As California continues to grapple with its long-standing housing affordability crisis, a new bill is proposing a novel solution: put a pause on changes to the state’s building code. Assembly Bill 306, introduced by Assemblymember Nick Schultz of Burbank, seeks to freeze the current building standards through at least 2031. These standards, which dictate everything from architecture and plumbing to energy use and seismic safety, would remain unchanged, with limited exceptions for emergency updates.
“There’s nothing extreme about leaving the code as it is for a few years,” Schultz said, pointing to homeowners in areas like Altadena and the Palisades who are rebuilding after devastating fires.
The bill, already approved by the Assembly with 71 votes and no opposition, is now headed to the state Senate.
Building Codes: A Quiet but Powerful Force
California’s building code does not originate from within the state. Like most states, California adopts a model code published by the International Code Council, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit. This council, governed by regulators, architects, and building industry groups, updates its model codes every three years.
“It’s like naming the World Series the World Series,” said Eduardo Mendoza of California YIMBY, critiquing the “international” label on what is essentially a North American product.
These updates trigger a year-long state-level process involving seven agencies, where industry insiders and advocates engage in often unseen but deeply consequential debates over construction rules.
“It’s all very bureaucratic, very dry, but still extremely political,” Mendoza explained.
A Pause with Purpose
The goal behind AB 306 is clear: affordability. By halting updates to the code, lawmakers hope to prevent the escalating costs that many developers associate with continuous code changes.
Dan Dunmoyer of the California Building Industry Association, representing large homebuilders, argued:
“We had the most seismically safe, water-reduced, fire retardant, energy efficient homes in the world two years ago and we just keep on adding more and more and more to it. At what point do you just take a pause?”
This perspective is echoed by affordable housing developers like Laura Archuleta of Jamboree Housing Corporation, who noted:
“If a change in the building code means going back to the architectural drawing board and delaying a permit application, that can put off a potential project another year or two.”
Critics Warn of Climate Risks and Missed Opportunities
Environmental advocates and construction unions are pushing back, warning that freezing the code could hinder California’s ability to adapt to climate change.
Laura Walsh of Save the Bay cautioned:
“We’ll get to a place in the trend where things get worse really fast.”
Merrian Borgeson of the Natural Resources Defense Council called the bill:
“Well-intentioned” but “fundamentally flawed in its premise,” arguing that “the driver of cost in California for housing is not code.”
Some fear the bill might block future changes that would actually make housing cheaper. Matt Vespa of Earthjustice emphasized:
“Those energy code enhancements could save people money on their energy bills and that is part of affordability. Why is that completely not considered in this equation?”
The High Cost of Compliance
Industry groups argue that code updates come with a hefty price tag. According to the California Building Industry Association, recent changes over the past 15 years have added between $51,000 and $117,000 to the cost of each single-family home. The largest cost driver? Sprinkler systems, mandated since 2011, which require expensive water utility hook-ups.
A national study found that since 2012, changes to the International Code Council’s model codes have contributed about 11% of total development costs for apartment buildings.
“City planning departments are always the scene of ‘a mad rush from developers who are trying to get in’ before the new rules go into effect,” said Reuben Duarte of the California Chapter of the American Planning Association.
A Shift from Zoning to Building Code
Until now, housing legislation in California has largely focused on zoning reforms — easing restrictions on where and what types of housing can be built. But AB 306 signals a pivot toward the building code itself as a regulatory barrier worth addressing.
Stephen Smith of the Center for Building in North America commented:
“Architects, developers, contractors are pointing out, ‘No, actually, there are barriers in the actual construction process and many of those do go back to the building code.’”
Assemblymember Chris Ward, a San Diego Democrat, added:
“The theme of the year has been ‘let’s all focus in on the cost of construction and on reducing the cost of housing.’”
Ward has authored two other bills aimed at loosening building standards for small apartment buildings and reevaluating energy efficiency mandates.
A Mixed Bag for Developers
Some developers stand to benefit more from the pause than others. Smith pointed out:
“If I were a single family developer, I’d be a lot more happy with the code as it is than if I were a multifamily developer and a lot more eager to fix it in place.”
He warns that the freeze could block not just costly updates, but also beneficial changes like single-stair apartment buildings — common in Europe — that allow more units on a lot and can cut construction costs by as much as 13%.
Schultz’s bill does make exceptions for such potential reforms and for office-to-residential conversions, but Smith remains wary.
“It’s a little upsetting to see everyone throwing the baby out with the bath water.”
A Work in Progress
Schultz maintains that the bill is still under negotiation, with potential amendments on the table.
He’s exploring an “escape hatch” for any changes “that might actually reduce the cost of housing.”
If passed, the bill would stop California’s current 2025 code — slated for implementation in January 2026 — from taking effect. Instead, the existing rules would remain in place starting June 1.
The broader political trend is clear. Lawmakers, developers, and some housing advocates are shifting focus to what has long been a background issue in housing policy.
“As California legislators are ‘finding religion on land use, other issues are sort of bubbling up,’” said Smith.
And with California’s housing affordability crisis showing no signs of easing, even the most obscure corners of the regulatory process — like the building code — are now up for debate.
