Treasure Coast Sun

The City of Port St. Lucie has achieved high ratings for its building code enforcement practices, surpassing both national and state averages for commercial and residential buildings. This achievement could lead to lower property insurance premiums for local residents and business owners.

The Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS), administered by the Insurance Services Office (ISO), evaluates building departments across the United States based on their adoption and enforcement of building codes. BCEGS aims to help communities reduce damage from natural disasters, lower insurance costs, and promote safer building construction.

Communities are assessed on 27 factors, including the experience and training of building inspectors, adopted codes, zoning regulations, record-keeping practices, and emergency management plans. Scores range from 1 to 100, with a classification scale from 1 to 10—1 being the best.

In 2024, Florida's state average score for commercial buildings was 78.18 with a classification of 3; for residential buildings, it was 72.47 with a classification of 4. Nationwide, fewer than 10% received a classification of 2 for commercial or a classification of 3 for residential.

Port St. Lucie scored an impressive 86.65 for commercial buildings with a classification of 2 and a score of 77.46 for residential buildings with a classification of 3—both better than state and national averages.

Insurance companies use these ratings to determine property insurance values and offer premium credits for buildings constructed under strictly enforced codes.

" said Joel Dramis, Building Department Director for the City of Port St. Lucie."