Virginia Law

Industrialized Building Safety Law

The short title of the law embraced in this chapter is the Virginia Industrialized Building Safety Law.

Code 1950, § 12-68; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1986, c. 37.

Repealed by Acts 1986, c. 37.

As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning or construction is clearly required by the context:

"Administrator" means the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development or his designee.

"Board" means the Board of Housing and Community Development.

"Compliance assurance agency" means an architect or professional engineer registered in Virginia, or an organization, determined by the Department to be specially qualified by reason of facilities, personnel, experience and demonstrated reliability, to investigate, test and evaluate industrialized buildings; to list such buildings complying with standards at least equal to those promulgated by the Board; to provide adequate follow-up services at the point of manufacture to ensure that production units are in full compliance; and to provide a label as evidence of compliance on each manufactured section or module.

"Department" means the Department of Housing and Community Development.

"Industrialized building" means a combination of one or more sections or modules, subject to state regulations and including the necessary electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilating and other service systems, manufactured off-site and transported to the point of use for installation or erection, with or without other specified components, to comprise a finished building. Manufactured homes defined in § 36-85.3 and certified under the provisions of the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act shall not be considered industrialized buildings for the purpose of this law.

"Registered" means that an industrialized building displays a registration seal issued by the Department of Housing and Community Development.

"The law" or "this law" means the Virginia Industrialized Building Safety Law as provided in this chapter.

1986, c. 37.

Industrialized building units and mobile homes, because of the manner of their construction, assembly, and use and that of their systems, components, and appliances, including heating, plumbing, and electrical systems, like other finished products having concealed vital parts, may present hazards to the health, life, and safety of persons and to the safety of property unless properly designed and manufactured. In the sale or rental of industrialized building units and mobile homes, there is also the possibility of defects not readily ascertainable when inspected by purchasers or users or by the local building official. It is the policy and purpose of the Commonwealth to provide protection to the public against those possible hazards and to promote sound building construction, and for that purpose to forbid the sale, rental, or use of new industrialized building units and mobile homes that are not so constructed as to provide reasonable safety and protection to their owners and users and involve reasonably sound building practices. It is further the policy of the Commonwealth to minimize the unique problems presented by a lack of uniform standards and inspection procedures affecting the mass production of housing and to hereby declare its intention to (i) encourage the reduction of construction costs and (ii) make housing more feasible for all residents of the Commonwealth.

1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1986, c. 37.

The Board shall from time to time promulgate rules and regulations prescribing standards to be complied with in industrialized buildings for protection against the hazards thereof to safety of life, health and property and prescribing procedures for the administration, enforcement and maintenance of such rules and regulations. The standards shall be reasonable and appropriate to the objectives of this law and within the guiding principles prescribed by the General Assembly in this law and in any other law in pari materia. The standards shall not be applied to manufactured homes defined in § 36-85.3.

In making rules and regulations, the Board shall have due regard for generally accepted safety standards as recommended by nationally recognized organizations, including but not limited to the International Code Council and the National Fire Protection Association.

Where practical, the rules and regulations shall be stated in terms of required levels of performance, so as to facilitate the prompt acceptance of new building materials and methods. Where generally recognized standards of performance are not available, the rules and regulations of the Board shall provide for acceptance of materials and methods whose performance has been found by the Department, on the basis of reliable test and evaluation data presented by the proponent, to be substantially equal in safety to those specified.

Code 1950, § 12-71; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1977, c. 613; 1986, c. 37; 2010, c. 77.

The Board shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) when adopting, amending or repealing any rules or regulations under this law.

Code 1950, § 12-72; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1977, c. 613; 1986, c. 37.

The Board may modify, amend or repeal any rules or regulations as the public interest requires.

The Administrator shall make an annual review of the rules and regulations, considering the housing needs and supply in the Commonwealth and factors that tend to impede or might improve the availability of housing for all citizens of the Commonwealth and shall recommend to the Board such modifications, amendments or repeal as deemed necessary.

Code 1950, § 12-73; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1975, c. 250; 1977, c. 613; 1979, c. 489; 1986, c. 37.

The Administrator shall have printed from time to time, and keep in pamphlet form, all rules and regulations prescribing standards for industrialized buildings. Such pamphlets shall be furnished upon request to members of the public.

Code 1950, § 12-74; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1977, c. 613; 1986, c. 37.

A true copy of all rules and regulations adopted and in force shall be kept in the office of the Administrator, accessible to the public.

Code 1950, § 12-75; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1977, c. 613; 1986, c. 37.

No rules or regulations shall be made effective earlier than twelve months after June 26, 1970. No person, firm or corporation shall offer for sale or rental or sell or rent any industrialized buildings which have been constructed after the effective date of such rule or regulation unless it conforms with said rules and regulations. Any industrialized building constructed before the effective date of these regulations shall remain subject to the ordinances, laws or regulations in effect at the time such industrialized building was constructed, but nothing in this chapter shall prevent the enactment or adoption of additional requirements where necessary to provide for adequate safety of life, health and property.

Code 1950, § 12-76; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1986, c. 37.

Any industrialized building shall be deemed to comply with the standards of the Board when bearing the label of a compliance assurance agency.

Code 1950, § 12-77; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1977, c. 613; 1986, c. 37.

The Administrator shall have the power upon appeal in specific cases to authorize modifications to the rules and regulations to permit certain specified alternatives where the objectives of this law can be fulfilled by such other means.

Code 1950, § 12-78; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1977, c. 613; 1986, c. 37.

Registered industrialized buildings shall be acceptable in all localities as meeting the requirements of this law, which shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and state agencies. The local building official is authorized to and shall determine that any unregistered industrialized building shall comply with the provisions of this law. Local requirements affecting industrialized buildings, including zoning, utility connections, preparation of the site, and maintenance of the unit, shall remain in full force and effect. All local building officials are authorized to and shall enforce the provisions of this law, and the rules and regulations made in pursuance thereof.

Code 1950, § 12-79; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1977, c. 613; 1986, c. 37.

The Administrator shall have the right, at all reasonable hours, to enter into any industrialized building upon permission of any person who has authority or shares the use, access and control over the building, or upon request of local officials having jurisdiction, for examination as to compliance with the rules and regulations of the Board. Whenever the Administrator shall find any violation of the rules and regulations of the Board, he shall order the person responsible therefor to bring the building into compliance, within a reasonable time, to be fixed in the order.

Code 1950, § 12-80; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1977, c. 613; 1986, c. 37.

Any person aggrieved by the Department's application of the rules and regulations of the Industrialized Building Safety Law shall be heard by the State Building Code Technical Review Board established by § 36-108. The Technical Review Board shall have the power and duty to render its decision in any such appeal, which decision shall be final if no further appeal is made.

1986, c. 37; 2010, c. 77.

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, on or after June 26, 1970, to violate any provisions of this law or the rules and regulations made pursuant hereto. Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this law, or the rules and regulations made hereunder, shall be deemed guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000.

Code 1950, § 12-81; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1986, c. 37.

The Administrator may employ such permanent or temporary, clerical, technical and other assistants as is found necessary or advisable for the proper administration of this law, and may fix their compensation and may likewise purchase equipment and supplies deemed necessary.

Code 1950, § 12-82; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1977, c. 613; 1986, c. 37.

The Board, by rule and regulation, shall establish a fee for each approved registration seal. The proceeds from the sale of such seals shall be used to pay the costs incurred by the Department in the administration of this law.

Code 1950, § 12-83; 1970, c. 305; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 103; 1977, c. 613; 1986, c. 37.

Any person or corporation having paid the fee for an approved registration seal which it will not use may, unless and except as otherwise specifically provided, within one year from the date of the payment of any such fee, apply to the Administrator for a refund, in whole or in part, of the fee paid; provided that no payment shall be recovered unless the approved registration seal is returned, unused and in good condition, to the Administrator. Such application shall be by notarized letter.

1980, c. 97; 1986, c. 37.