In the past few years, both the construction and insurance industries have seen increased scrutiny around code adoption practices. Understanding both the latest local and state codes is critical for accurate roof insurance claims and indemnity payouts. At OneClick Code, we understand that code requirements set at the state level, amended locally, or adopted entirely by city jurisdictions can dramatically affect roofing estimates, permit fees, and project timelines. In this article, we cover how adoption mechanics differ from state to state, and what that means for contractors and adjusters reviewing claims every day.
Whether you're working in a state that strictly enforces statewide codes or one where every municipality writes its own, you’ll quickly understand that a postal address alone is not enough to be compliant. With OneClick Code’s proprietary code database, you’ll be equipped to identify the correct roofing code requirements for any address and avoid expensive mistakes on roof estimates.
Many roofing professionals assume building codes are standardized within a state. In reality, code enforcement and adoption vary widely — sometimes from one street to the next.
State-Adopted Building Codes:
Local Building Codes:
Why It Matters:
Both state and local codes shape how roofing estimates are written and how claims are settled. Assuming code uniformity without verification can lead to costly errors.
Most building codes originate from model codes published by national organizations.
Here are the most widely adopted model codes referenced in U.S. building regulations:
Each governs a different aspect of construction — and roofing code references often pull from multiple models.
In states where building codes are adopted at a state level, there are no cities and counties that have differing codes. No matter if the project is in the hills or in the plains, if a project is in a State Code State the project will have the same building code requirements as the next house. There is not much room for argument between contractors and adjusters in these states over the topic of building codes.
There are 12 states that follow the adoption of building codes at a state level with state amendments, meaning that the state decides on the codebook to adopt and does not allow for the individual cities or counties to make amendments to that code. What the state says, goes.
States Include: Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.
Please note that Indiana is unique in that part of the State is considered "state-state" and the other part is considered "state-local".
These states follow the adoption of building codes at a state level but require local municipalities to adopt various amendments. This means that the state decides on the codebook being adopted, but local cities and counties are expected to make various amendments to the state building code that reflect each municipality's unique geographical and weather situations. This usually occurs in states where there are varying climate zones and altitudes within one state.
Example:
In Utah, a home in Cache County requires ice and water shield due to northern snowfall. Meanwhile, St. George in southern Utah does not require it, despite following the same base state code.
States Include: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
If a contractor or adjuster were to run these projects manually, they would still need something like Table R301.2(1) to back up their information. OneClick Code now makes this research fast and verifiable.
There are 16 states that follow building code adoption at a local level, meaning it is up to each individual city and county within these states to adopt and enforce a specific building code. These states are the most challenging when it comes to gathering building codes because a house right down the street from another can require different codes which can directly impact a roofing estimate by more than 25 percent!
States include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.
Jurisdiction is the most important factor when it comes to creating a roofing estimate — and the most overlooked.
Every property in the U.S. is given a U.S. Postal Address. This address, though a good identifier of location, does not dictate jurisdiction over the property. Let's say that again: a property address does not give you the correct jurisdiction for a property.
40% of residences in the U.S. are in unincorporated areas — but still carry a postal city name. That creates confusion when determining who governs the building code.
Proceed with caution if someone claims they “know the code” based solely on an address. Jurisdiction boundaries are invisible, frequently changing, and often misunderstood — especially in fast-growing areas.
Jurisdiction vs. Postal Address:
Why This Matters:
The Takeaway
Most U.S. states have municipalities that have differing building codes or amendments.
U.S. Postal Addresses are not an indicator of which municipality has jurisdiction over a property.
Gathering building code information has historically been a manual process, but now OneClick Code can automate building codes for you.
For the first time ever, identifying the correct jurisdiction and which building codes are adopted at a local level is a reality with the right tools.
OneClick Code eliminates hours of phone calls and PDF hunting — and gives you jurisdiction-backed data in seconds.
OneClick Data Inc. is a trusted data partner dedicated to streamlining the code-sourcing process for all parties in the roofing industry while increasing efficiency and transparency for all stakeholders in construction and restoration. They have the only platform, OneClick Code, to have blazed the trail for data automation of jurisdictional authority for building codes, permit fees, taxes, and manufacturer specifications required for any address nationwide. OneClick Code has been serving customers in the contracting, insurance, and claim adjusting fields by providing instant access to trusted roofing codes with the click of a button. Offering unique reports that can be easily shared between all stakeholders in the roofing claims industry, OneClick Code adds value to all parties and empowers customers to save time and money on every claim. Welcome to restoration intelligence, automated. To learn more, visit www.oneclickcode.com.
A: It means the state selects a model code (e.g., the International Building Code) and applies it uniformly across all municipalities without allowing local governments to adopt different codes or make significant amendments.
A: In this approach, the state adopts a base code, but local municipalities are permitted (or required) to pass local amendments to reflect geographic, climatic, or other regional conditions.
A: Because the authority having jurisdiction drives the required building codes. 45% of the time, the jurisdiction does not match the postal address. If you look up required codes based on postal address and zip code, you are going to be inaccurate a lot of the time.
A: OneClick Code automates the identification of the correct jurisdiction, the code version adopted, and any local amendments for a given address—eliminating the ambiguity and research burden that often causes inaccurate claims and supplements.