North Carolina SB 95: Promote NC Sawmills.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 95

Short Title: Promote NC Sawmills. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Hanig and Moffitt (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
February 17, 2025
*S95-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROMOTE LOCAL SAWMILLS BY ALLOWING THE USE OF UNGRADED 2
LUMBER IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1.(a) Definitions. – For purposes of this section, the following definitions 5
apply: 6
(1) Dimension lumber. – Lumber that has not been grade-stamped under the 7
authority of a lumber grading bureau. 8
(2) Small mill. – A sawmill that mills less than 1,000,000 board feet of lumber 9
per year. 10
SECTION 1.(b) The North Carolina Residential Code Council shall amend the 11
North Carolina Residential Code in order to permit dimension lumber that has not been 12
grade-stamped under the authority of a lumber grading bureau to be used in the construction of 13
one- and two-family dwellings, when that use meets all of the following requirements: 14
(1) The lumber is sold directly by the owner or employee of the sawmill that 15
milled the lumber to the owner of the dwelling to be constructed or that 16
person's authorized representative. 17
(2) The dimension lumber meets or exceeds the requirements of the North 18
Carolina Residential Code other than the requirements that only 19
grade-stamped lumber be used in residential construction. 20
(3) The operator of the sawmill has a certificate from a state-approved lumber 21
grading training program, certifies that the lumber conforms with product and 22
inspection standards under American Softwood Lumber Standard PS20, and 23
marks the lumber with (i) the mill number, name, or abbreviation, (ii) the 24
species or combination of species of the lumber, (iii) whether the lumber was 25
dry or green when manufactured as required by American Softwood Lumber 26
Standard PS20, and (iv) whether the lumber conforms with PS20 standards. 27
(4) The appropriate code enforcement official reviews the framing of the dwelling 28
to ensure that it meets the requirements of the North Carolina Residential 29
Code in all respects other than the requirements that only grade-stamped 30
lumber be used in residential construction. The code enforcement official shall 31
not be liable for any structural failure that occurs as a result of the use of 32
dimension lumber rather than grade-stamped lumber. 33
(5) The sawmill provides to the purchaser a certificate containing all of the 34
following information: 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 95-First Edition
a. A statement of the species of wood, quantity milled, and address where 1
the lumber will be used. 2
b. The name of the sawmill operator certified pursuant to G.S. 143-138.2 3
who milled the lumber. 4
c. A certification that the lumber meets or exceeds the requirements of 5
the North Carolina Residential Code with the exception that it has not 6
been grade-stamped by an accredited lumber grading bureau. 7
d. The date of sale of the lumber. 8
SECTION 1.(c) The North Carolina Residential Code Council shall amend the North 9
Carolina Residential Code and the North Carolina Building Code Council shall amend the North 10
Carolina Building Code in order to permit dimension lumber that has not been grade-stamped 11
under the authority of a lumber grading bureau to be used in the construction of one- and 12
two-family dwellings and structures classified as Residential Group R-2 or R-3, when that use 13
meets all of the following requirements: 14
(1) The lumber is sold directly by the owner or employee of a small mill or a 15
mobile sawmill that milled the lumber to the owner of the structure to be 16
constructed or that person's authorized representative. 17
(2) The dimension lumber meets or exceeds the requirements of the North 18
Carolina Residential Code or the North Carolina Building Code, as applicable, 19
other than the requirements that only grade-stamped lumber be used in 20
residential construction. 21
(3) The operator of the small mill or mobile sawmill has a certificate from a 22
state-approved lumber grading training program, certifies that the lumber 23
conforms with product and inspection standards under American Softwood 24
Lumber Standard PS20, and marks the lumber with (i) the mill number, name, 25
or abbreviation, (ii) the species or combination of species of the lumber, (iii) 26
whether the lumber was dry or green when manufactured as required by 27
American Softwood Lumber Standard PS20, and (iv) whether the lumber 28
conforms with PS20 standards. 29
(4) The appropriate code enforcement official reviews the framing of the structure 30
to ensure that it meets the requirements of the North Carolina Residential 31
Code or the North Carolina Building Code, as applicable, in all respects other 32
than the requirements that only grade-stamped lumber be used in residential 33
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