Houston County Commission approves building codes

Houston County adopted a building code for county residents on Monday, which does not assess any new fees or taxes, or limit construction in unincorporated areas of the county, except in the flood plain.

The codes, assistant county engineer Justin Barfield said, which had already been county approved, bring the county into compliance with Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations.

“We spoke with the county attorney who said we need to adopt the codes as part of our building laws. This is not a new tax. This is not any new revenues. We are just adopting a building code,” Barfield said.

The county code now follows accepted international procedure.

Commissioner Bobby Snellgrove referred to the codes as a consumer protection program, saying he understands the importance of protecting homeowners like those who were flooded this spring during heavy rains.

“There have been people coming in not building homes to standard. More than anything else, this protects the public.”

County Engineer Mark Pool said it is also required by the federal government.

“FEMA mandates we keep people out of the flood zones so there is not more and more money they have to pay out,” Pool said. “Either we use the permit process or we fly over the county every day and see who is building.”

Since the county began requiring homeowners to get a permit before building, nine have been permitted. Officials say it protects homeowners by requiring the builder to be a licensed contractor with a state business licenses. The exception is that homeowners may build the home themselves.

Pool said new home builders may select a house site during dry weather and not consider rainfall and the elevation of the site or nearby water sources.

“They may not know how many acres are draining through there,” Pool said. “When somebody gets flooded, they want to call the county to stop that creek from running through there.”