Assembly Member Ward's proposal to revamp California's residential building standards would establish new processes for evaluating construction requirements and costs for multi-unit housing developments. The legislation directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to convene a working group by late 2026 to examine potential amendments allowing developments of 3-10 units to be built under the California Residential Code, rather than stricter commercial standards.

The working group, comprising representatives from the Building Standards Commission, State Fire Marshal, Division of State Architect, Energy Commission and other stakeholders, would submit recommendations by December 2027 for incorporating appropriate standards into the next triennial building code update. The department could expand beyond International Residential Code parameters while maintaining health and safety requirements for these mid-sized developments.

The bill also institutes a regular review process for construction costs driven by building standards. An initial assessment of cost pressures affecting single-family and multi-family construction must be completed by December 2026, followed by reviews every three years aligned with building code updates. These evaluations aim to identify opportunities to revise standards to reduce new residential construction costs by 30 percent.

The measure builds upon existing state law requiring triennial updates to California's building standards based on international and industry codes. By creating dedicated processes to examine standards for mid-sized residential developments and systematically review cost impacts, the proposal seeks to address specific challenges in California's housing construction landscape while preserving core safety requirements.