Building Codes Explained

In general Building Codes provide minimum standards for building construction to safeguard the public’s safety, health, and welfare.

Regulations developed by recognized agencies establishing minimum building requirements for licensing, safety and functionality purposes such as setbacks, fire regulations, spacing and clearances. Building codes usually address acceptable design codes. An example of a building code is the Uniform Building Code (UBC).

1. Code standards are the level of suitability or an accepted form or model that is used in construction as a basis for evaluation or comparison.
2. Test Standards stipulate test methods and the minimum result criteria.
3. Rating Standards establish a system of measurement to guarantee that all similar products are compared on the same basis.
4. Design Standards are minimum criteria that are applied to particular aspects of a building and/or system design.

Laws or rules defined and enforced by an authority to regulate conduct. State or local construction regulations incorporate codes and referenced standards.

Codes safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants by regulating building construction, as well as the building components and materials used. Codes also address such intangibles as air quality and energy consumption.

•	Use group, occupancy type – assembly, business, educational, factory and industrial hazardous, institutional, mercantile, residential, storage, and utility occupancies

•	Means or egress – number of exits, travel distance to an exit, corridor and door widths

•	Fire-resistive construction – types of materials for walls, roofs, ceilings, and floors

•	Fire protection – sprinklers, fire alarms, standpipes, and other aspects of fire and smoke control

•	Structural loads – wind, snow, flood, seismic, and live and dead loads

•	Construction assemblies and fasteners – roofs, ceilings, floors, and exterior walls and how they are assembled

•	Special uses – garages, atriums, mezzanines, high rise buildings, and interior spaces

•	Other building systems – elevators, escalators, fireplaces, chimneys, electrical wiring, mechanical, plumbing, and energy conservation

•	Hydraulic piping, gas piping, and fuel oil piping

•	Fossil fuel equipment – fireplaces, wood stoves, incinerators, chimneys, ventilation, air quality

•	Fuel oil tanks and piping, compressed gas or Liquid Propane Gas (LPG)

•	Barrier-free access to buildings – ramps, access and egress, door widths and door hardware, plumbing facilities

•	Safety from fire – safety provisions for building construction, protection, and occupancy

•	Standards are typically incorporated by reference in the codes; there are thousands of referenced standards in building construction regulations

•	Standards prescribe the minimum design or performance of a material or equipment

•	Most standards are written by consensus processes of independent nonprofit service organizations

•	Most new products must meet test standards before approval by a code official

•	Model code changes are made by members of the model code organizations; anyone can propose changes; contact the National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards, Inc., NCSBCS, for information on how to participate in the code change process

•	Model codes are updated every year, with new editions published every three years

•	Some states adopt model codes; others write their own codes

•	Codes may apply only to certain kinds of buildings, e.g., state-owned buildings

•	Only certain codes may have preemptive application

•	When no mandatory statewide code applies, counties or local jurisdictions may adopt a model code, may write their own, or may have no code

•	Enforcement of statewide codes may be under the authority of a state agency, the county, or local municipality

State Level
Department of Housing, Community Affairs, Building Standards, or Labor
State Fire Marshal
Energy Office

County Level
County Council, clerk, or commission

City or Town Level
City Council or Clerk
Building and Zoning Department
Housing Department

There are many organizations involved in the development of the model codes and standards that form the basis for many building construction regulations throughout the United States. A partial list is provided below.

International Code Council
5293 Leesburg Pike, Suite 600
Falls Church, VA 22041
(703) 931-4533
www.iccsafe.org
Publishes the National Codes series.

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI)
4100 North Fairfax Dr., Suite 200
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 524-8800
www.ari.org

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
1819 L Street, NW, Suite 607
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 293-8020
www.ansi.org

American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
1791 Tullie Circle NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
(404) 636-8400
www.ashrae.org

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
8996 Burke Lake Road, Suite L102
Burke, VA 22015-5536
800-221-5536
www.asme.org

American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM)
100 Barr Harbor Drive
West Conshohucken, PA 19428-2959
(610) 832-9585
www.astm.org

International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAMPO)
5001 E Philadelphia Street
Ontario, CA 91761
(909) 472-4100
www.iampo.org
Publishes Uniform Plumbing Code

National Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC)
180 S. Washington St.
P.O. Box 6808
Falls Church, VA 22046
(703) 237-8100
www.phccweb.org

National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards, Inc. (NCSBCS)
505 Huntmar Park Drive, Suite 210
Herndon, VA 22070
(703) 437-0100
www.ncsbcs.org

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
3 Batterymarch Park
Quincy, MA 02269-7471
(617) 770-3000
www.nfpa.org
Publishes Life Safety CodeR, National Electrical CodeR, and numerous other fire standards.

Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
333 Pfingsten Rd.
Northbrook, IL 60062-2096
(708) 272-8800
www.ul.com