The Virginia Board of Housing and Community Development approved the final regulations for the 2018 code change cycle at their meeting on December 14, 2020. The 2018 Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC), Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC), Industrialized Building Safety Regulations (IBSR), and Amusement Device Regulations (VADR) will go into effect on July 1, 2021. These regulations include the adoption of the 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC). Please also note that the “grace period” for construction under the 2018 codes will last one (1) year, or until June 30, 2022. The confirmed effective date, state amendment information, and other details of the 2018 Virginia Codes have been published in Volume 37, Issue 14 of the Virginia Register.
More details can be found on cdpVA. If you have any questions about the code update process or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact DHCD’s State Building Codes Office at sbco@dhcd.virginia.gov or at (804) 371-7150.
Contact: Bryan Holland, Bryan.Holland@nema.org