Building codes are tightening across three fronts — energy, fire safety, and accessibility. If you're planning a build in the next two years, here's what the upcoming updates mean in plain language, and how to get ahead of them.
Tougher energy targets
Expect lower U-value limits for walls, roofs, and glazing, plus mandatory heat-loss calculations at design stage rather than as-built. Homes we already build to our Signature standard meet the draft targets — which is exactly why we build that way.
Fire safety goes further
Post-Grenfell reforms continue to cascade down to low-rise and single-family work: clearer escape routes, documented material specifications, and photographic evidence at key stages. Our quality-gate process already records all of this.
Accessibility by default
- Step-free entrances and wider door clearances on ground floors.
- Downstairs sanitary provision designed for future adaptation.
- Stronger rules on stair geometry, handrails, and lighting levels.
Designing to tomorrow's code today costs a little more on paper — and far less than retrofitting later.
Our advice: if your drawings are more than a year old, have them reviewed against the incoming standards before you submit. We do this free for every Juniper Hollow quote.
Planning & Compliance Manager, Juniper Hollow Builders
