The Code of Hammurabi, inscribed on a basalt stele in Babylon around 1754 BCE, is among the earliest surviving written legal codes, comprising hundreds of case-based laws. Several provisions address builders directly: if a house collapsed and killed its owner, the builder was to be put to death, and if it killed the owner's son, the builder's son could be killed, with lesser penalties for property damage. The law thus imposed strict, graded liability on the maker of a structure for its safety. It was publicly displayed so its rulings could be seen and known.
It is the first recorded building regulation, establishing accountability for the safety of the made environment. The principle that those who build bear responsibility for failure remains foundational to construction law and professional liability.