Foley has earned a Class 2 commercial building code rating, the second-highest grade on a national scale. The city also improved its residential rating to Class 3. The new ratings could help property owners save on insurance for eligible new construction.
Foley previously held a Class 4 rating in both categories. The Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule, or BCEGS, evaluates the building codes communities adopt and how well they enforce them. Ratings range from Class 1 to Class 10, with Class 1 the highest.
Mayor Ralph Hellmich said he knew of no Alabama community with a rating better than Class 2.
“So we’re at the top of the heap,” Hellmich said. “This is just outstanding news, and it gets back to the professionalism of our staff and what they do.”
Foley’s latest ratings are based on data from May 1, 2025, through May 1, 2026. Evaluators typically review building departments every five years. They look at permitting, plan reviews, inspections, staff training, certifications and continuing education, as well as department responsibilities, budgets, public awareness efforts and property values.
Jonathan Cottis, Foley’s chief building official, told the City Council that Alabama cities average Class 7 for commercial construction and Class 8 for residential construction.
“It tells us how we’re doing because it grades us on how we enforce our codes, how trained our staff is,” Cottis said. “That’s really — it’s an investment that you guys have made to the city, for us to be able to have those kinds of numbers. It’s a team effort. I’m very excited.”
Councilman Charles Ebert III, who owns an insurance agency, said the classifications are among the factors insurers may consider when setting property insurance premiums. The ratings also give prospective residents and businesses a way to assess how well a community adopts and enforces building standards designed to reduce damage from natural hazards.
Hellmich said Foley has earned recognition for strengthening its building standards to protect against hurricanes. The city has ranked among the nation’s leaders in the number of FORTIFIED homes, which are built or upgraded with features such as reinforced roofs to reduce storm damage.