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Happy 4th of July from HBAG!
Stay safe this 4th of July and make sure to use precaution when dealing with fireworks. A new SAFETY FIRE NEWS was published by the Georgia Department of Insurance: -Hudgens: Use Caution With Sparklers. You may find it on the safety fire news web page by clicking here.
Have a safe and fun holiday!
Attention HBAG Members:
Any HBAG member interested in serving on an HBAG Committee please notify EVP Kelly Lass at klass@hbag.org or call 404-763-2453.
Remember to save the date for the 2013 HBAG Fall Board Meeting.
Where: Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort
When: September 24-26, 2013
Cost: $200 for members, $100 for guests
HBAG Member Rebate Program
No one likes to leave money on the table. So, what would you think if you could get a rebate for your loyalty to many of the nation's leading product suppliers? Well, now you can! HBAG's Member Rebate Program increases your bottom line. For the minimal effort of informing us about the home construction products you use and when you close on a home or project, you'll be putting money back in your pocket. Both Builder and Remodeler companies, no matter how large or small, qualify for the program, and you are not required to use products from every manufacturer. For more information and to register click here.
The
(EPD) Open Burning Ban- May 1 until September 30
From May 1 until September 30, EPD's open burning ban will
be in effect for 54 Georgia counties. The open burning ban is not new. It began in 1996 with the 13-county metro Atlanta area and has been in effect for the current area since 2005.
The open burning ban prohibits citizens and businesses, including construction, from burning yard and land clearing debris. This rule is in addition to the year-round state ban on the burning of household garbage. Composting and chipping are encouraged where feasible.
The open burning ban is one of the standards to improve air quality as a part of The Clean Air Act required U.S. EPA to ensure protection of public health.
Counties included in the ban and the appropriate EPD District Office phone numbers:
Metro Atlanta District Office: 404-362-2671
Carroll, Clayton, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Heard, Henry, Rockdale, Spalding counties
Northeast District Office (Athens): 706-369-6376 Banks, Barrow, Butts, Clarke, Hall, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Putnam, Walton counties
Northeast District Office (Augusta): 706-792-7744 Columbia, Richmond counties
West Central District Office: 478-751-6612
Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Lamar, Monroe, Peach, Pike, Twiggs, Upson, Meriwether, Troup counties
Mountain District Office: 770-387-4900
Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Dawson, Floyd, Forsyth, Gordon, Haralson, Lumpkin, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker counties
2014 NAHB International Builders' Show
Register beginning September 3, 2013 for the 2014 International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, Nevada February 4-6, 2014! A block of rooms has been reserved at Caesars Palace for Georgia Delegation to make reservations beginning September 3, 2013.
Visit www.buildersshow.com to register, reserve a room, and for more information regarding IBS 2014.
We hope to see you in Vegas!
Blower Door and Duct Envelope Tightness (DET) Equipment
HBAG and DCA have partnered to bring DET equipment rental units to your local HBA or an association close to you. The rental fee is $100.00 per day. Please visit www.hbag.org and click on the DET Equipment Rental box for more information. If you would like to become a DET verifier or would like more information on the rental program you can contact HBAG at 404-763-2453.
Quick Links Online Advertising Read NAHB's Eye on Housing Read NAHB's Eye on the Economy Become a Sponsor of HBAG
Home Builders Association of Georgia
3015 Camp Creek Parkway Atlanta, Georgia 30344 Phone: (404) 763-2453 Fax: (404) 559-1531
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Erosion & Sedimentation Certification
The Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission Board met last week and decided that as of July 1, 2013, they are no longer limiting renewals to a 90 day grace period after your "blue" card expires. This means that if your "blue" card has been expired MORE THAN 90 days, you may now simply take a 4 hour renewal course, rather than a 1 or 2 day course, to re-establish your level 1A, 1B or Level II Certification. This is good news for many people who either accidentally or because of a job situation let their card expire more than 90 days.
HBAG suggests that you re-establish your certification soon if you have let it lapse. Contact your local HBA to see if they have any E & S certification education coming soon. Also, a certified training provider, Luke Owens, whom HBAG works with extensively, is offering the following two ways through his company-
1) Take a 4 hour online re-certification course by registering at www.geologiconline.com
2) Take a 4 hour "in classroom" re-certification course by registering at www.erosiontraining.com or calling 678-469-5120
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| Commentary on the Georgia Amendment-
Prescriptive Deck Details
By: Neal Daniel Davis (Newnan, GA), served as HBAG Representative to the 2012 IRC task force
The state of Georgia has adopted the 2012 International Residential Code as well as several state amendments to it. The Georgia amendment entitled Prescriptive Deck Details (PDD) is an important design document that you should be aware of and become familiar with. This design document will replace the current Georgia Amendment governing deck construction. The current amendment is based on chapter 3 of the Forest Products Society publication entitled Wood Decks, Materials, Construction and Finishing published in 1996. The new Georgia amendment is based on the 2012 International Residential Code that will go in to effect in the state of Georgia January 1, 2014.
The PDD document has been written in a straight forward manner and has been illustrated with isometric drawings that make it easy to comprehend the intent of the code. If one chooses to use the 2012 IRC code book as a reference to build a deck, it will be necessary to go through different sections of the code book to collect the information to do so. The PDD document has a deck planning section so that a builder can methodically and easily go through the process of designing a safe structure that will meet the many criteria of the building code regulating deck construction.
The PDD contains within it for ease of reference: joist span tables, beam span length tables, joist-to-beam connection illustrations, a footing design table, illustrations of proper and improper ledger attachments, proper framing at a chimney or bay window, and instructions and illustrations for obtaining proper lateral support, just to name a few. The span charts are especially helpful as they refer to wood exposed to wet service conditions. Wood that has a moisture content of 19% or more (e.g. pressure treated wood) do not have the same span capabilities as wood with a lesser moisture content. The span charts reflect this difference and is a major factor to know and consider when building a deck.
The PDD document applies to single span, single level residential decks only. Decks that are not covered by the scope of this document should be designed by a professional engineer or qualified designer.
The adoption of the Prescriptive Deck Details document as a Georgia Amendment to the 2012 International Residential Code was a good idea. Its adoption will help to ensure that builders are constructing decks that are robust and that should remain strong throughout their intended service life.
The adoption of this amendment had the full support of the Homebuilders Association of Georgia leadership. It is a great example of how the HBAG works on behalf of its members to protect our industry and the good citizens of our state.
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| E-Verify
Effective July 1, 2013. Georgia companies with more than 10 workers, but fewer than 100, must also use E-Verify, an online Federal program, to check the status of workers they are hiring. Larger companies are already mandated to comply. Companies with less than 10 employees are exempt from the E-Verify requirements. These changes are the result of HB 87, Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011.
The workers fill out a Federal form, and the employers run the E-Verify check using those forms. E-Verify is a free internet-based system that gives employers the ability to confirm the legal working status of a new hire in seconds. E-Verify is a partnership between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). E-Verify works by allowing participating employers to electronically compare employee information taken from the Form I-9 (the paper-based employee eligibility verification form used for all new hires) against more than 425 million records in SSA's database and more than 60 million records in DHS immigration databases. Go to US Citizen & Immigration Services at www.uscis.gov for more information on using the system.
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NPDES - "Working Hard to Get Some Positive Changes in New NPDES Permit"
Rick Porter, (not pictured) HBAG past president, along with those listed below worked diligently with Stakeholder Group convened by GA EPD to find a way to reduce the paperwork and financial burden for small parcels or leftover lots in incomplete subdivisions. The new NPDES Permits are scheduled to be reissued in August of 2013. Details will be announced as soon as the Permits are approved by US EPA.
- Luke Owen, CEO, Geologic Environmental Solutions
- Bettie Sleeth, Regulatory Affairs Consultant, HBAG
- Frank Gipson, Erosion & Sedimentation Manager, Cobb County
- Ben Ruzowicz, Technical Specialist, GA Soil & Water Conservation Commission
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ALL- A Liveable Lifestyle Home Program
HBAG is very excited to announce the launch of the new ALL program. ALL stands for:
A Liveable Lifestyle Home
ALL is a voluntary certification program presenting design features built into a new home or within a remodeled home that promote a liveable and accessible lifestyle. It is a home for all people - young or old, and of all abilities.
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Founding ALL Home Program members, Bettie Sleeth and Bonnie Bonham at Windsong Properties in Woodstock, GA.
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ALL is a state-wide program. It works for builders and consumers in all price points and home types.
To learn more about this exciting opportunity, please contact Bettie Sleeth at bsleeth@hbag.org. Greater Atlanta HBA member and ALL founding partner, Betsy Sheppard, betsy@gilbertsheppard.com has created the website and marketing materials. Bettie Sleeth and Betsy Sheppard are available to make presentations on the ALL Home program to your local association or other groups.
Be sure to like the ALL- A Liveable Lifestyle Home Program Facebook page by clicking here!
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Single-Family, Multifamily, Home Improvement Spending All Up
Courtesy of NAHB
Total private residential construction spending increased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $328.6 billion in May 2013, the fastest pace of residential construction since October 2008. The reading is 1.2 percent above the positively revised April estimate and 22 percent higher since a year ago.
All three components of residential construction spending registered gains. New multifamily construction spending showed the largest increases, rising 2.5 percent since April and 51.7 percent since May 2012. It is now at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 31.8 billion.
Spending on new single-family homes increased to an annual rate of $166.3 billions, the rate unseen since August 2008. On a year-over-year basis, new single-family construction spending increased 33.2 percent.
Finally breaking the decline that started in January 2013, home improvement spending also registered gains. Remodeling spending increased to an annual rate of $124.2 billion, 1.9 percent above the April reading, 7 percent above the year ago, but still below the spending rate registered during the first quarter of 2012.
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2013 Builders Engaging Associate Members (BEAM) Award
"It's good business to do business with a member."
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Dan Jones (L) of Jones & Jones Premier Builders, Inc. member of the Lake Oconee Area BA accepts the 2012 state BEAM Award from Sammy Baker at HBAG's 2012 Fall Meeting
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The Builders Engaging Associate Members (BEAM) Award is an award designed to recognize one builder who best exemplifies the ability to use the goods and services offered by member companies. These members are chosen by a committee and the Georgia state winner will be announced at the 2013 HBAG Fall Board Meeting. The Georgia state winner will then go on to compete at the national level and this winner will be announced at the 2013 NAHB International Builders Show.
Contact your local HBA for more information and to apply. Feel free to contact Kailey Murphy at 404-763-2453 or kmurphy@hbag.org or Lonnie Williams at 770-807-9158 or lwilliams@2-10.com with any questions or concerns.
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DRBC Workshops
The state has developed and is conducting a comprehensive training
program for building officials and the construction industry on the importance, implementation and enforcement of the Disaster Resilient Construction Appendices. The training will focus on the provisions within the appendices and aid in helping a community to determine which options may apply to provide increased requirements beyond what may be currently enforced. The one day workshops consist of (2) three hour sessions with a lunch break. The appendices workshops are provided free of charge and registration is required:
Contact DCA to register:
Dee Leclair, DRBC Project Manager
Phone: 404-327-7909
Upcoming Workshops:
August 14, 2013 DeKalb County (HBAG Tucker Facility)
If you have any questions, please contact the Construction Codes Program at 404-679-3118 or constructioncodes@dca.ga.gov. More information about the workshops is available on the DCA webpage.
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