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Page 3 of 11 <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org <br />In January 2024, (one year after the 2023 Reach Codes went into effect), the Building Division provided <br />an update to the City Council that identified a total of 45 projects that qualified as new structures and <br />required compliance with the Reach Codes. The majority (42) of these new structures were Accessory <br />Dwelling Units (ADUs), and only three were new commercial properties. The City suspended its <br />enforcement of Reach Codes in March 2024 based upon the ruling from the United States Court of Appeals <br />for the Ninth Circuit. <br />ANALYSIS <br />Building Code <br />Every three years, the California State Building Codes (State Codes) are updated to address new building <br />technology, increase safety requirements, and resolve issues with unclear language. Local jurisdictions are <br />allowed to modify the State Codes via local amendments to account for regional conditions. Unless these <br />local amendments are adopted prior to the effective date of the new State Codes, on January 1, 2026, all <br />existing local amendments become void, and new local amendments will not be effective until they have <br />been approved by the City Council and the state’s Building Standards Commission. Staff have reviewed <br />previous amendments and compared them with current construction practices and the updated State <br />Codes. As with the previous code adoption, the BOBR has reviewed and provided input on staff <br />recommendations. The BOBR supports the updates proposed by staff and the continued adoption of local <br />amendments that are reasonably necessary due to local climatic, geological, and topographical conditions <br />in the City. <br />Due to recent updates, the usual timeline for passing local amendments to the State Building Code has <br />been shortened. The State Legislature recently added Health and Safety Code § 17958(b), which states <br />that from October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, cities and counties generally cannot adopt new or changed <br />local amendments to the residential provisions of the Code, unless the changes meet one of six narrow <br />exceptions (e.g., home hardening, emergencies, or to implement previously adopted provisions). To align <br />local amendments between the Residential and Commercial Building Codes, staff are bringing forth local <br />amendments early to allow for approval before the September 30, 2025, deadline for local Residential <br />amendments. <br />Changes to the 2025 Building Code and Local Amendments <br />The State has incorporated several changes in the new 2025 version of the Building Code. These changes <br />to the State Building Codes include: <br />Residential Codes <br />o All-Electric Baseline for new homes <br />o Mandatory Electric Vehicle (EV)-Ready Infrastructure for new homes <br />o Expanded safety requirements for AFCI (Arc-Fault Circuit-Interrupter) and GFCI (Ground-Fault <br />Circuit-Interrupter) electrical outlets <br />o Tamper-Resistant Receptacles (TRRs) required <br />o Enhanced ventilation and water efficiency standards <br />10.B. - Page 3 of 64 <br />243