New Building Code Bill Aims to Raise the Bar on Public Construction  

Big changes could be coming to the way public buildings are designed and built in Belize. The Government is pushing forward with the Belize Building Amendment Bill, introduced by Minister of Infrastructure Development & Housing Julius Espat, which aims to modernize construction standards across the country. The bill outlines new rules for the renovation, construction, and even demolition of buildings. According to Minister Espat, it’s the result of five years of hard work—reviewing and adapting international building codes to suit Belize’s unique environment and needs. Once passed, the law will require builders to follow the updated Belize Building Codes under the Belize Building Act. The goal? Safer, more resilient structures that can better withstand the country’s natural conditions while protecting public health and the environment. Minister Espat emphasized that this is about more than just regulations—it’s about building a stronger, safer Belize from the ground up.

 

Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development

“The Belize Building Code will become a part of the Belize Building Act. It will be the only code of reference to guide building construction in Belize, more specifically it applies to all buildings except family dwellings not more than three stories above grade. So, we are dealing with public buildings at this point time. Your restaurant will now have to fall within the code. It is a public building because people visit your establishment. These buildings, national assembly, banks, office of professionals. It does not apply to residence. That is a separate code that we will go and try to adopt later on which is fall under the residential code. People are scared for change, but we live in a global environment and have to raise the standard for construction in this country. We purposely did not dwell into the residential aspect because we wanted to make sure that people were not given this idea that his will make construction cost expensive for them. It will not, it will just ensure that the professionals designing the buildings are following a standard that everybody will use.”