Steel Building & Barndominium Permits by State

Alabama adopted the 2021 IBC statewide in 2022. The state code primarily applies to state-owned buildings, schools, hotels, and theaters. Counties enforce codes...

Florida has the strictest building codes in the Southeast due to hurricane engineering requirements. All steel buildings must meet the Florida Building Code, in...

Georgia requires building permits statewide, and some counties have zoning restrictions that can complicate barndominium projects, particularly near metro Atlan...

Kentucky enforces a statewide building code through the Department of Housing, Buildings, and Construction. Rural counties have streamlined processes, and barnd...

Mississippi operates under a home rule system where each city and county has full authority to adopt and enforce building codes independently. Many rural counti...

North Carolina enforces the NC State Building Codes statewide with consistent enforcement and common-sense flexibility. Permits are required in all counties, bu...

South Carolina adopted the 2021 SC Building Codes effective January 2023. Farm structures have a specific exemption from locally-enforced building codes. Rural...

Tennessee is generally barndominium-friendly, especially in rural counties east and west of Nashville. Most counties enforce state building codes, so permits ar...

Virginia enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) across all jurisdictions. Farm buildings have a specific exemption from the building code....

West Virginia has a statewide building code but enforcement varies significantly. Many rural counties have limited enforcement resources. The state is friendly...

Arkansas is a build-friendly state with many rural counties having minimal code enforcement. The state has adopted building codes but enforcement is primarily a...

Louisiana adopts the Uniform Construction Code statewide, and local jurisdictions cannot adopt separate building regulations. Hurricane wind loads along the Gul...

Oklahoma closely mirrors Texas in its rural permitting friendliness. Most rural counties have minimal building code enforcement, and barndominiums are widely ac...

Texas is the most barndominium-friendly state in the country, with many rural counties requiring no building permits at all. Unincorporated areas typically have...

Kansas delegates building code adoption to local jurisdictions, and many rural counties have minimal or no code enforcement. The state is very build-friendly fo...

Missouri has no statewide building code, leaving it entirely to local jurisdictions. Many rural counties in Missouri's 114 counties have not adopted building co...

Nebraska delegates building code adoption to local jurisdictions. Many rural counties have minimal code enforcement. The state is very build-friendly for steel...

North Dakota has a statewide building code administered by the Division of Community Services, but enforcement is practical and rural-friendly. Heavy snow loads...

South Dakota has no statewide commercial energy codes, and building codes are enforced at the local level only. Many rural counties have minimal enforcement. Th...

Arizona delegates building code adoption to local jurisdictions. Urban areas like Phoenix, Tucson, and Scottsdale have full code enforcement, while some rural c...

New Mexico has a statewide building code enforced through the Construction Industries Division. Rural counties have practical enforcement. Agricultural exemptio...

Colorado has no statewide building code, leaving it to local governments to adopt and enforce their own codes. Urban areas along the Front Range enforce strict...

Idaho is a build-friendly state with statewide building codes but practical enforcement that favors rural property owners. Many rural counties have streamlined...

Montana has a statewide building code but enforcement is practical and rural-friendly. Many rural counties have streamlined permitting processes. Heavy snow loa...

Utah has a statewide building code enforced through local jurisdictions. Snow loads and seismic design are significant concerns. The state has a well-organized...

Wyoming has building codes to regulate construction, with most areas adopting versions of the IBC and IRC. However, local laws vary by city and county, and many...

Illinois does not have a statewide building code except for a plumbing code and Life Safety Code (fire regulations). Building codes are adopted and enforced at...

Indiana has building codes enforced through the Department of Homeland Security for commercial buildings and the Indiana Residential Code for homes. Rural count...

Iowa delegates building code adoption to local jurisdictions. Many rural counties have minimal code enforcement. Agricultural buildings are widely exempt from p...

Michigan has a statewide building code enforced by the Bureau of Construction Codes. Agricultural buildings are specifically exempt from building permits. Barnd...

Minnesota has a statewide building code that applies to most types of buildings. The Department of Labor and Industry administers the code. Heavy snow loads and...

Ohio enforces the Ohio Building Code (OBC) statewide through the Board of Building Standards. The code allows for practical enforcement in rural areas, and barn...

Wisconsin has a statewide building code administered by the Department of Safety and Professional Services. The state is friendly to steel buildings, with stron...

Delaware delegates building code enforcement to local jurisdictions, primarily counties and cities. Kent and Sussex counties (southern Delaware) are more flexib...

Maryland enforces a statewide building code with local administration. The permitting process is thorough, especially in the Baltimore and DC suburbs. Agricultu...

New Jersey enforces the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) statewide with some of the most thorough plan review processes in the country. All construction requires...

New York has the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code statewide, plus NYC has its own entirely separate building code. Permits are mandatory everywhere. Up...

Pennsylvania enforces the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) statewide, except in Philadelphia and Allegheny County which have custom codes. Agricultural buildings...

Connecticut enforces the State Building Code statewide, based on the IBC/IRC with state amendments. All construction requires permits, and the state has well-es...

Maine has adopted building codes at the state level with local enforcement. Snow loads are significant, especially in northern and mountainous areas. Some rural...

Massachusetts enforces a statewide building code (the State Building Code) that is among the most comprehensive in the country. All construction requires permit...

New Hampshire has adopted state building codes with local enforcement. The 'Live Free or Die' ethos is reflected in the relatively practical approach to buildin...

Rhode Island enforces a statewide building code with full enforcement in all municipalities. The small, densely populated state has strict zoning and limited ru...

Vermont has adopted building codes at the state level with local enforcement. Heavy snow loads are the primary engineering concern. The state has a rural charac...

Alaska has statewide building codes enforced by state agencies but allows local jurisdictions to be designated as Deferred Jurisdictions for local code administ...

Oregon enforces the Oregon Structural Specialty Code (OSSC) statewide, based on the IBC with state amendments. Seismic design is important in western Oregon. Ag...

Washington state enforces building codes statewide through the State Building Code Council. Seismic design is important in western Washington. Eastern Washingto...

California has the strictest building codes in the nation through the California Building Code (CBC), which adds extensive seismic, energy, and fire amendments...

Hawaii adopts the State Building Code based on the IBC and IRC, with each of the four county jurisdictions having two years to adopt local amendments. High cons...

Nevada delegates building code adoption to local jurisdictions. Clark County (Las Vegas) has thorough enforcement, while rural counties are more flexible. Extre...