The National Association of Home Builders is expected Monday to try to block a proposed overhaul of international building codes that would protect newly built homes from flood damage.
The overhaul — which is being considered by the International Code Council — would mark a turning point in global efforts to reduce flood damage, experts said. Floods destroy $46 billion in property a year in the U.S. alone.
Supporters of the new building code say NAHB and its allies will try to derail or weaken the proposal at the council’s Monday hearing, as part of homebuilders’ ongoing efforts to block policies that increase construction costs.
NAHB, which declined to comment, has for years fought federal and state efforts to impose stricter building codes for flood protection and energy efficiency. The powerful trade group is suing the Department of Housing and Urban Development to block building standards the agency adopted in May.
