Why are all houses in CA (or the US?) built of wood, and not concrete, brick, etc. ? Are there building codes?

Question

Does anyone know a good site to review building codes in California? Thanks!!

Answer 1

Houses in places in the US where it gets a lot colder than California *do* have houses built from concrete and brick, a lot more than CA. While it's perfectly legal according to code to use those materialis in CA, most builders don't -- because wood frame construction is cheaper, and we don't need insulation from 10 feet of snow like they do in other places :) Also, brick and concrete need a lot of reinforcing to meet earthquake code -- while they can be built to meet those codes, it adds cost -- making wood frame even cheaper in comparison. Wood houses do quite well in earthquakes, as they "give" naturally.

Answer 2

Many houses in the US are built with brick, concrete or even concrete blocks. These often result in a stronger house, often with better insulation. However, wood houses are traditional and many people prefer to construct with that method. I'm not sure as to how overall cost differs between the two. Considering the rising cost of plywood, I would assume that construction costs for stick-framed houses would also rise. Another factor might also be that the majority of the US isn't sitting on a fault line. Hence, while countries that have more earthquakes are more likely to construct buildings using reinforced concrete, it's not necessary for much of the US.

Answer 3

yes there are building codes and most of them have to do directly with the dangers of that particular geographic area. I assume when you say built out of wood you mean the framing because most CA houses are stucco'ed vs side paneled. however yes brick is not earthquake safe. See SF quake of 1906. Most buildings these have to be earthquake retrofitted. As far as concrete goes I don't think I have ever seen a concrete house however almost all new commercial construction (depending on the size) is concrete tilt up.

Answer 4

Wood is almost universally cheaper than masonry.

Concrete costs a lot to pour. Brick and stone have to be set by hand. It's expensive.

For wood you can get a big, showy house with a lot of room. That's what everyone wants.

Answer 5

Brick houses have a wooden frame!

Answer 6

It's cheaper...and easier to replace and repair