Bellflower Council Moves to Fast-Track State Building Code Adoption

The Bellflower City Council held a special meeting Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 9 a.m. to consider Ordinance No. 1449, a sweeping measure that folded California’s 2025 Building Standards Code into the city’s municipal code while adding local amendments tailored to Bellflower’s conditions. The Council set a second reading and public hearing for Sept. 22, with the ordinance scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2026 if adopted.

California adopts updated building standards every three years, but the Legislature has tightened the window for local amendments that regulate residential units. Assembly Bill 130 bars new city-level amendments affecting housing units between October 2025 and June 2031. Bellflower staff said the action was strategic and in keeping with current city policies — locking in local rules before the state ban takes effect.

The changes went beyond bureaucratic housekeeping. New statewide regulations addressed fire safety in facilities that handle lithium batteries, energy systems tied to solar roofs, and standards for storing or repairing electric vehicles. Locally, Bellflower required a minimum of Class B fire-retardant roofing on new or altered roofs, codified foundation standards due to liquefaction risks, and adopted the state’s new Wildland-Urban Interface Code to harden buildings against wildfire conditions.

The ordinance tightened expiration dates for permits and plan checks, which was a clean-up item from the last code update and is in keeping with current city practices.  The ordinance also maintains Bellflower’s longstanding voluntary “Self-Certification” program allowing licensed engineers and architects to submit qualifying projects for same-day permit issuance—an effort to speed up tenant improvements and smaller jobs. The Council will also maintain itself as the appeals body, and the Building Official will maintain authority to order utility shut-offs in emergencies or for unpermitted work.

For homeowners and developers, timing mattered. Projects submitted before the ordinance’s effective date could be grandfathered in, provided permits were pulled within 90 days. Those that lapsed would have to comply with the new rules.

The Council declared the ordinance exempt from environmental review, calling the changes minor revisions and enhanced safety protections. Administrative costs will be covered by permit fees.