Build to the latest natural-hazard-resistant code edition
FEMA P-2325 §Building Codes BasicsDescription
Residential structures account for more than 80% of disaster-related damage. Communities and homeowners should design and build to the most recent ICC model code adoption available in their jurisdiction, rather than an older edition still legally in force. The codes are updated on a three-year cycle so the latest research and post-disaster lessons are reflected in the most recent edition.
Why this exists
FEMA-funded NIBS analysis found that designing to the 2018 IBC + IRC returns approximately $11 saved per $1 invested vs. designing to 1990s-era codes. Communities that adopted current natural-hazard-resistant codes avoided an estimated $32 billion in losses from 2000-2020.
Categories
Source
Solver enforcement
Browsable only — the solver does not currently enforce this directive (no spec-level data to check against). This entry exists so the architect personas can cite it in conversation and the user can read what the rule says.
Related directives
- Continuous load path from roof to foundation · HUD RSDG §2.4
- Residential structural reliability targets 1-in-100 to 1-in-1000 annual probability of failure · HUD RSDG §2.5
- Residential floor live load: 40 psf minimum (30 psf sleeping rooms) · HUD RSDG §3.4
- Wind load design uses ASCE 7 basic wind speed for the locality · HUD RSDG §3.6
- Ground snow load for Virginia: 25 psf eastern, up to 40 psf western mountains · HUD RSDG §3.7
Last reviewed 2026-05-11.