Massive Building Code Overhaul on the Horizon

As noted by a poster on The Forum, the huge changes to the city’s extremely out-of-date building code are going to take effect very soon. Well, some of them, anyway: As of this July, the revamped codes will become effective for new construction; they won’t be mandated, however, until July 2009, though provisions relating to administration, enforcement, and construction safety apply across the board on July 1, 2008. (Everything else will be optional until next summer.) Among the many changes to the codes are requirements for sprinklers in more building types; smoke control systems in more buildings and occupancies; site safety managers or coordinators on more job sites; permits for more types of scaffolds; and fee rebates for green design. The Forum post also correctly reports that owners will no longer need to change their c-of-o’s if they’re adding bedrooms to a building and that “occupancy groups, building bulk, allowable construction type are not just changed but completely rethought.” In short, the changes are a fairly seismic shift for builders, and there’s a lot of info to digest. More details can be found on the DOB’s website here and here.
New Code Coming Soon, FYI [Brownstoner Forum]
Newsflash: Mayor Signs New Building Code Into Law [Brownstoner]
New NYC Construction Codes [DOB]
Graphic from the DOB.