This a great overview and History of the Florida Building Code
Here is a copy of the Preface Chapter of every Florida Building Code Book…
Reference the Preface Chapter of the 2017 6th Edition Florida Building Code Residential:
History
The State of Florida first mandated statewide building codes during the 1970s at the beginning of the modern construction boom. The first law required all municipalities and counties to adopt and enforce one of the four state-recognized model codes known as the “state minimum building codes.” During the early 1990s a series of natural disasters, together with the increasing complexity of building construction regulation in vastly changed markets, led to a comprehensive review of the state building code system. The study revealed that building code adoption and enforcement was inconsistent throughout the state and those local codes thought to be the strongest proved inadequate when tested by major hurricane events. The consequences of the building codes system failure were devastation to lives and economies and a statewide property insurance crisis. The response was a reform of the state building construction regulatory system that placed emphasis on uniformity and accountability.
The 1998 Florida Legislature amended Chapter 553, Florida Statutes (FS), Building Construction Standards, to create a single state building code that is enforced by local governments. As of March 1, 2002, the Florida Building Code, which is developed and maintained by the Florida Building Commission, supersedes all local building codes. The Florida Building Code is updated every three years and may be amended annually to incorporate interpretations and clarifications.
Scope
The Florida Building Code is based on national model building codes and national consensus standards which are amended where necessary for Florida’s specific needs. The code incorporates all building construction-related regulations for public and private buildings in the State of Florida other than those specifically exempted by Section 553.73, Florida Statutes. It has been harmonized with the Florida Fire Prevention Code, which is developed and maintained by the Department of Financial Services, Office of the State Fire Marshal, to establish unified and consistent standards.
The base codes for the Florida Building Code, 6th Edition (2017) include: the 2015 editions of the International Building Code®; the International Plumbing Code®; the International Mechanical Code®; the International Fuel Gas Code®; the International Residential Code®; the International Existing Building Code®; the International Energy Conservation Code®; the National Electrical Code, 2014 edition; or substantive criteria from ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2013. State and local codes adopted and incorporated into the code include the Florida Building Code, Accessibility, and special hurricane protection standards for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone.
The code is composed of nine main volumes: the Florida Building Code, Building, which also includes state regulations for licensed facilities; the Florida Building Code, Plumbing; the Florida Building Code, Mechanical; the Florida Building Code, Fuel Gas; the Florida Building Code, Existing Building; the Florida Building Code, Residential; the Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation; the Florida Building Code, Accessibility and the Florida Building Code, Test Protocols for High-Velocity Hurricane Zones. Chapter 27 of the Florida Building Code, Building, adopts the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70, by reference.
Under certain strictly defined conditions, local governments may amend requirements to be more stringent than the code. All local amendments to the Florida Building Code must be adopted by local ordinance and reported to the Florida Building Commission then posted on www.floridabuilding.org in Legislative format for a month before being enforced. Local amendments to the Florida Building Code and the Florida Fire Prevention Code may be obtained from the Florida Building Commission website, or from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation or the Florida Department of Financial Services, Office of the State Fire Marshal, respectively.
We recommend any repairs performed be in accordance with the Florida Building Code, the Manufacturer’s requirements and all current Standards. . This complex set of Codes, (Florida Building Code Residential alone is over 800 pages), sometimes contradicts themselves, can at times leave room for interpretation, and often repeat themselves. Any reference to any codes in this inspection are as a reference to a Code, any reference to Codes, (for instance the IRC or NEC) which do not specifically apply to a specific instance are intended to show the broad acknowledgment across the Codes of a given subject. We are not Code Officials. Florida Building Codes are the bare minimum construction standard, and there is a provision in the Codes that allow local Code Officials to amend the Codes (Marco Island for instance has some Codes which are stricter than the Florida Building Code).
When conflicts in the code exist, the strictest of the conflicts shall apply.
Reference 2014 2017 Florida Building Code Residential R101.2.1
The provisions of Chapter 1, Florida Building Code, Building, shall govern the administration and enforcement of the Florida Building Code, Residential.
Reference 2014 2017 Florida Building Code Building [A]102.1General.
Where there is a conflict between a general requirement and a specific requirement, the specific requirement shall be applicable. Where, in any specific case, different sections of this code specify different materials, methods of construction or other requirements, the most restrictive shall govern.