As hurricane season approaches, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety released the fifth edition of Rating the States, which evaluates building code adoption, enforcement and contractor licensing in the 18 states along the hurricane coastline from Texas to Maine. The study found that while some states work to ensure homes are resilient against extreme weather, many communities remain vulnerable because state or local jurisdictions have failed to adopt or enforce modern building codes, or have allowed their codes to lapse and become outdated.
Less than 35% of Americans live in communities with an adopted modern building code.
Key findings
- After two consecutive second-place finishes, Virginia topped the 2024 rankings with a record-setting score of 96. It climbed back to the top spot after adopting the 2021 International Residential Code and improving training programs for code officials and contractors.
- Florida, which has held the top spot since 2018 and matched its 2021 score of 95, slipped behind Virginia in this year's ratings.
- South Carolina ranked third this year and New Jersey followed ranked fourth.
- Louisiana jumped three spots to fifth place after making training mandatory for code officials, adopting the 2021 IRC, and launching the Fortify Louisiana Homes program.
- With a score of 90, Connecticut rounds out the top-third of the list.
What IBHS says
"Most people trust their state, city or town has rules or codes to ensure homes are built to be safe and strong," says IBHS CEO Roy Wright. "Yet, despite their proven effectiveness, less than 35% of Americans live in communities with an adopted modern building code."
About the study
IBHS conducts Rating the States every three years to coincide with the building code cycle. It ranks each state on a 100-point scale by analyzing specific factors in the current code environment that influence windstorm resilience. The report details best practices in residential-related building regulations, providing a roadmap each state can follow to improve its ability to mitigate damage from severe windstorms.
