Building Codes Save: A Nationwide Study

This nationwide FEMA study quantifies the financial benefits of adopting and enforcing hazard-resistant building codes, focusing on losses avoided from floods, hurricane winds, and earthquakes in buildings constructed since 2000. Using big data analytics and FEMA's Hazus modeling, it compares damage outcomes for buildings built to I-Codes versus pre-I-Code standards. The report provides detailed methodology, data sources, and findings to inform community officials, building professionals, and the public about the value of modern building codes in reducing disaster losses. It emphasizes the economic and community resilience benefits of code adoption for both residential and commercial structures.