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News / Business / Clark County Business

Clark County homebuilders decry timing of new energy standards, say home prices will go up

By Anthony Macuk, Columbian business reporter
Published: January 28, 2021, 6:06am
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A worker lends a hand at a house under construction in the Felida Overlook neighborhood Wednesday morning. A set of energy code updates is set to take effect Feb. 1, and builders have expressed concern that the new rules could drive up construction costs at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has already pushed up home prices.
A worker lends a hand at a house under construction in the Felida Overlook neighborhood Wednesday morning. A set of energy code updates is set to take effect Feb. 1, and builders have expressed concern that the new rules could drive up construction costs at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has already pushed up home prices. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian) Photo Gallery

Vancouver-area homebuilders say a new round of energy-efficiency standards could add $15,000 or more to the price of new houses, according to the Building Industry Association of Clark County. The timing appears to be their biggest complaint.

“In a time when home prices are skyrocketing due to increased demand (caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and low interest rates), labor and supply chain disruptions, and historically low inventory of existing and newly built homes, this is the absolute worst time to institute new and costly building codes,” the BIA wrote in a press release.

The updates to the Washington State Building Code...

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Columbian business reporter