Online Rating System (ORS) Updates and Tips

City of Austin Adopts 2024 Technical Building Codes, Effective July 10

The Austin City Council voted, April 10, 2025, to adopt the 2024 Technical Building Codes, along with a comprehensive set of Local Amendments designed to support Austin’s unique environmental and housing goals. 

The newly adopted codes update 10 sets of technical standards that regulate building design, construction and maintenance throughout the city.  These changes align with national best practices while also incorporating local priorities around climate resilience, wildfire risk, housing diversity, and energy efficiency. Notable changes in the amended codes include:  

• Air conditioning standards: New and existing buildings must provide and maintain equipment that can keep the temperature no higher than 85 degrees and at least 15 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. These new standards respond to a Council resolution passed in August 2023, focused on improving livability and public health in high-heat conditions.  

• Single Stairway Flexibility: Council adopted additional amendments during the meeting, allowing single stairways for some multi-family residences up to five stories high, with some limitations depending on building size.  

• Wildland-Urban Interface Expansion: The amended code increases the areas identified as Wildland-Urban Interface and Proximity Zone C within the Wildland-Urban Interface. This will affect some construction requirements to reduce the effects of wildfire on structures in those areas.  

• Energy Efficiency and EV Readiness:  The amended codes add electric vehicle readiness requirements and energy efficiency standards for residential and commercial structures.  

• Innovative Building Materials (Hempcrete): Council adopted an amendment approving the use of hempcrete — a plant-based, low-carbon alternative to traditional concrete — in residential construction.  

• Additional Health and Safety Requirements: Other updates include expanding pest control standards to include bedbugs and scorpions in multi-unit buildings and enhanced emergency lighting requirements for high rises to improve safety during power outages or emergencies . 

Participant Identifier and Signage

Project teams are eligible to use the AEGB Participant Identifier for qualifying projects when they receive eligibility notification from Austin Energy® Green Building’s Online Rating System (ORS). The Identifier may be used on promotional media for your rated projects (or projects actively seeking a rating) through marketing and other print/digital collateral. Exterior signage templates with the Identifier are also available. Login to your Organization Profile to accept the Guidelines terms and download the files. 

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