ISO’s Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS)

The Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS®) assesses the building codes in effect in a particular community and how the community enforces its building codes, with special emphasis on mitigation of losses from natural hazards.

The concept is simple; municipalities with well-enforced, up-to-date codes should demonstrate better loss experience, and insurance rates can reflect that. The prospect of lessening catastrophe-related damage and ultimately lowering insurance costs provides an incentive for communities to enforce their building codes rigorously; especially as they relate to windstorm and earthquake damage.

The anticipated upshot; safer buildings, less damage, and lower insured losses from catastrophes.

Grading Scale

The BCEGS program assigns each municipality a BCEGS grade of 1 (exemplary commitment to building-code enforcement) to 10. ISO develops advisory rating credits that apply to ranges of BCEGS classifications (1-3, 4-7, 8-9, 10). ISO gives insurers BCEGS classifications, BCEGS advisory credits, and related underwriting information.

The City of New Braunfels ISO rating is (Class 6) for 1 and 2 family dwellings and (Class 5) for all other construction.

Exposure

ISO began implementing the program in states with high exposure to wind (hurricane) hazards, then moved to states with high seismic exposure, and then continued through the rest of the country.

FAQs

Follow the links for frequently asked questions about BCEGS:

• What? Why? When? And what do I do?
• What determines a municipality's code-effectiveness classification?
• How do building code-effectiveness classifications effect insurance pricing?
• What other underwriting information will be available to insurers?
• Facts and figures about BCEGS grades around the country