Item 423/2025
Final
City of Garden Grove
INTER-DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
To:
Lisa L. Kim From: Omar Sandoval
Dept:
City Manager Dept: City Attorney
Date: 11/12/2025
Subject: Public Hearing, Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance No. 2971 adopting the 2025 California Building Standards Codes, entitled:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GARDEN GROVE AMENDING TITLE 18 OF THE GARDEN GROVE MUNICIPAL CODE AND ADOPTING BY REFERENCE THE FOLLOWING PRIMARY CODES: CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE, 2025 EDITION; CALIFORNIA RESIDENTIAL CODE, 2025 EDITION; CALIFORNIA ELECTRICAL CODE, 2025 EDITION; CALIFORNIA MECHANICAL CODE, 2025 EDITION; CALIFORNIA PLUMBING CODE, 2025 EDITION; CALIFORNIA ENERGY CODE, 2025 EDITION; CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE, 2025 EDITION WITH CERTAIN AMENDMENTS, DELETIONS, AND ADDITIONS THERETO; CALIFORNIA EXISTING BUILDING CODE, 2025 EDITION; CALIFORNIA GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS CODE, 2025 EDITION; CALIFORNIA REFERENCED STANDARDS CODE, 2025 EDITION; AND CERTAIN
SECONDARY CODES INCLUDING THE INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY
MAINTENANCE CODE, 2024 EDITION, AS PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL; AND THE INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING POOL AND SPA CODE, 2024 EDITION, AS PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL. (Action Item)
OBJECTIVE
For the City Council to conduct a public hearing for the second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 2971 adopting the 2025 Edition of the California Building Standards Codes.
BACKGROUND
The State’s Health and Safety Code establishes that the Uniform California Building, Fire and related construction Codes (Title 24, California Code of Regulations) as published by the California Building Standards Commission every 3 years, is the applicabl e codes for occupancies throughout the State. The Building Standards Commission published the 2025 California Building, Fire and related construction Codes earlier this year, and it becomes effective January 1, 2026.
Item 423/2025
The California Codes serve as the ba seline construction standards for all local governments in the State. Cities and counties must adopt the updated codes by reference to remain consistent with State law (Health and Safety Code §17958 et seq.). Local jurisdictions may adopt amendments only w hen reasonably necessary to address unique local climatic, geologic, or topographic conditions, or to uphold community quality -of-life values, such as preventing blight caused by abandoned construction projects. The purpose of the attached ordinance is to adopt the 2025 California Codes and continue existing local amendments consistent with State law.
DISCUSSION
Ordinance No. 2971 adopts and amends the 2025 Editions of the California Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Fire, Existing Building, Green Building, and Referenced Standards Codes, adopted by the State of California; and adopts the 2024 Edition of the International Property Maintenance Code, and the 2024 Edition of the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code.
The proposed modifications are intended to increase safety to life and property from fire and other hazards, and continue existing local amendments consistent with State law. Assembly Bill 306 (2025) amended Health and Safety Code §§17958 et seq., prohibiting l ocal jurisdictions from modifying residential construction standards except where necessary for wildfire home-hardening requirements. The local amendments proposed for adoption are continuations of existing provisions, updated only as necessary to reflect the renumbering and organizational changes in the 2025 California Codes.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact in the adoption of this ordinance.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council:
Conduct the public hearing.
After considering public testimony, conduct the second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 2971 adopting the 2025 Building and Construction Codes.
ATTACHMENT(S)
1. Ordinance No. 2971