In this article we're going to briefly go over a subject that very few people give any thought to unless they're the ones building the new home. We're talking about building codes.

Whenever a new home is constructed, that building has to conform to a number of codes or requirements. Actually, number is a great understatement. Building code documents can be hundreds of pages long. The purpose of this article is not to go over each one in detail but to simply give you an idea of the red tape involved when it comes to building a new home.

If you pick a spot in your new home there is most likely a building code that governs it. Let's take for example, the codes governing occupancy. That's the number of people that can live in the new home. This number is based on a number of factors, including the type of home such as ranch, duplex, etc., the size of the home in square feet, and the classification of the home itself, one family, two family, etc. Based on all these factors determines how many people cannot only live in the home but how many people can safely occupy the home at one time, such as for parties.

Another common building code is fire protection requirements. For new homes built after a certain date these codes, depending on where you live have become very strict. Almost all new homes must have smoke detectors in more than one room. There must be valid escape exits in case of fire. Also, fire extinguishers are now required in many states for new homes. Again, this depends on where you live. Another requirement for new homes is the actual material you can use in the building of a new home.

Another modern building code concerns your electrical wiring. Years ago you could pretty much wire your house with just about anything. These days there are very few states that allow wiring below a certain minimum. And while old homes don't have to bring themselves up to code, unless they make an addition to the home, new homes don't have that choice. They must conform to all new electrical codes.

Another building code that builders have to be aware of concerns heating and ventilation. Boilers must be up to current specifications. You can use either oil or gas heat but in either case the equipment must conform to the energy commissions codes. Homes are then given a star rating for their energy efficiency. To get what Energy Stat calls its 4 star rating you have to put together quite an expensive system. That is one of the reasons why new home building costs are so high, because of all the regulations.

While we didn't cover this, even the foundation of the new home has to conform to certain regulations. You can't just dig a hole in the ground. Based on the square footage of the house being built, the foundation has to be a certain size around and so many feet deep into the ground.

And of course the list of codes including water, insulation, windows, etc., goes on and on forever. Yes, every part of your new home has to be up to specifications. The up side to this is that once you've moved in you'll at least be fairly sure that your home will be safe.

Maybe they should have done this years ago. Then old homes wouldn't have so many problems.