“When Does Affordability Become Dangerous?” Rethinking Building Codes in Small Towns

A Small-Town Conversation About Building Codes, Safety, and What We Owe Each Other

As an architect, residential design is where my heart lives. It makes up about 90% of my work. Because of that, I care deeply about housing: affordability, healthy spaces, energy efficiency, and building science and sustainability as a whole. For the past 3.5 years, I’ve also served on the Planning and Zoning Commission in my small rural community. My goal has always been to help update our zoning regulations and guide our town toward a built environment that benefits not only the people who live here now, but also those who will come after us.

One of the biggest topics we’ve wrestled with is adopting building codes. We’ve had long discussions, invited surrounding communities’ board members, code officials, and consultants, and tried to build momentum. We want to adopt codes — but we also know we’ll face pushback from residents who see them as an inconvenience or an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.

At last night’s meeting, I asked a question I’ve thought about for a long time:
Why wouldn’t builders want building codes?

It’s almost a running joke at our meetings that if we ask local builders and tradespeople to review proposed codes, they’ll vote for “no codes at all”.
At this meeting there happened to be a local builder and landlord present, so, I asked out of curiosity, but I genuinely wanted to hear the answer. He spoke up plainly with: “Cost.”

I’ve been thinking about that answer ever since. I know it wasn’t said with bad intentions, and I can understand and appreciate his perspective, but it still made me uneasy.

I care deeply about housing and about people – not just those that can afford high-end construction, and maybe especially those who can’t.  His answer made something click for me:
At what point does “affordable” cross the line into unsafe or poor quality, even unintentionally?
When does cutting costs stop being practical and start becoming dangerous?
And maybe more importantly: Why do we keep pretending those two things – affordability and safety – are in conflict?

The Myth About Codes

In small rural towns, we pride ourselves on self-reliance – sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of tradition. We fix our own cars, build our own sheds, wire our own outlets, and help our neighbors pour concrete on a Saturday morning. I grew up in this culture, with this way of thinking, and I value it deeply.

But there’s a blind spot.

Many people assume building codes are a burden – a bureaucratic layer that adds costs, slows down projects, and invites “outsiders” to tell us how to build in our own community. I hear it all the time:

• “I’ve been building for 40 years; I don’t need a book or some Joe Schmo to tell me how.”

• “Permits just make everything more expensive and complicated.”

• “We don’t need codes; we need affordable housing.”

But here’s the truth: Building codes are the bare minimum.
They are not the gold standard. Not luxury. Not overkill.

A good builder once told me that building to the code is like getting a D- in a class. You technically pass, but barely.

Codes exist to protect the health, safety, and welfare of people. You. Me. Our kids. Our neighbors. They are the baseline for safety and durability. They are the difference between:

• a house that survives a Kansas windstorm and one that loses its roof

• a child protected from electrical shock and a preventable tragedy

• a home that lasts 80 years and one that needs major repairs in 8

Codes aren’t the enemy of affordability. They’re the foundation of long‑term affordability.

What Happens When We Skip the Basics

Based on my own experience – and that of many colleagues – “saving money” often looks like:

• Undersized beams and rafters

• Over-spanned floor joists

• Missing exterior sheathing (no lateral stability = a wobbly table instead of a solid box)

• Improperly flashed windows

• Poor air-sealing

• No GFCI outlets near sinks

• Vinyl everywhere because it’s cheap (and often toxic)

• No structural engineer involved in complex framing

• No inspections to catch mistakes before they become disasters

The “trade-offs” here are severe and unfortunately aren’t hypothetical.

And while these shortcuts might shave a few thousand dollars off the upfront costs, they create far bigger expenses down the road:

• Mold remediation

• Foundation failures

• Electrical fires

• Sky-high utility bills

• Homes that appraise low or can’t be insured

When we talk about “affordable housing,” we can’t just mean cheap to build today.
We have to mean affordable to own, maintain, heat, cool, and live in for decades.

Affordability Should Never Mean Unsafe

Everyone deserves a home that won’t make them sick, is comfortable, won’t collapse in a storm, and won’t bankrupt them with repairs. That’s not a luxury! That’s basic human dignity.

So How Do We Build Safely and Affordably?

There’s what I call “healthy affordability,” and then there’s “low-quality affordability.” The difference is enormous.

Here are practical, realistic ways to reduce costs without compromising safety or quality:

1) Keep the Design Simple
- Fewer corners, simple shapes, simple rooflines, standard window sizes, compact footprints

Complexity is expensive. Simplicity is elegant and cost-effective.

2) Use Materials Wisely
- Choose the durable materials where it matters (roofing, exterior, structure)
- Use budget-friendly finishes where it doesn’t
- Avoid materials that are cheap upfront but costly long-term

3) Build Efficiently
- Panelized or modular components, pre-cut framing packages, and smart sequencing.

Time is money, especially in construction.

4) Prioritize Energy Efficiency
- Proper insulation, air sealing, right-sized HVAC, passive solar strategies (which are free!) 

These are not luxuries; they are investments that pay back every single month.  

5) Support DIY – With Safety Nets
DIY isn’t the enemy. Unsafe DIY is.
Homeowners can absolutely:

• Paint

• Install flooring

• Do landscaping

• Handle interior finishes

But they shouldn’t:

• Wire electrical systems

• Size beams

• Install gas lines

• Skip inspections

Codes don’t stop DIY. They protect DIYers from the things they can’t see.

Why Builders Should Want Codes Too

Contrary to popular belief, codes actually help builders. They:

• level the playing field – no one gets undercut by unsafe shortcuts

• reduce liability

• improve customer trust

• raise the reputation of local trades

• attract new residents who want safe, reliable housing – which matters for towns focused on growth and affordability.

A town without codes is risky – for builders, for homeowners, and for the community.

A Path Forward for Our Town (and Others)

We don’t need to adopt the most stringent codes or make building impossible. I want to make it easy to build quality. But we do need a baseline – a shared agreement that safety matters, that durability matters, and that our community deserves homes and other buildings built to a standard we can be proud of.

Adopting codes can be done thoughtfully, with local amendments that make sense for us. They can be phased in. We can educate instead of punish, and we can collaborate instead of fight.

Doing nothing isn’t leadership; it’s avoidance. Let’s be the ones who set the bar high.

We Deserve Better – And We Can Build Better

At the end of the day, this isn’t about bureaucracy or control, and especially for me it isn’t. It’s about care.

Care for the families who live in these homes.
Care for the builders who want to do good work.
Care for the future of our town.

Affordability and safety are not enemies; they’re partners.
And when we treat them that way, we  build communities that last.