The ratchet only ever tightens

Every three years, the committees that write America’s model building codes sit down and rewrite them. Every three years, the codes get longer. I have yet to find the cycle in which they took out more than they put in. Regulation works like a ratchet. Each click tightens. Nothing ever gets loosened up. Every individual requirement sounds reasonable on its own, e.g., thicker insulation, another specialty breaker, ductwork pressure-tested by a contractor, a mechanical fresh-air system for houses the previous code made airtight. No one wants to vote against safety, and no one shows up at the hearing on behalf of the young couple who will be priced out of the house. kAm%96 }2E:@?2= pDD@4:2E:@? @7 w@>6 qF:=56CD[ :? yF?6[ 42=4F=2E65 E92E 8@G6C?>6?E C68F=2E:@? ?@H 255D S`b`[fbc E@ E96 AC:46 @7 E96 2G6C286 ?6H 9@>6[ >@C6 E92? 2 BF2CE6C @7 H92E E96 3FJ6C A2JD] r@56 492?86D >256 @G6C ;FDE E96 A2DE 564256 244@F?E 7@C Sc_[agg @7 E92E] u:G6 J62CD 28@[ E96 7:8FC6 H2D Sac[`cc] |2?J @7 E96 G6CJ 4@>A2?:6D H9@D6 AC@5F4ED J@F 2C6 7@C465 E@ 3FJ E@ 4@>A=J H:E9 E96 4@56 92G6 D62ED 2E E96 E23=6 5C27E:?8 E96 C68F=2E:@?D J@F >FDE 2596C6 E@]k^Am kAm$@>6 6?6C8J AC@G:D:@?D 5@ A2J 7@C E96>D6=G6D :? =@H6C A@H6C 3:==D] p DEF5J 7F?565 3J E96 4@56 HC:E6CD 2?5 E96 :?DFC2?46 :?5FDECJ ?2EFC2==J 7@F?5 E92E 9@>6 AC:46D 5:5 ?@E C:D6 27E6C >@DE 4@56 25@AE:@?D] $E:==[ 2 72>:=J 3FJ:?8 2 9@>6 ?665D E96 5@H? A2J>6?E E@52J[ ?@E FE:=:EJ D2G:?8D :? 2 564256] %96 6=64EC:42= 4@56 >2<6D E96 AC@3=6> 62DJ E@ D66] }@CE9 r2C@=:?2’D @H? 7:D42= 2?2=JD:D 7@F?5 E92E 2 DE2?52C5 EH@\A@=6 3C62<6C 7@C 2? 6=64EC:4 C2?86 4@DED 23@FE S`f[ H9:=6 E96 8C@F?5\72F=E G6CD:@? E96 a_ab 4@56 ?@H C6BF:C6D 4@DED 23@FE S``a] }63C2D<2[ x@H2 2?5 x?5:2?2 25@AE65 E96 ?6H 6=64EC:42= 4@56 H:E9@FE D@>6 @7 E9@D6 6IA2?565 C6BF:C6>6?ED] %92E D9@F=5 36 C@FE:?6 C2E96C E92? C6>2C<23=6 7@C DE2E6D E@ 5@[ 3FE :E :D F?4@>>@?]k^Am kAm|2<:?8 >2EE6CD H@CD6 7@C 9@>6@H?6CD[ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A’D E2C:77D @? :>A@CE65 DE66= 2?5 2=F>:?F> 92G6 366? 2E d_T D:?46 yF?6 a_ad] x>A@CE65 D@7EH@@5 =F>36C 42CC:6D 2 `_T E2C:77[ 2?5 r2?25:2? =F>36C 42CC:6D C@F89=J bdT :? 255:E:@?2= 5FE:6D @? E@A @7 E92E[ 6G6? E9@F89 r2?252 DFAA=:6D 23@FE E9C66\BF2CE6CD @7 E96 D@7EH@@5 =F>36C H6 :>A@CE] &q$ 6DE:>2E6D E96 E2C:77D 255 Sf[h`b E@ E96 4@DE @7 2 ?6H 9@>6 2?5 E96 3F:=56CD’ @H? DFCG6J AFE :E 2D 9:89 2D S`_[h__] %96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE DECF4< 5@H? 2 49F?< @7 E96 AC6D:56?E’D E2C:77D :? u63CF2CJ[ 3FE E96 DE66=[ 2=F>:?F> 2?5 =F>36C E2C:77D C6DE @? 2 5:776C6?E DE2EFE@CJ 7C2>6H@C< E92E C6>2:?D :? A=246]k^Am kAm%96? E96C6 :D E96 4@?4C6E6] s2E2 46?E6C 4@?DECF4E:@? :D E96 @?6 C65\9@E >2C<6E E96 p>6C:42? r6>6?E pDD@4:2E:@? D66D C:89E ?@H[ 2?5 @?6 >2;@C AC@5F46C C6A@CE65 E92E 2 9:89 D:?8=6\5:8:E D92C6 @7 :ED C625J\>:I G@=F>6 E9:D J62C H2D E:65 E@ 2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46] #625J\>:I 4@?4C6E6 2?5 4@?4C6E6 3=@4< AC:46D 2C6 D:EE:?8 ?62C E96:C 9:896DE =6G6=D D:?46 E96 A2?56>:4] p?J 3F:=56C @C56C:?8 4@?4C6E6 7@C 2?J AC@;64E :D ?@H 3:55:?8 282:?DE p>2K@?[ |6E2 2?5 |:4C@D@7E] %96 >2C<6E H:==[ @G6C E:>6[ D@CE E9:D A@CE:@? @7 4@DED @FE H:E9@FE 8@G6C?>6?E :?E6C76C6?46] qFE :E :D 2== E96 >@C6 C62D@? 7@C E96 8@G6C?>6?E E@ DE@A A:=:?8 @? E96 4@DED :E 5@6D 4@?EC@=]k^Am kAmx?E6C6DE C2E6D >2<6 6G6CJ @?6 @7 E9@D6 4@DED H@CD6] uC655:6 |24’D 2G6C286 b_\J62C >@CE8286 C2E6 H2D f]`gT =2DE H66<[ ?62C=J 2 7F== A@:?E 9:896C E92? 2 J62C 28@] pE E92E C2E6[ E96 Sc_[agg :? 4@56 492?86D @G6C E96 A2DE 564256 255D 23@FE Saf_ E@ 2 >@?E9=J A2J>6?E 2?5 ?62C=J S`__[___ @G6C E96 =:76 @7 E96 =@2?]k^Am kAm}@3@5J :? (2D9:?8E@? 42? @C56C >@CE8286 C2E6D 5@H?[ ?@C D9@F=5 2?J @7 E96> E6== E96 E649 4@>A2?:6D E@ DE@A A@FC:?8 7@F?52E:@?D] r@?8C6DD 2?5 E96 AC6D:56?E 42? 6?5 E96 E2C:77D @? 3F:=5:?8 >2E6C:2=D E@52J] $E2E6D 2?5 4:E:6D 42? 25@AE ?6H 4@56D H:E9 E96 4@DE=:6DE >2?52E6D DEC:AA65 @FE[ C6BF:C6 2 4@DE 2?2=JD:D E92E 4@?D:56CD E96 :>A24E @? E96 3FJ6C[ 2?5 DF?D6E C6BF:C6>6?ED E92E 92G6?’E AC@G6? E96:C H@CE9] %96J 4@F=5 6G6? C6G6CE 324< E@ @=56C C68F=2E:@?D] #6AF3=:42?D D2J E96J H2?E p>6C:42?D E@ @H? 9@>6D] %96 A2CED @7 E96 AC@3=6> E96J 42? 24EF2==J 7:I 2C6 E96 A2CED E96J <66A =6EE:?8 3FC62F4C2ED >2<6 H@CD6] xE 5@6D ?@E 92G6 E@ 36 E92E H2J]k^Am