has adopted the 2006 IECC with Georgia State Suppliements and Amendments as the new Georgia Minimum Standard Energy code to replace the 2000 IECC. Effective January 1, 2008

For more information, consult the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Code Update Fall 2007 (PDF).

For Georgia code status information, please consult the BCAP Georgia Code Status Page.