History of the South Florida Building Code

Following World War II, the League of Municipalities—comprising 26 municipalities and the unincorporated area of Dade County—identified significant variations in design concepts and minimum code requirements. In response, various industry segments were invited to propose a modern minimum code. Plumbing regulations were also addressed, with management, labor and several chief plumbing inspectors meeting nearly weekly for two years. They conducted research and consulted health officials, restaurant and hotel commission representatives, and designing engineers from the Board of Public Instruction to identify and address the pressing issues of the time.

The committee reviewed the National Plumbing Code, the American Standards Association's A40.8 code and codes from larger and older cities across the United States. By 1956, they had developed a uniform plumbing code that could potentially be applied statewide, closely aligning with the ANSI A40 Plumbing Code.

On October 29, 1957, the Board of County Commissioners of Dade County, Florida, officially adopted the South Florida Building Code. Initially, revised editions were published annually or biannually until 1972, when the publication cycle changed. Subsequent editions were released in 1974, 1976, 1979, 1984 and 1988. The latest edition amended the 1988 South Florida Building Code and all related ordinances, establishing a new three-year publication cycle with annual amendments provided as supplements.

The South Florida Building Code was founded on the principle that the safety of the people is paramount. Its primary goals were to preserve human life and property from fire and other hazards related to buildings and construction through enlightened and proper design, construction and inspection of all structures. It sought to achieve uniformity in building regulations, develop better construction methods based on rational analysis and testing, and provide a sound basis for the growth of the South Florida area while considering the environmental and economic needs of the community.

The initial compilation of the South Florida Building Code was overseen by W. G. Stephan under the guidance of a steering committee chaired by George R. Headley and a technical committee chaired by Igor B. Polevitzky. Thomas M. Black, P.E., published the code from 1968 until 1991, followed by Mr. Charles Danger, P.E., who published it through the Building Code Compliance Office until the 1994 edition. The South Florida Building Code was retired in 2002 with the implementation of the statewide Florida Building Code.

The first edition of the South Florida Building Code was adopted by Ordinance 57-22 on October 29, 1957.

• The second edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 57R58
• The third edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 57R59
• The fourth edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 57-R60
• The fifth edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 57-R62
• The sixth edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 57-R63
• The seventh edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 57-R64
• The eighth edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 1965
• The ninth edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 1967
• The 10th edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 1969
• The 11th edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 1970
• The 12th edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 70R71. This was no edition but, a revision of the 1970 South Florida Building Code
• The 13th edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 1972
• The 14th edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 1974.
• Ordinance 75-41 was passed and adopted June 4, 1975 and it became effective July 4, 1975
• The 15th edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 74R76
• The National Electrical Code (NEC) 1975 became effective in Dade County March 4, 1976
• The 16th edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 1979
• The NEC 1978 became effective in Dade County June 15, 1979
• The 17th edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 1984
• The NEC 1984 became effective in Dade County May 16, 1984
• The 18th edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 1988
• The NEC 1987 became effective in Dade County July 7, 1988
• Ordinance 91-15 “Ultra Low Volume Plumbing Fixtures” passed and adopted February 5, 1991 to become effective January 1, 1992
• Ordinance 92-1 was the basis for the 1991 Supplement to the 1988 South Florida Building Code and it became effective February 21, 1992. It is a very extensive ordinance it contains 167 pages
• The NEC 1990 became effective in Dade County February 20, 1992
• Ordinance 93-14 created the Structural Plans Examiner as a required position and amended inspector requirements passed and adopted March 2, 1993 effective 60 days afterward.

The 19th and last edition of the South Florida Building Code was the 1994. There were no more editions of the South Florida Building Code but there were at least five supplements to the 1994 edition.

The NEC became effective in Dade County on January 15, 1994.

The 1994 Edition of the South Florida Building Code became effective on September 1, 1994 by virtue of Ordinance 94-100.