Home Builders Advocate for Reforms at General Assembly
Charlotte-area home builders met in Raleigh with Rep. Andy Dulin and Senator Dan Bishop, along with other members of the Mecklenburg and Cabarrus delegations.
Home builders from Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties joined their colleagues from across the state this week to advocate for permitting and code enforcement reforms at the General Assembly, during the North Carolina Home Builders Association’s (NCHBA) annual Legislative Day.
In addition to talking with legislators about the state of the local housing market, HBA members advocated for passage of a number of critical bills, including:
HB 948 – Building Code Regulatory Reform: Sponsored by Representative Mark Brody (Union), this bill makes some very beneficial changes to the permitting and inspection process, including:Clarifies existing language allowing a licensed architect/engineer to certify a component or element of a building, without the need for a city or county to inspect and approve that component.Gives the NC Department of Insurance the statutory authority to create an Inspector Marketplace Pool, composed of retired Code Enforcement officials, from which builders could request an inspection in the event the local officials cannot provide one within 2 business days.Provides greater flexibility for the State of North Carolina to grant provisional licenses to Code Enforcement officials who are certified and in good standing in other states, which will help address the challenge of Code Official vacancies in fast-growing counties like Mecklenburg.HB 507 – Land Use Regulatory Changes: This bill passed the Senate last year, but needs to be taken up this session by the House. It includes several important reforms including statutory clarifications to Permit Choice – a developer can choose which version of a rule to apply in the event an ordinance changes after they submit an application. Among other things, the bill also expands the 7-year vesting protection for multi-phase development projects.
Meeting with Senator Jeff Jackson during the NCHBA Legislative Reception in Raleigh
Builders also continued to lobby for the passage of HB 457 — Performance Guarantees/ Subdivision Streets, a bill that would create a specific timeframe for NCDOT to approve and accept county subdivision roads once they are completed. This bill passed the House last year, and is awaiting action by the Senate. Finally, HBA members advocated for additional changes in the state’s RMI Sales Tax law, to allow sales tax credits to be claimed through deductions on applicable sales tax receipts remitted to the State of North Carolina.
