Building codes aren't big priority in Texas even after Rita
Hurricane and disaster experts say they are stunned that Texas has done nothing to bolster building codes nearly three years after Hurricane Rita blasted its Gulf coast, the Houston Chronicle reported Sunday. "Texas is an aberration," said Leslie Chapman-Henderson, chief executive of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, a nonprofit organization. "It's eerily quiet in the state. Why are they not having a conversation about codes?"

Building codes aren't big priority in Texas even after Rita

HOUSTON — Building codes in hurricane-prone parts of Texas lag behind those of other Gulf states that responded with stiffer standards after the devastating storm seasons of 2004-05.

Hurricane and disaster experts say they are stunned that Texas has done nothing to bolster building codes nearly three years after Hurricane Rita blasted its Gulf coast, the Houston Chronicle reported Sunday.

"Texas is an aberration," said Leslie Chapman-Henderson, chief executive of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, a nonprofit organization. "It's eerily quiet in the state. Why are they not having a conversation about codes?"

Florida, the gold standard among U.S. states in a rating system for building codes and enforcement, further strengthened its codes after the 2004-05 seasons. So did Mississippi and Louisiana, which adopted a statewide building code for the first time after Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans and Rita battered its southwestern coast.

Texas, meanwhile, has quasi-mandatory codes for coastal residents, unevenly enforced codes in cities, and builder-enforced codes elsewhere. National advocates for stronger building codes say that's not a progressive approach for a hurricane-prone state.

Chapman-Henderson said the first step toward creating a statewide code would be to hire engineers from the state's universities to assess the existing quality of homes and building code enforcement. That would provide information to begin developing a uniform code. The code could different standards for coastal and inland communities.

"This is one of the avoidable disasters," she said. "Not doing anything is the classic definition of insanity."

The idea of a statewide building code appears to have little traction in Texas. Such a plan probably would require counties to take on additional enforcement work in unincorporated areas.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said that while it's something to consider, cost will be an issue. He also says it's unrealistic to compare Texas to Florida.

"Everyone likes to talk about Florida, Florida, Florida," Emmett said. "But Texas is not a narrow peninsula sticking out into the ocean."

Florida leads the nation with an average rating of 3.5 on a grading scale from 1 (exemplary) to 10 conducted by ISO, an information risk company that primarily serves insurers by assessing building codes and enforcement standards in communities. A good rating generally lowers a region's insurance rates.

Texas scores an average of 5.5 on the ISO scale, a point worse than the national average. Houston, Baytown, Pearland and Harlingen were the best Texas cities with ratings of 4. Beaumont, which sustained considerable damage from Rita, scored poorly with an 8.

"Clearly, our system could be improved," said John Smithee, chairman of the Texas House Insurance Committee, which handles building code legislation.

Texas implemented some building standards along the coast after Hurricane Alicia struck the Houston area in 1983. The program requires homeowners to pay a surcharge to the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association if homes aren't up to code.

Some builders and inspectors argue the state has a uniform building code through the Texas Residential Construction Commission. Formed by the Legislature in 2003 to resolve issues between developers and buyers, the commission was criticized as a "builder protection agency" by then-Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn three years ago.

Cities such as Houston and Galveston have statutory authority to set and enforce building codes, and for the last decade new coastal developments have been subject to reasonably strong codes. But counties have little authority to regulate building codes, leaving unincorporated areas vulnerable.

"When it comes to building homes, we need to talk about preventive measures," said Julie Roachman, chief executive of the Institute for Business and Home Safety, a nonprofit group dedicated to reducing property losses. "We should use things such as hurricane straps as selling points, not granite counter tops and surround sound."

June 1, 2008 http://www.statesman.com/news/content/gen/ap/TX_Hurricanes_Building_Codes.html