Most Americans Support Stricter Building Codes in High-Risk Areas, Pew Finds

As billion-dollar weather and climate disasters become more common across the United States, a new Pew Research Center survey reveals strong public support for tougher building standards in vulnerable communities. The survey, conducted in spring 2025, finds that 77% of U.S. adults say it’s a good idea to implement stricter building codes in areas at high risk of extreme weather events—a notable consensus that cuts across political lines. Support spans 84% of Democrats and 71% of Republicans, despite broader partisan divides on issues like climate change and federal disaster response.

These findings come at a time when policymakers are debating FEMA’s role in setting standards and managing disaster recovery. While public opinion is more divided on other policies—such as banning new construction in high-risk zones or subsidizing insurance—there is clear majority backing for policies aimed at making buildings more resilient. The survey also explores how Americans perceive the connection between extreme weather and climate change, and how those views vary by party affiliation.

Large majority of Americans support stricter building standards
in places at high risk of extreme weather

% of U.S. adults who say it is a good idea/bad idea/not sure for government to do each of the following for communities in places at high risk of extreme weather

Source: Pew Research Center survey conducted April 28 – May 4, 2025. Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.

Key highlights:

• Americans have mixed views on government helping homeowners cover the rising cost of insurance: 41% say this is a good idea, while 34% call it a bad idea.
• Americans express some openness to banning new construction in areas at high risk of extreme weather (39% say good idea vs. 28% say bad idea). But few support requiring people to move out of high-risk areas (only 14% say this is a good idea).
• Most Americans who have experienced extreme weather in the last year say climate change played a role. Across each of the five types of extreme weather events we asked about (like intense storms or floods), at least eight-in-ten who experienced the event say climate change contributed a lot or a little.
• Partisanship shapes perceptions of extreme weather itself, as well as the connection to climate change. Republicans are less likely to report extreme weather events than Democrats. And while most Republicans who do report experiencing extreme weather events draw a link to climate change, they are much less likely than Democrats to see a strong connection

Read the full report, Americans’ Views on How to Address the Impacts of Extreme Weather