HB 65: What it Means for Builders and Remodelers in 2026

HB 65 delivers the most meaningful update to Utah’s residential and commercial building codes in years. The bill adopts the 2024 commercial code suite and amends the 2021 residential code, but the real impact comes from two major changes: remodel requirements and energy code simplification.

Key Change #1: Remodelers No Longer Trigger Whole‑Home Updates
Under the new language, only the areas you touch must be brought up to current code. This eliminates one of the biggest cost drivers and frustrations in residential remodeling.

Key Change #2: A Simplified Energy Code
The previous 65‑page document has been condensed into just four pages of clear, prescriptive requirements.

Key insulation & mechanical requirements:

• Walls: R21
• Ceilings: R38
• Basement walls: R13 or R10 continuous
• Floors: R30
• Sealed mechanical rooms with combustion air
• Duct testing required if ducts are outside conditioned space
• Blower door testing mandated (with prescriptive compliance alternatives

Why HB 65 Matters
For remodelers and the homeowners they serve, this change represents a significant step forward.

Under the updated guidelines, projects will no longer trigger the requirement to bring an entire home up to current code when work is being done on unrelated areas. This removes one of the most common and costly barriers to renovation, making improvements more practical and accessible.

Equally important is the overhaul of the energy code. In what may be one of the most impactful updates in over a decade, a previously dense and complex 65-page document has been streamlined into just four pages of clear, easy-to-understand requirements.

This simplification does more than reduce paperwork—it fundamentally improves the process. The new code eliminates much of the burden associated with plan review, replacing it with a predictable framework that can be applied consistently and enforced correctly.

For builders who prefer a performance-based approach, that pathway still exists. However, the overall structure is now far more straightforward, allowing professionals to navigate compliance with greater confidence and efficiency.

In short, this update brings clarity, consistency, and practicality to a process that has long been seen as overly complicated, benefiting both industry professionals and homeowners alike.

To read the language that was adopted in the session, go to HB0065.pdf.