Delaware Home Builders Advocacy Halts Major Overhaul of Energy Code
HBA: Home Builders Association of Delaware
Category: Government Affairs
Location: Dover, Del.
Size: State Association
Year: 2025
The Home Builders Association of Delaware (HBADE) implemented a variety of advocacy efforts to prevent approval of a new energy code, a heavily amended version of the 2024 IECC. Had these regulations passed, they would have increased the cost of building a home in Delaware by tens of thousands of dollars, halted residential development and given builders roughly three months to comply, worsening housing affordability and attainability for communities across the state.
The primary goal of HBADE’s work was to clarify the severe and immediate impacts the regulations would have on construction and affordability. The association brought the unrealistic timeframe the regulations would mandate for adjusting builders' plans and retraining industry professionals on drastically different codes to the attention of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Additionally, HBADE called on its members to provide cost analyses on the changes that would be necessary under the regulations, as these were not originally considered. Working with the NAHB Codes and Standards Team, a technical analysis was drafted to address ambiguities in the code. Ultimately, HBADE's advocacy efforts prevented regulation approval, protecting builders and homeowners from further affordability concerns.
