Utah Passes Bill to Regulate Modular Construction at the State Level

In an effort to increase the amount of affordable housing while leveraging advanced technologies and building practices, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed SB0168, the Affordable Building Amendments bill, into law on March 19, 2024. In doing so, Utah joins 39 other states in regulating modular construction at the state level to support both consistency and efficiency in the off-site process. It’s the first state to establish such a program in more than 25 years, housing innovation and affordability nonprofit Ivory Innovations said in a recent release.

By creating a statewide off-site construction program based on joint standards created by the International Code Council and the Modular Building Institute, the bill centralizes inspection and plan review of modular projects and helps create a regulatory path for modular home builders.

Prior to the bill’s passage, these responsibilities were delegated to Utah’s 250+ municipalities, many of which lack the resources or expertise necessary to efficiently evaluate projects using this relatively new form of construction. The legislation makes Utah uniquely attractive to developers and manufacturers working in the modular space.     

“Establishing a statewide off-site construction program unlocks opportunities to address housing needs across the state,” said Ryan Colker, Vice President of Innovation at the International Code Council. “Basing the program on ICC/MBI Standards 1200 and 1205 means that the new program will leverage the lessons learned and best practices from programs across the country to deliver benefits to Utah residents and the manufacturers that can serve them. We are pleased to have worked with a diverse set of stakeholders to help make this happen.”

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