IBC (International Building Code)

Also called: International Building Code

The model building code published by the International Code Council and adopted, with amendments, by most United States jurisdictions. The IBC governs commercial and most multi-family construction; the companion IRC covers one- and two-family dwellings.

Broader: Building code

Architects

Why it matters

The IBC is revised on a three-year cycle and jurisdictions adopt editions at their own pace, so two active projects in neighboring cities can be governed by different editions of the same code. "Meets the IBC" is only meaningful with an edition and a jurisdiction attached.

Common question

Which IBC edition applies to my project?

The edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended, not the newest one published. Confirm the adopted edition and amendments with the AHJ before starting code analysis.

Sources & reading

ICC — IBC

Also in Fundamentals: Building code ICC (International Code Council) AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) Jurisdiction Local amendments Occupancy classification Egress (means of egress) Fire-resistance rating

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