Hausbauer in Kansas City are upset about the recently passed building regulations, in which you have to install expensive devices such as the Energy Recovery fans in new builds. Now last week you take this fight to Washington, DC on the Capitol Hill, Kansas City, Brian Tebbenkamp, said in a hearing in a house negotiation that was more precise about the latest energy conservation codes. Kansas City was the first to assume these codes in 2023, which the Federal Government strongly increased to increase energy efficiency. Since then, homebuilding in Kansas City has slowed down because the builders say that the codes are too restrictive. “But if we have experts such as engineers and external parties who get to a point at which they refuse to work in Kansas City, Missouri, due to the difficulty of the city, which are checking and forwarding things under the new code, puts the builders into a very difficult position,” said Tebbenkamp, who has Patriot Homes. Democrats of the subcommittee, which heard the proposals, defended the incentives for energy -efficient codes, said that energy efficiency saves money, lowers consumer costs and increases the reliability of the household comfort. Tebbenkamp said he agreed, but the recently accepted codes required everything, from more efficient windows and lighting to better HLK systems and insulation. He said the codes were too difficult to interpret and went too far. Tebbenkamp also said that he had seen countless builders leave the KC area completely because codes make it too expensive to build in the region. “If you are a smaller master builder, you say that you only say a few houses a year. And your engineer wants to calculate three or four times as much as, for example, on Lee's summit. And he will invoice you for the same house in Kansas City,” said Tebbenkamp. “I think that will become more of a cost decision at this point. Will your customer or the homeowner be able to pay for it?” Housekeepers like Tebbenkamp say that their ultimate goal is to bring these decisions back to Kansas City and to have a work relationship between the city and the builders in order to find the best way forward.
Hausbauer in Kansas City are upset about the recently passed building regulations, in which you have to install expensive devices such as the Energy Recovery fans in new builds.
Now take this fight to Washington, DC
At the Capitol Hill last week, the Kansas City Hausbauer Brian Tebbenkamp said in a hearing that took a closer look at the latest energy conservation codes.
Kansas City was the first to assume these codes in 2023, which the Federal Government strongly increased to increase energy efficiency.
Since then, homebuilding in Kansas City has slowed down because the builders say that the codes are too restrictive.
“But if we have experts such as engineers and external parties who get to a point at which they refuse to work in Kansas City, Missouri, due to the difficulty of the city, which are checking and forwarding things under the new code, puts the builders into a very difficult position,” said Tebbenkamp, who has Patriot Homes.
Democrats of the subcommittee, which heard the proposals, defended the incentives for energy -efficient codes, said that energy efficiency saves money, lowers consumer costs and increases the reliability of the household comfort.
Tebbenkamp said he agreed, but the recently accepted codes required everything, from more efficient windows and lighting to better HLK systems and insulation. He said the codes were too difficult to interpret and went too far.
Tebbenkamp also said that he had seen countless builders leave the KC area completely because codes make it too expensive to build in the region.
“If you are a smaller master builder, you say that you only say a few houses a year. And your engineer wants to calculate three or four times as much as, for example, on Lee's summit. And he will invoice you for the same house in Kansas City,” said Tebbenkamp. “I think that will become more of a cost decision at this point. Will your customer or the homeowner be able to pay for it?”
Housekeepers like Tebbenkamp say that their ultimate goal is to bring these decisions back to Kansas City and to have a work relationship between the city and the builders in order to find the best way forward.