Starting in June next year, strengthened design standards for zero-energy buildings will be implemented. With various regulations, such as not permitting completion if floor noise standards are not met and mandating facilities for electric vehicle fire safety, expected to be enforced sequentially, there is a growing concern in the construction industry about an increase in construction expenses.
According to the Korea Construction Technology Institute and the construction industry on the 31st, several regulations related to the environment and safety are set to be implemented next year.
First, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will make the currently recommended reinforcement construction for floor noise in apartments mandatory starting next year. If the standards are not met, completion will not be approved. A related amendment to the Dwellings Act was submitted to the National Assembly on the 19th.
Safety regulations related to electric vehicles are also expected to be strengthened starting next year. Following a fire in an electric vehicle in an underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Incheon in August, which affected five apartment buildings and 480 households, regulations have been tightened. Currently, amendments related to electric vehicle fires, such as the Parking Lot Act, Electric Safety Management Act, and Fire Facilities Installation and Management Act, have been consecutively submitted to the National Assembly. The government also decided to improve relevant regulations to mandate the installation of wet sprinklers in all underground parking lots of new buildings to enable early fire detection and prevent the spread.
However, there are concerns in the construction industry that the tightening regulations will further accelerate the rise in construction costs. This is because construction techniques that incur higher expenses will need to be applied to meet the regulatory standards. A representative from a major construction company noted, "When regulations are enforced, designs that reflect them will need to be created, raising construction costs," and added, "It will place a greater burden on reconstruction associations than on construction companies, leading them to take a more conservative approach to ongoing redevelopment projects."
Another construction company representative stated, "While construction companies agree that regulations related to floor noise and electric vehicle fires are necessary, the increased burden necessitates measures to apply them gradually or delay their implementation."
A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport representative said, "Regulations related to floor noise are already recommending supplementary construction, and this will only add compulsory requirements; therefore, it will not significantly impact construction costs compared to the current situation."
There are also opinions that the government and the construction industry need to lower costs through technological development while applying regulations. Seo Jin-hyung, a professor at the Real Estate Law Department at Kwangwoon University, stated, "The government and the construction industry need to quickly establish incentives such as tax support or incentives for technological development to reduce costs through technological advancements."
As of September this year, the construction cost index stands at 130.39, recording the highest level since 2020. Subsequently, it decreased by 0.05 points to 130.32 in October, but compared to 100 in 2020, the index has risen by 30%.