City of Dallas Adds Consolidated Dwelling Units to Residential Code
Builders in Dallas now have an addition to the list of housing stock diversity after the City Council approved Dallas BA supported amendments to their residential building code on April 23. The ordinance adds a consolidated dwelling that allows between three to eight residential units to be built under the city’s version of the International Residential Code. The code provisions for one- and two-family dwellings remain unchanged.
Prior to this ordinance, any structure with more than two dwelling units complied with the International Building Code, which can add complexity and costs to smaller-scale residential developments. The intent is to provide more options to address the city’s housing needs.
Consolidated dwellings are limited to buildings dedicated to residential use only and contain three to eight dwelling units. The building is limited to 7,500 square feet or less in non-sprinklered areas and four dwelling units or less per story served by a single exit. The construction must contain certain fire rated assemblies for walls and floor assemblies, and there are restrictions on common travel of egress and a requirement for distance between buildings.
Builders retain the option to build three or more dwelling units per the IBC should they find going up in code to be beneficial for a project.