Washington Association of Building Officials

WABO Office Closure

In observance of Memorial Day the WABO Office will be closed on Monday, May 26, 2025.  The office will re-open on Tuesday, May 27th at 8:00 AM.

WABO 2025 Summer Business Meeting

Registration for the 2025 WABO Summer Business Meeting is now available.  The meeting is scheduled for July 17-18, 2025 at the Rosehill Community Center in Mukilteo, WA.   A room block has been setup at the Silver Cloud Inn - Mukilteo.  Remember to reserve your room early as the room block ends on June 16, 2025.  Reservations can be made online at www.silvercloud.com, when making reservations online please select the Location/Book Now/Enter Dates.  When the page loads select Group login-its on the left under the picture.  Login: WABO Password 0007. Select dates again.  Select your room type and book your room at the discounted rate!  You can also call the hotel directly to reserve (425-423-8600) - make sure to mention WABO for the group rate of $229.

If this is your first meeting, sign up for a WABO Scholarship which covers your registration and two-night hotel accommodations.

Information/Registration

Request for Support:  Advocate for NEHRP Reauthorization

S.320, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Reauthorization Act of 2025, has been released by the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee and is currently waiting to be scheduled for a Senate floor vote. The Public Policy and Advocacy (PPA) Committee from the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute is urging individuals to please contact your senators in advance of a floor vote to encourage their support of the NEHRP Reauthorization Bill.   You may include the following two sentences in your correspondence:

I am writing you to encourage you to support the passage of S.320, the national Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Reauthorization Bill.  This bill provides essential support to strengthen our Nation's long-term resilience to earthquakes.

For more information on this request, please visit the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.

ICC Code Of  Honor Scholarship Available Now

The Code of Honor Scholarship encourages professional development and participation in the code development process by providing support to attend the 2025 Committee Action Hearings for Group B Codes #2, October 22–30, in Cleveland. Please note, only ICC validated Governmental Member Voting Representatives will be considered. If interested, be sure to apply by July 17.

Building Safety Month

Building Safety Month started a U.S. campaign 45 years ago.  Today it's celebrated worldwide.  The 45th Annual Building Safety Month will kick off May 1, 2025 with this year's theme:  Game On!  If you are not familiar with building safety month, it is your opportunity to get in front of the public, your elected officials and other departments to highlight what you do and its importance.  For your convenience we have included a Building Safety Month template as well as WABO's Building Safety Month proclamation for review.  Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to see if you can get your mayor and council to approve your jurisdiction's proclamation.  If you are familiar with it, these forms are modified from ones in the past, so please utilize the template language.  If you are successful in obtaining a proclamation from your jurisdiction, please let the WABO office know so we can compile and share with with ICC.  The WABO Board of Directors would like to show the nation that Washington supports Building Safety Month!

• Week 1 - The Warm Up (May 1-3)
• Week 2 - Build Your Offense (May 4-10)
• Week 3 - Build Your Defense (May 11-17)
• Week 4 - The Starting Line Up (May 18-24)
• Week 5 - Going Into Overtime (May 25-31)

Governor Ferguson issued a proclamation declaring May 2025 Building Safety Month. 

Celebrate with us by using ICC's hashtag #BuildingSafetyMonth2025 on social media!

WABO 2025 Annual Business Meeting

Members from around the state took time from their busy schedule to learn, share, and connect at the Icicle Village Resort for the 2025 Annual Business Meeting. First Timers who attended were able to network with their colleagues from around Washington.

President and Committee Reports

2025 Fall Registration - NOW OPEN!!

Registration is now open for the WABO Code Official Accreditation Program (COAP). This program is designed to provide in-depth training tailored to prepare individuals for positions within building departments. This four-year, Washington State licensed, completely online program awards a certificate upon satisfactory completion of each year (three quarters per year). By completing International Code Council certifications, individuals have the opportunity of gaining Accreditation through Washington Association of Building Officials (WABO).

Fall classes begin September 8, 2025. Don't delay, registration will not re-open again until Fall 2026.

If you or someone you know is interested, please click here for more information.

ENROLL NOW

 WAsafe Building Safety Evaluations (ATC 20/45 Plus) Training

Registration for the WAsafe Building Safety Evaluations (ATC 20/45 Plus) training is now available. The training is scheduled for August 18, 2025 at the Tacoma Public Utilities - Auditorium in Tacoma, WA.

This course covers the basics of building safety evaluations for a variety of hazards, based on building safety evaluation programs for earthquakes, windstorms, and floods (ATC-20 & ATC-45), using examples from real events. The class also covers response to landslides, fires, and other hazards. Participants will also be introduced to the statewide process for volunteer emergency worker enrollment and dispatching being coordinated through WAsafe. Taking this course is one of the requirements for those who wish to enroll in the WAsafe program, or for those whose enrollments are expiring and wish to renew.

This class is appropriate for any building department staff and design professionals, as well as newcomers to emergency response and those who just need a 5-year refresher.  How prepared are you to respond to an emergency event in your community?  This class will help you develop the knowledge and skills to prepare for and respond to a damaging event.

INFORMATION/REGISTRATION