Panel resists easing building code

• By MARK BALLARD
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: May 6, 2008 - Page: 4A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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A House committee on Monday fought efforts by north Louisiana legislators to kill off the new statewide building code but put limits on what inspectors could charge.

“We’re being abused,” said state Rep. Billy Chandler, D-Dry Prong, in support of his House Bill 204, which sought to exempt areas less prone to catastrophic hurricane damage.

Almost since November 2005, when the Legislature approved strict construction standards, lawmakers from rural north and central Louisiana have complained that the statewide building codes have increased costs and stifled construction north of Interstate 10.

The law requires that licensed inspectors personally review the work to ensure builders followed specific construction procedures, such as strapping down rafters, and using storm-resistant materials.

A handful of jurisdictions — such as Baton Rouge, Jefferson Parish and Slidell — already enforced building codes. Their corps of inspectors only needed some additional training to adapt to the new statewide standard.

But much of rural Louisiana had no inspectors, Chandler said. Many of the cash-poor rural parishes and small towns, where a single police officer often is the only full-time employee, just can’t afford to hire an inspector, he said.

Darrell Glascock of Pineville, a lobbyist representing the Grant Parish Police Jury, said the code creates an unnecessary burden in north Louisiana where hurricane winds are not as severe. The standards increase the cost of a 2,000-square-foot home by $7,500.

“We just don’t need to build to the same standards you need in Calcasieu Parish,” Glascock said. “It’s like making the people buy a Cadillac when all we need is a pickup truck.”

The panel defeated HB204 on a vote of 2 for and 14 against.

Chandler then presented House Bill 211, which would allow local governing authorities to set the price inspectors could charge in their jurisdiction. That measure passed without objection.

Rep. Noble Ellington, D-Winnsboro, said because so little construction takes place in rural parishes, private inspectors come in from other areas and charge what they want.

Ellington pushed House Bill 1308, which would allow the state fire marshal to take over inspection duties for commercial buildings in parishes north of I-10 with less than 40,000 people. About 20 parishes are in that category.

Louisiana State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning said, “I don’t think we can do it with our current staff.” The legislation had no fiscal note.