Which code your 2027 permit uses
| State | Code in force for 2027 permits | Based on | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 9th Edition (2026) Florida Building Code, Residential | 2024 IRC | Applications submitted on or after 31 December 2026 | Miami-Dade notice |
| Oregon | 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code | 2024 IRC | Effective 1 October 2026; mandatory 1 April 2027 after a six-month phase-in | Oregon BCD |
| Washington | 2024 state codes | 2024 I-Codes | 3 May 2027 | SBCC |
| California | 2025 California codes stay in place | (moratorium) | Residential standards frozen 1 October 2025 to 1 June 2031 | CBSC Bulletin 25-03 |
| Colorado | Set by each city or county | Local choice | Any jurisdiction updating a building code after 1 July 2026 must adopt the Colorado Model Low Energy and Carbon Code or stricter | Colorado Energy Office |
During Oregon's phase-in, building departments must accept plans designed to either the 2026 or the previous code. Miami-Dade says online submissions after 4 p.m. on 30 December 2026 must already meet the Florida 9th Edition. Washington's council filed the energy-code rule on 1 July 2026 with final adoption targeted for 20 November 2026; see Washington's 2027 energy code. Florida's changes are on Florida Building Code changes for 2027.
What the 2027 IRC changes
From ICC's own summary of the 2027 IRC (ICC) and NAHB's report on the final votes (NAHB):
| Area | 2027 IRC change | Who it touches |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Flood-resistant design extended to the 500-year floodplain and 500-year flood elevation (NAHB); ASCE 24 flood definitions added (ICC) | New homes and substantial work near mapped flood zones |
| Reroofing | Reroofing in hurricane-prone regions may require supplemental roof deck attachment | Roof replacements on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts |
| Energy | Additional energy credit requirement raised from 10 to 15; energy certificate required for additions | New homes and additions |
| EV charging | Requirements for electric vehicle charging systems added | New homes and garages |
| Kitchens | Receptacle outlets prohibited in certain locations below countertops or work surfaces | Kitchen and bath remodels |
| Off-site construction | ICC 1200, 1205 and 1210 referenced for modular homes | Modular builders |
| Lumber | Salvaged lumber allowed for structural use once graded by a certified grader | Renovations reusing framing |
| Also | Saltwater corrosion resistance, occupiable roofs, dropped-header tables, germicidal UV systems | Varies |
NAHB also reports what did not pass: expanded construction-document and under-slab vapor retarder requirements were rejected. ICC's summary does not give section numbers, and the code text is not public until publication, so treat this as a list of what to ask about, not the final wording.
What this means for hiring in 2027
- Ask which edition the plans are drawn to. In Oregon between 1 October 2026 and 31 March 2027 a designer can use either; after that, only the 2026 code. In Florida the cut is the submission date.
- Expect the 2027 IRC only in a few years. Florida, Oregon and Washington are moving to a 2024 base between October 2026 and May 2027, and California's moratorium runs to mid-2031.
- Check the permit history of the firm, not its claims about code. A builder's permits that reached final passed inspection under the code of the day. On the compare pages, Bend's new-home permits finish at 97.9% and Bellingham's at 83.7%.
New-home and addition permits in these states
| City | New-home permits | Usual days to final | Addition permits | Usual addition job value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bend, OR | 1,849 | 220 | 181 | $97,000 |
| Cape Coral, FL | 3,254 | 232 | 172 | $125,000 |
| Bellingham, WA | 449 | 326 | 131 | $66,413 |
| Sacramento County, CA (unincorporated) | 2,344 | 171 | — | — |
| Boulder, CO | 116 | 532 | 369 | $100,000 |
Sacramento County files additions together with remodels and repairs, so it has no separate addition row.
Check it yourself in five minutes
Search your city or county name plus "adopted codes" and look for the edition year on the building department's page; Oregon lists its codes at Adopted codes online. If your plans were drawn before the change date, ask the designer whether they will be submitted before it.
What this page does not cover
We checked five states. Many other states and cities in our list adopt on their own schedules, and some amend the model code heavily. Our permit data records when a permit was filed and finished, not which code edition it was reviewed under.
How we know this
2027 IRC changes are quoted from ICC's product page for the 2027 IRC and NAHB's 27 August 2026 report on the final votes; state adoption dates from Miami-Dade County's 9th Edition notice, Oregon BCD's 2026 ORSC adoption notice, the Washington SBCC home page, CBSC Information Bulletin 25-03 and the Colorado Energy Office's energy-code FAQ, all read 26 October 2026. Permit counts are from each city's open permit data over the window on its compare page.
Numbers come from City of Bend building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits on homes; City of Cape Coral building permits (the city's open permit table starts January 2025); City of Bellingham permits on single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes; Sacramento County building permits on single-family, duplex and townhouse homes in the unincorporated county (the County's Accela permit layer); City of Boulder construction permits, data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
See every Bend home builder by permit record →
Questions
- When is the 2027 IRC published?
ICC's store says the 2027 IRC "will be available late January 2027"; NAHB, writing in August 2026, expected it in February 2027. The IBC, IFC and wildland-urban interface code were due first, in September 2026.
- Will my 2027 permit be reviewed under the 2027 IRC?
Almost certainly not. A model code applies only once your state or city adopts it, and three of the states we checked move to 2024-based codes around then: Florida from 31 December 2026, Oregon mandatory from 1 April 2027, Washington from 3 May 2027.
- What is the biggest 2027 IRC change for an existing house?
For additions, the 2027 IRC requires an energy certificate. For reroofing in hurricane-prone regions it says supplemental roof deck attachment may be required. It also adds rules for EV charging systems and prohibits receptacle outlets in certain spots below countertops (ICC summary).
- Is California adopting the 2027 IRC?
Not on the usual schedule. AB 130 put a moratorium on state and local building standards for residential units from 1 October 2025 to 1 June 2031, with narrow exceptions such as emergency health and safety standards and wildland-urban interface home hardening (CBSC Bulletin 25-03).
- How many new homes are permitted under these codes?
In our data, 1,849 new-home permits in Bend and 3,254 in Cape Coral over each city's window. Each was reviewed under the code in force on the day it was submitted.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Bonded vs insured contractors: what each covers and where to check
- Contractor didn't finish the job: what to do, and what the permit file shows
- How long does a home project take? Permit to final inspection, by job and city
- Bellingham building permit search: eTRAKiT, the permit dashboard and public records
- Did my contractor pull a permit? How to check in 46 cities
For one city
- 2027 International Residential Code — ICC Shop (accessed 2026-10-26)
- 2027 Building Codes Finalized: Big Changes Ahead for Off-Site Construction and Flood Resistance — NAHB (27 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Florida Building Code Ninth (2026) Edition code change notice — Miami-Dade County (accessed 2026-10-26)
- 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code Adoption — Oregon Building Codes Division (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Washington State Building Code Council (home page) (accessed 2026-10-26)
- CBSC Information Bulletin 25-03: AB 130 (22 September 2025) — California Building Standards Commission (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Adopted codes online — Oregon Building Codes Division (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Energy Codes Frequently Asked Questions — Colorado Energy Office (accessed 2026-10-26)