ATTACHMENT 1
ORDINANCE NO. ---
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF MERCED, CALIFORNIA,
AMENDING CHAPTER 17.04, "BUILDING
CODE," SECTIONS 17.04.010, 17.05.010,
17.06.010, 17.07.010, 17.09.010, 17.10.010,
17.12.010, 17.20.010, 17.24.010, 17.28.020, AND
17.34.010, 17.11.010 OF THE MERCED
MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADOPT BY
REFERENCE THE CALIFORNIA BUILDING
CODE, CALIFORNIA RESIDENTIAL CODE,
CALIFORNIA EXISTING BUILDING CODE,
CALIFORNIA GREEN CODE, CALIFORNIA
ENERGY CODE, CALIFORNIA REFERENCE
STANDARD CODE, CALIFORNIA
HISTORICAL CODE, CALIFORNIA
WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE,
CALIFORNIA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE,
CALIFORNIA ELECTRICAL CODE,
CALIFORNIA MECHANICAL CODE, AND
CALIFORNIA PLUMBING CODE.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MERCED DOES ORDAIN
AS FOLLOWS :
SECTION 1. AMENDMENT TO CODE. Section 17.04.010,
"Adoption ," of the Merced Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
"17.04.010 Building Code - Adoption.
Those certain documents , three (3) certified copies of which are on file in the Office of the City Clerk,
marked and designated as California Code of
Regulations Title 24, Part 2, '2025 California Building Code, Volumes 1 & 2, including Scope and
Administration Division II, Appendix F, 'Rodent
Proofing, ' Appendix H, ' Signs, ' Appendix I 'Patio
Covers' Appendix J, 'Grading,' Appendix P 'Sleeping
X:\Ordinance s\2025\lnspection Services\Adopting Building Code.docx 1 Lofts' and Appendix Q 'Emergency Housing' based
on the 2024 International Building Code as published
by the International Code Council and amended by the
California Building Standards Commission are
adopted by reference as the Building Code for the City
of Merced. The appendix chapters in California Code
of Regulations Title 24, Part 2, 2025 California
Building Codes Volumes 1 and 2 may be allowed to
be used as an alternate construction method. They
must be used in their entirety and are subject to the
approval of the Building Official."
SECTION 2. AMENDMENT TO CODE. Section 17.05.010,
"Residential Code - Adoption," of the Merced Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
"17.05.010 Residential Code - Adoption.
Those certain documents, three (3) certified copies of
which are on file in the Office of the City Clerk ,
marked and designated as California Code of Regulations Title 24, Part 2.5, '2025 California Residential Building Code' including Scope and Administration Division II,
Appendix chapters, BI 'Light Straw-Clay Construction, ' BJ 'Strawbale Construction ,' BK 'Cob Construction
(Monolithic Adobe),' BL 'Hemp-Lime (Hempcrete)
Construction,' BM '3D-Printed Building Construction,'
BF, 'Patio Covers,' BO, 'Existing Buildings and
Structures ,' BB, 'Tiny House,' CI, 'Swimming Pool
Safety Act, ' and CJ ' Emergency Housing ,' based on
the 2024 International Residential Building Code as
published by the International Code Council and
amended by the California Building Standards
Commission are adopted by reference as the
Residential Building Code for the City of Merced.
The appendix chapters in California Code of
Regulations Title 24, Part 2.5, 2025 California
Residential Building Code may be allowed to be used
as an alternate construction method. They must be
used in their entirety and are subject to the approval of the Building Official."
X:\Ordinances\2025\Inspection Services\Adopting Building Code.docx 2 SECTION 3. AMENDMENT TO CODE. Section 17.06.010,
"Existing Building Code - Adoption ," of the Merced Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows :
"17.06.010 Existing Building Code - Adoption.
Those certain documents , three (3) certified copies of which are on file in the Office of the City Clerk,
marked and designated as California Code of
Regulations Title 24 , Part 10, ' 2025 California
Existing Building Code' based on the 2024 International Existing Building Code and as amended by the California Building Standards Commission are adopted by reference
as the Existing Building Code for the City of Merced. " SECTION 4. AMENDMENT TO CODE. Section 17.07 .010,
"Green Building Standards Code - Adoption," of the Merced Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
"17.07.010 Green Building Standards Code -
Adoption.
Those certain documents , three (3) certified copies of which are on file in the Office of the City Clerk, marked and designated as California Code of Regulations Title
24, Part 11, ' 2025 California Green Standards Code' as published by the International Code Council for the
California Building Standards Commission are adopted
by reference as the Green Building Standards Code for
the City of Merced."
SECTION 5. AMENDMENT TO CODE. Section 17.09.010,
"Historical Code - Adoption ," of the Merced Municipal Code is hereb y amended to read as follows:
"17.09.010 Historical Code - Adoption.
Those certain documents, three (3) certified copies of
which are on file in the Office of the City Clerk, marked and designated as California Code of Regulations Title
X:\Ordinances\2025\lnspection Services\Adopting Building Code.docx 3 24, Part 8, '2025 California Historical Building Code' as published by the International Code Council for
California Building Standards Commission is adopted by
reference as the Historical Building Code for the City of Merced."
SECTION 6. AMENDMENT TO CODE. Section 17.10.010,
"Energy Code - Adoption," of the Merced Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
"17.10.010 Energy Code - Adoption.
Those certain documents, three (3) certified copies of
which are on file in the Office of the City Clerk, marked and designated as California Code of Regulations Title
24, Part 6, '2025 California Energy Code' as published
by the International Code Council for California Building Standards Commission is adopted by reference as the
Energy Code for the City of Merced."
SECTION 7. AMENDMENT TO CODE. Section 17.12.010,
"California Administrative Code - Adoption," of the Merced Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
"17.12.010 California Administrative Code-
Adoption.
Those certain documents, three (3) certified copies of
which are on file in the Office of the City Clerk, marked and designated as California Code of Regulations Title
24, Part I, '2025 California Administrative Code' as
published by the International Code Council for
California Building Standards Commission are adopted
by reference as the Administrative Code for the City of Merced."
SECTION 8. AMENDMENT TO CODE. Section 17.20.010,
"California Electrical Code - Adoption," of the Merced Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
X:\Ordinances\2025\Inspection Services\Adopting Building Code.docx 4 "17.20.010 California Electrical Code
Adoption.
Those certain documents, three (3) certified copies of
which are on file in the Office of the City Clerk, marked and designated as California Code of Regulations Title
24, Part 3, '2025 California Electrical Code' based on the 2023 National Electrical Code and amended by the
California Building Standards Commission are adopted
by reference as the Electrical Code for the City of
Merced."
SECTION 9. AMENDMENT TO CODE. Section 17.24.010,
"California Mechanical Code - Adoption," of the Merced Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
"17.24.010 California Mechanical Code -
Adoption.
Those certain documents , three (3) certified copies of which are on file in the Office of the City Clerk, marked and designated as California Code of Regulations Title
24, Part 4, '2025 California Mechanical Code ' based
on the 2024 Uniform Mechanical Code and as
amended by the California Building Standards
Commission are adopted by reference as the
Mechanical Code for the City of Merced."
SECTION 10. AMENDMENT TO CODE. Section 17.28.020,
"California Plumbing Code - Adoption," of the Merced Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
"17.28.020 California Plumbing Code
Adoption.
Those certain documents, three (3) certified copies of
which are on file in the Office of the City Clerk, marked and designated as California Code of Regulations Title
24, Part 5, '2025 California Plumbing Code' based on the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code and as amended by the
California Building Standards Commission are
X:\Ordinances\2025\lnspection Services\Adopting Building Code. docx 5 adopted by reference as the Plumbing Code for the
City of Merced."
SECTION 11. AMENDMENT TO CODE. Section 17.34.010,
"Reference Standards Code - Adoption, " of the Merced Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
"17.34.010 Referenced Standards Code -
Adoption.
Those certain documents, three (3) certified copies of
which are on file in the Office of the City Clerk ,
marked and designated as California Code of
Regulations Title 24, Part 12, ' 2025 California
Referenced Standards Code' as published by the
International Code Council for the California Building
Standards Commission are adopted by reference as the
Referenced Standards Code for the City of Merced."
SECTION 12. ADDING SECTION 17.11010 TO CODE.
Section 17.11.010, "California Wildland-Urban Interface Code Adoption," of the Merced Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
"17.11.010 California Wildland-Urban Interface
Code-Adoption.
Those certain documents, three (3) certified copies of
which are on file in the office of the city clerk , marked and designated as California Code of Regulations Title
24, Part 7, "2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface
Code", based off the "2024 International Wildland
Urban Interface Code", as published by the
International Code Council for California Building
Standards Commission is adopted by reference as the
Wildland-Urban Interface Code for the City of
Merced ."
SECTION 13. FINDINGS. The City Council of the the City of Merced finds that the the building standards, rules, and regulations established in Title 24 of the 2025 Edition of the California Code ofRegualtions, including applicable X:\Ordinances\2025\lnspection Services\Adopting Building Code.docx 6 appendicies, shall be adopted and incorporated by reference into the Merced Municipal Code, Chapter 17.04, "Building Code," Sections 17.040.010, 17.05.010,
17.06.010, 17.07.010, 17.09.010, 17.10.010, 17.11.010, 17.12. 010, 17.20.010,
17.24.010, 17.28.020, and 17.34.010.
The City Council finds that the location of Merced within an area of expansive clay soils, and the extreme hot summer temperatures with very low humidity, seasonal winds of high velocities, extreme seasonal visibilty redution due to thick fog, the amendments to the standards, rules, and regulations to mitigate unique local climatic , geographical , and topographical conditions and impose substantially the same requirements as contained in the 2025 Edition of the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, including applicable appendices.
SECTION 14. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect thirty (30) days after its adoption.
SECTION 15. SEVERABILITY. If any section, subsection,
subdivision , sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Ordinance, is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance , and each section, subsection, subdivision , sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof , irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections , subsections, subdivisions, sentences, clauses, phrases , or portions thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 16. PUBLICATION. The City Clerk is directed to cause a summary of this Ordinance to be published in the official newspaper at least once within fifteen (15) days after its adoption showing the vote thereon.
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X:\Ordinances\2025\Inspection Services\Adopting Building Code.docx 7 The foregoing Ordinance was introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Merced on the __ day of ____ , 2025, and was passed and adopted at a regular meeting of said City Council held on the __ day of _____ , 2025, by the following called vote:
AYES: Council Members:
NOES: Council Members:
ABSTAIN: Council Members:
ABSENT: Council Members:
APPROVED:
MATTHEW SERRATTO, MAYOR
Mayor
ATTEST:
D. SCOTT MCBRIDE, CITY CLERK
BY: --- ----------Assistant/Deputy City Clerk
(SEAL)
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
CRAIG J. CORNWELL, CITY ATTORNEY
X:\Ordinances\2025\lnspection Services\Adopting Building Code.docx 8