building codes

building codes

How Much Housing Do We Need? New Hampshire’s Regional Housing Needs Assessments

Housing is a hot issue. In New Hampshire and throughout the country, scarce available housing is putting a strain on working families and preventing businesses from recruiting and retaining workers. Impacts from the housing crisis are rippling through communities. Studying housing issues is a core-function of NH’s Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs) and through 2022, each RPC has been hard at work preparing a Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) aimed at addressing this issue. These updates are a function of RPCs per NH State Statute, RSA 36:47.

2022 Guide to Effective Enforcement Hybrid Workshop

Building inspectors, code enforcement officers, fire chiefs, health inspectors, and various other municipal officials are responsible for the enforcement of a variety of codes, regulations, and ordinances related to the use of land. These include both local regulations, such as zoning ordinances, site plan and subdivision regulations, health regulations, and the conditions of approval that accompany many land use board approvals, as well as state law, such as the State Building and Fire Code and statutes governing junkyards.

2022 Guide to Effective Code Enforcement Hybrid Workshop

Building inspectors, code enforcement officers, fire chiefs, health inspectors, and various other municipal officials are responsible for the enforcement of a variety of codes, regulations, and ordinances related to the use of land. These include both local regulations, such as zoning ordinances, site plan and subdivision regulations, health regulations, and the conditions of approval that accompany many land use board approvals, as well as state law, such as the State Building and Fire Code and statutes governing junkyards.

The Role of Municipalities in Preventing Childhood Lead Exposures

It is well known that lead is highly toxic and harmful to people, especially children. Unfortunately, because of its aging housing stock, New Hampshire is experiencing childhood lead poisoning at a rate nearly twice the national average. Among the several hundred documented cases of lead poisoning each year in the Granite State, it is estimated that a significant number of children are poisoned as a result of unsafe renovation, repair, or painting activities. While the U.S.

2021 A Guide to Effective Code Enforcement Virtual Workshop

Building inspectors, code enforcement officers, fire chiefs, health inspectors, and various other municipal officials are responsible for the enforcement of a variety of codes, regulations, and ordinances related to the use of land. These include both local regulations, such as zoning ordinances, site plan and subdivision regulations, health regulations, and the conditions of approval that accompany many land use board approvals, as well as state law, such as the State Building and Fire Code and statutes governing junkyards.

2020 Land Use Law Conference

Full day virtual conference for municipal land use officials including members of planning and zoning boards, planners, land use administrators, select boards, town and city councilors, building inspectors, code enforcement officers and public works personnel. Presentations will focus on the legal authority and procedures these land use boards must understand with content structured to be beneficial to both novice and experienced municipal officials.

A Guide to Effective Code Enforcement Virtual Workshop

Building inspectors, code enforcement officers, fire chiefs, health inspectors, and various other municipal officials are responsible for the enforcement of a variety of codes, regulations, and ordinances related to the use of land. These include both local regulations, such as zoning ordinances, site plan and subdivision regulations, health regulations, and the conditions of approval that accompany many land use board approvals, as well as state law, such as the State Building and Fire Code and statutes governing junkyards.

Legal Q and A: Local Administration of the State Building code

Prior to 2002, adoption and administration of a building code was purely a local option. In 2002 the New Hampshire legislature adopted the state building code, comprising various model codes. See RSA 155-A:1, IV. The state building code applies to all construction in New Hampshire (RSA 155-A:2; 674:51) and municipalities have the option to administer it.

Legislature Douses Local Fire Sprinkler Requirements

The New Hampshire legislature this year passed two bills intended to prohibit municipalities from requiring fire suppression sprinklers in residential dwellings. One of those bills was vetoed by the Governor and is currently awaiting override votes in the House and Senate. Whether that bill ultimately becomes law or not, the ability of municipalities to require sprinklers for new homes has been severely restricted.

State Building Code Update

September 14, 2003 came and went almost unnoticed in the building community. That was the date when contractors were required to begin complying with the state building code. There was not much fanfare surrounding the date, however, since the state fire marshal’s office had taken the position that the state building code has been enforceable since September 14, 2002. But this past summer, even before compliance was mandatory, the legislature passed amendments to the state building code. The amendments became effective on July 14, 2003.