The Utah House passed House Bill 175, Housing Construction Amendments, on a 71-1 vote. Sponsors said the bill will make it modestly less expensive to build some small multi-unit housing by allowing triplexes and certain quadplexes to be treated under the residential building code rather than the commercial code.

Representative Ward, the bill sponsor, told the House that duplexes and attached townhomes are already treated as residential and that the change restores the residential classification for quadplexes that are effectively two duplexes joined at a wall. He said residential fire-code treatment typically uses a firewall of sheetrock, while commercial classification triggers a sprinkler requirement that can add “about $4,000 to the cost of each unit.”

Ward said units would still be required to have their own egress and the firewall between units required under the residential code. Representative Tom Peterson rose in support and thanked the sponsor for working with interested parties.

The House voted to pass the bill 71-1; the measure will be sent to the Senate for consideration.

Votes at a glance: HB 175 (Housing construction amendments) — Final passage: 71 yes, 1 no.

Sponsors said the change aims to reduce construction costs modestly while maintaining residential fire-safety requirements.