Changes to the Ohio Building Code and How They Impact Your Projects

Thursday, April 25, 2024
By Julie Ziga, Project Architect
In Design, Planning, Community

Effective March 1, the State of Ohio adopted a new code which references the 2021 International Building Code. This updated code will be more restrictive but is focused on promoting more energy efficient buildings as well as ensuring that buildings are more accessible.

There are a significant number of changes incorporated into the new code, but a sampling of these changes are as follows:

• Roof insulation requirement increased from R20 to R30. Many of our projects will not be impacted by this as we have already been using R30 insulation on the roof in most cases to provide an efficient building.
• Metal framed buildings are now required to have continuous insulation, which will help prevent thermal bridging through framing that allows heat to escape a building envelope.
• In an effort to reduce solar heat gain, east and west facing glass is now limited to 25% of the total area of glass. East and west facing glass gain more heat in the summer compared to north & south facing glass, so this change will promote the construction of buildings that do not need to use as much cooling during the warm summer months.
• Projects will need to either have 3rdparty inspections of the air barrier and windows during installation or conduct whole project air leak testing. This requirement aims to identify potential deficiencies in the building envelope which can result in increased energy consumption and/or have a potential to introduce moisture into the building or wall assembly.
• The required turning radius clearance for a wheelchair has been increased from a 60”
  diameter circle to a 67” diameter circle. This will slightly increase the required size of accessible restrooms. Existing buildings are exempt from this new requirement.
• The space requirements for accessible routes (paths for a handicapped person to exit a building) have also increased. This will slightly increase the width of corridors and entry areas to accommodate these changes. Existing buildings are exempt from this requirement as well.
• With some exceptions, certain business, educational, retail, and assembly spaces will need to provide an adult changing table in a restroom space, so restroom sizes may need to increase in these situations.

No matter the scope of your project, we are here to help you navigate the code changes, integrate them into your project with creative design solutions, and find the best path forward.

« back to listing