A new statewide building code that applies to towns and cities with populations of 2,000 or more went into affect in December. Its stricter standards were conceived as a way to ensure homeowners have safer and more energy efficient houses. It also was seen as providing consistency so builders wouldn’t have to meet differing standards from town to town.
But some legislators want to roll it back, arguing it is too strict and too costly for homeowners to meet. Is the code a step toward a more energy efficient Maine? Or does it ignore Maine’s hands-off tradition in managing home-building?