Title
Summary Title: Take Action to Adopt the California Building, Fire and Other Related Codes and Make Local Additions and Amendments
Introduction of Ordinance Amending the Alameda Municipal Code to Adopt the New 2025 California Building Standards Codes and Local Amendments Implementing the Alameda 2040 General Plan by Repealing Ordinance No. 3338 and Adding: (1) Article I (Uniform Codes Relating to Building, Housing and Technical Codes) to Chapter XIII (Building and Housing), to Adopt Chapter 1, Division II Scope and Administration of the California Building Code, 2025 Edition as the Alameda Administrative Code, the 2025 California Building Code Volumes 1 and 2 as Amended, the 2025 California Residential Building Code as Amended, the 2025 Edition of the California Historical Building Code, the 2025 Edition of the California Electrical Code, the 2025 Edition of the California Plumbing Code as Amended, the 2025 Edition of the California Mechanical Code, the 1997 Uniform Housing Code, the 2024 Edition of the International Property Maintenance Code as Amended and the 1997 Edition of the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings; and Adopting (2) the 2025 Edition of the California Fire Code, including Appendix Chapters 4, B, BB, C, CC, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, N and P with Necessary Additions and Amendments to Section 15-1 of Chapter XV (Fire Prevention) due to Local Climatic, Geological, or Topographical Conditions; and Adopting (3) the 2025 Edition of the California Green Buildings Standards Code and the 2025 Edition of the California Energy Code with Necessary Additions and Amendments to Section 13-10 of Chapter XIII (Building and Housing) due to Local Climatic, Geological, or Topographical Conditions.
This action is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Section 13578, and as a separate and independent basis, adoption of the local code amendments is exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) because it can be shown with certainty that this action will not have any significant environmental impact. (Planning, Building, and Transportation 20962720)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The California Building Standards Commission adopts a new State Building Standards Code every three years, which all cities are required to enforce. The 2025 Code, released in July, takes effect January 1, 2026, and the City of Alameda’s (City) Building Official is proposing updates that include local amendments tailored to Alameda’s physical setting while remaining consistent with state laws. The City updates its building codes to ensure a minimum standard of safety, health, and general welfare for the community by addressing structural integrity, safe exits, sanitation, lighting, ventilation, energy efficiency, and fire protection, while also reducing risks from hazards and supporting firefighter safety and emergency responder safety. For the first time, the City will also adopt the International Property Maintenance Code, which will provide stronger tools to address blight and property maintenance violations.
BACKGROUND
Every three years, the California Building Standards Commission adopts a new California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, “State Codes” or “Title 24”), which jurisdictions across California are required to enforce pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 18938. The State Codes are the statewide baseline for all building types, and these triennial code updates incorporate the most recent editions of technical codes, including electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and energy standards.
Local jurisdictions may adopt amendments to the State Codes to address specific climatic, geological, or topographical conditions, and to maintain consistency with local policy objectives and state law. Once adopted, these codes and local amendments govern the permitting, construction, alteration, use, and maintenance of buildings citywide.
Noteworthy changes in the 2025 State Codes include the following:
• Energy Standards: 2025 California Energy Code (Part 6 of Title 24): Introduces stricter energy efficiency standards for residential construction. For example, all new single-family homes must use heat pump systems for both space conditioning and water heating, eliminating the use of gas heating. The code also lowers the allowable U-factor ratings for windows (requiring better insulation) to improve overall energy performance.
Fire Safety: 2025 California Fire Code (Part 9 of Title 24): Expands life safety requirements, including the installation of two-way emergency communication systems at exits in buildings that lack an elevator lobby. It also adds new fire-rated wall requirements for stairways near roofs and along exterior walls, based on building occupancy types, to improve fire protection and occupant safety.
• Green Building: 2025 California Green Building Code (Part 11 of Title 24): Increases requirements for photovoltaic (solar) systems and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. It also introduces new optional voluntary measures that cities may adopt, including heat pump requirements for single-family alterations and bird-safe glass design standards for new nonresidential development, the latter already a requirement under Alameda’s Bird-Safe Building Ordinance.
DISCUSSION
The City’s Building Division, within the Planning, Building, and Transportation Department, and the Fire Prevention Bureau, within the Alameda Fire Department, are responsible for enforcing the State Codes along with local amendments. As part of this triennial code update, the Building Official recommends adopting the 2025 California Building Standards Code and related technical codes, including the Residential, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Green, Energy, Existing Building, Historical, and Fire Codes, as well as the 1997 Housing Code and the 1997 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings (both in effect in the City for many years), and for the first time, the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC). Together, these codes regulate the construction, alteration, repair, demolition, and use of all buildings and structures in Alameda. They establish minimum standards for safety, sanitation, habitability, utilities, and structural conditions to ensure that all properties are safe and suitable for occupancy.
In addition to adopting the 2025 State Codes, staff is proposing several local amendments tailored to Alameda’s unique geographic, climatic, and emergency-response needs identified in the Alameda 2040 General Plan which City Council adopted in 2021. These amendments are designed to improve public safety, clarify administrative procedures, and promote sustainability. The local amendments to the state codes include four areas:
1. Requiring Automatic Earthquake Gas Shut-off Valves (Plumbing Code)
2. Advancing Electrification Readiness in Homes (Energy Code)
3. Administrative/Procedural Clarifications (Building and Residential Codes)
4. Adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC)
5. Requirement for Automatic Fire Sprinklers in Additions to One- and Two-Family Homes, and Administrative/Procedural Clarifications. (Fire Code)
1. Installation of Automatic Earthquake Gas Shut Off Valves
Over 70% of Alameda’s buildings were built prior to 1978, when modern building codes were first adopted. To improve public safety, the Building Official recommends a local amendment to the California Plumbing Code to require the installation of automatic gas shut-off valves when properties are sold or propose additions or alterations exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000) in value. These valves are designed to automatically stop the flow of natural gas during significant seismic activity, helping prevent fires and explosions that can occur after earthquakes. Fires following earthquakes are a leading cause of property loss and personal injury, and automatic gas shut-off valves help reduce this risk by stopping the flow of natural gas during significant seismic events. By requiring installation at the point of sale, the City can gradually increase community safety while minimizing upfront costs for property owners.
Based on current data, installing an automatic gas shut-off valve typically costs between $300 and $1,000. The actual cost depends on factors such as accessibility of the gas meter and whether additional piping is needed. This investment significantly enhances community safety and resilience, which is a priority in the General Plan.
2. Advancing Electrification Readiness in Homes
As part of the 2025 code cycle, staff recommends adopting local amendments to the California Energy Code to promote electrification readiness for single-family residential additions, alterations, and retrofits. These amendments require homeowners undertaking qualifying remodels or electrical work to install basic infrastructure that supports a future transition away from natural gas appliances. The baseline for “qualifying” is alterations to existing single-family, duplex, or townhome residential structures where electrical work is permitted around existing gas equipment (such as gas water heaters, furnaces, or cooking appliances). In these cases, electrification readiness measures must be installed, such as dedicated circuits, conduit pathways, or panel capacity upgrades to accommodate future electric appliances such as cooking ranges, electric clothes dryers, and heat pump water heaters; reserving panel space and labeling connections for Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging; and planning for the future electrification of outdoor gas appliances such as pool heaters, fireplaces, and barbecues. By requiring these provisions only when electrical systems are already being upgraded or remodeled, the amendments make it cost-effective for residents to prepare for clean energy in the future. These measures support the City’s Climate Action and Resiliency Plan and General Plan sustainability goals while lowering future retrofit costs by integrating electrification readiness into major construction work.
3. Administrative/Procedural Clarifications
The Building Official recommends adopting local amendments to the California Building Code to improve clarity and consistency in the administration of permits and plan reviews. These updates establish clear timelines for permit-related actions, including automatic expiration of plan review applications after 180 days of inactivity, requirements for obtaining a new permit when work continues after a permit has expired, and the assessment of investigation fees for work started without permits. The amendments also codify the City’s existing policies for permit and plan review fee refunds and introduce provisions for assessing reinspection fees when projects are not ready or fail required corrections, consistent with current practice and the City Council-adopted Master Fee Schedule. Together, these updates streamline permitting processes, improve compliance, and ensure fair and consistent application of fees and enforcement procedures referenced in the General Plan Housing Element and business support policies.
4. International Property Maintenance Code
The Building Official also recommends adopting the IPMC. The IPMC establishes minimum standards for the maintenance, repair, and continued use of existing residential and commercial structures to ensure they remain safe, sanitary, and habitable. Its adoption will provide the City with stronger enforcement tools to address blight, neglected properties, and unsafe or substandard living conditions, which can pose risks to public health and safety. The code also offers consistent, legally defensible procedures for requiring property owners to correct hazardous conditions and maintain structures in compliance with minimum habitability standards. By adopting the IPMC, the City will be better equipped to preserve Alameda’s housing stock, address vacant property, and reduce long-term deterioration of the built environment. This update also supports the City’s General Plan goals of improving community safety, preserving neighborhood character, and enhancing overall quality of life for residents and businesses.
5. Fire Safety and Administrative/Procedural Clarifications
The Fire Code Official recommends adopting local amendments to the California Fire Code to establish clear procedures for the collection of fees related to both emergency and non-emergency services. These include inspections, re-inspections, permits, plan reviews, false alarm responses, and any other fees or charges enforceable and collectible by the Authority Having Jurisdiction. The amendments also clarify the requirement for an automatic fire extinguishing system (AFES) throughout the entire building for residential additions that increase the floor area by 50% or more, excluding additions made solely for damage repair or structural reinforcement, as defined in the California Existing Building Code.
6. Compliance with California Assembly Bill 306:
The technical changes and modifications to the 2025 California Fire Code are substantially equivalent to those previously adopted by the City under the 2022 Codes adoption and in effect as of January 1, 2023. The proposed changes to the 2025 California Building, Residential, Plumbing, Fire and Property Maintenance Codes address administrative procedures and are being adopted during the intervening period in accordance with Section 18942 of the California Health and Safety Code. These amendments aim to streamline internal processes related to code enforcement, permit issuance, plan review, inspections, and the maintenance of safe, habitable housing. Additionally, the ordinance promotes public safety by requiring the installation of earthquake shutoff valves, as outlined in the Alameda Municipal Code Section 13-6.3 - Modifications, Amendments, and Deletions to the California Plumbing Code.
Next Steps
Following adoption of the amendments by City Council, staff must file the approved amendments with the California Building Standards Commission and, due to amendments to the California Energy Code, also file with the California Energy Commission (CEC). The local amendments are considered accepted by the state once the Commission provides written notification to the City of the filing acceptance and upon written approval by the CEC.
ALTERNATIVES
• Modify the proposed local amendments.
• Do not adopt local amendments to the California Building Standards Code and be mandated, by default, to enforce the version of the State Codes effective January 1, 2026. If selected, the City would no longer have an adopted Reach Code which are the local building regulations that set higher environmental or energy-efficiency standards than the state baseline.
• Provide other direction to staff.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There are no financial impacts to adopt updated codes required by State law.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The information provided in this report and the proposed ordinance complies with the requirements of the Alameda Municipal Codes sections AMC 2-44.1 and the subject ordinance would repeal and replace Article I Uniform Codes Relating To Building, Housing And Technical Codes of AMC Chapter XIII in its entirety.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Adoption of local amendments to the California Building Standards Code and amendments to the Alameda Municipal Code are not a project under CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines, pursuant to Public Resources Codes Section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines section 15378, because the action does not result in a direct physical impact on the environment. As a separate and independent basis, adoption of the local amendments is exempt from the requirements of CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), because it can be shown with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question will have a significant effect on the environment.
CLIMATE IMPACT
Adoption of local amendments to the California Building Standards Code and amendments to the Alameda Municipal Code is consistent with the City’s Climate Action and Resiliency Plan by ensuring compliance with regulations that promote safety and sustainability.
RECOMMENDATION
Introduce an Ordinance amending the Alameda Municipal Code to adopt the new 2025 California Building Standards Codes and local amendments implementing the Alameda 2040 General Plan (2021). Specifically, the Ordinance repeals Ordinance No. 3338 and Adds: (1) Article I (Uniform Codes Relating to Building, Housing and Technical Codes) to Chapter XIII (Building and Housing), to adopt Chapter 1, Division II Scope and Administration of the California Building Code, 2025 Edition as the Alameda Administrative Code, the 2025 California Building Code Volumes 1 and 2 as amended, the 2025 California Residential Building Code as amended, the 2025 Edition of the California Historical Building Code, the 2025 Edition of the California Electrical Code, the 2025 Edition of the California Plumbing Code as amended, the 2025 Edition of the California Mechanical Code, the 1997 Uniform Housing Code, the 2024 Edition of the International Property Maintenance Code as amended and the 1997 Edition of the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings; and Adopts (2) the 2025 Edition of the California Fire Code, including appendix chapters 4, B, BB, C, CC, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, N and P with necessary additions and amendments to Section 15-1 of Chapter XV (Fire Prevention) due to local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions; and Adopts (3) the 2025 Edition of the California Green Buildings Standards Code and the 2025 Edition of the California Energy Code with necessary additions and amendments to Section 13-10 Of Chapter XIII (Building and Housing) due to local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions.
Respectfully submitted,
Allen Tai, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
Nicholas Luby, Fire Chief
By,
Oscar Davalos, Chief Building Official
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Finance Director