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Release Date: March 31, 2011 City of San Antonio Communications Office: 207-7234 San Antonio's Building Code effectiveness receives high rating -Rating can lower insurance premiums for property owners- The City of San Antonio's Development Services Department was awarded a Class 2 rating from the Insurance Services Office (ISO) for its effectiveness in enforcing building codes in commercial and residential construction. San Antonio is the first large city in Texas to receive this rating. According to the ISO, only 18 percent of its evaluations receive a Class 1, 2 or 3 rating. Effective enforcement leads to safer buildings, less damage from catastrophes and lower insured losses. By focusing on continuous improvements, quality control, training programs, and staff certifications, the near-best rating of Class 2 is an improvement from ISO's previous evaluation. In 2005, San Antonio received a Class 3 rating in commercial construction and a Class 5 rating in residential construction. The City was also a leader in adopting the International Code Council's 2009 family of codes and was recently accredited by the International Accreditation Services. This rating can save money for property owners building in San Antonio. In fact, insurers use the ISO's building-code enforcement effectiveness rating as a key factor in assessing risk and determining homeowners and commercial property owners' insurance premiums. "This rating not only shows the commitment the City has to building a safer San Antonio, but can potentially attract growth as lower insurance rates are an incentive for builders and developers," said City Manager Sheryl Sculley. "A Class 1 rating is very rare and for Texas'cities, Class 2 is the best score a building inspection department can hope to receive," said Roderick Sanchez, director of the Development Services Department. "Achieving this rating reflects the level of professionalism of our staff and we will continue working to keep our community safe." |
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