Rep Goehner Wants To Rein In Home Building Regulations

State Representative Keith Goehner of Dryden is the new House Republican appointee to the State Building Code Council. 

The council establishes the minimum building, mechanical, fire, plumbing and energy code requirements in the stare. 

Goehner would like to rein in regulation. He thinks the council has gone beyond its intended function to make regulations that inflate the cost of home building. 

"What we've seen are some of these energy issues that have really been impacting the cost of building," said Goehgner. "And I think that we have to be looking at things and saying 'What are the tradeoffs that we're making here. What are we gaining versus what is it really doing in precluding people from getting into new homes.'" 

Goehner is hoping to have a say on building code policy. 

The council is a state agency created by the legislature. Its purpose is to provide analysis and advice to the legislature and the Governor's Office on state building code issues. 

The 20-person panel includes members from the legislature, who are Ex-Officio members. 

Washington State has been singled out as having one of the most acute housing shortages in the country.  

One of the centerpieces of Gov. Jay Inslee’s 2023-25 budget proposal is a plan to borrow $4 billion to fund an aggressive push to build affordable housing and shelters in Washington.  

Goehner thinks new home building is being hampered ever increasing regulations. 

"One of the main topics that we hear here in the legislature is that we want homes to be affordable," Goehner said. "And if you talk to any builders, people involved in the industry, they will say that every code change adds x amount of dollars to the cost of the new structure." 

The next full meeting of the Building Code Council takes place in mid-March.