Construction Codebooks > Code Books, All

These codes aren't mindless rules dreamed up by people with too much time on their hands. Each code reflects the common wisdom of practitioners and professionals in a given discipline. People from the industry, many of them much like you, provide input into these codes. Absent these codes, shysters could low-bid jobs and complete unsafe work. With these codes, every project has to meet certain minimums. Depending on the code, the minimum has to do with safety.

The two main code-producing organizations are the ICC and the NFPA.

Another area of confusion is what exactly the construction and renovation code requirements are, and which apply to your particular project. Ask 10 different project managers, and you're likely to get a dozen different answers. Thesolution is to obtain and study the codes relevant to your project. This is much more efficient than trying to argue with an inspector or attorney after you've already completed work that violates one or more code provisions.

Why should you care?These codes form the basis for how construction must be done.

• Many jurisdictions in the USA have adopted International Codes--sometimes in addition to other codes, sometimes in place of them. All fifty states (and U.S. possessions and many jurisdictions outside the USA) have adopted one or more of the International Codes, either with amendments or exactly as is.
• Many owners (construction customers) are bound by International Codes, due to corporate policies--especially if the parent company is based outside the USA.
• Code convergence is increasing. Other codes are becoming more like the International Codes with each code cycle.
• Conforming to these codes, even if not specifically required to do by the local authority having jurisdiction, can make a huge difference in a liability suit.
• The International Codes, if not required in your jurisdiction, can fill some "holes" in other applicable codes for engineering or design quality purposes. Thus, they make it easier for you to "sell" to the customer the right way to do the job. You have an authoritative basis for the "price hike" you are proposing over a less suitable design.
• If you are not using International Codes now, you will be. Get in the habit of working with these codes.

Bonus!Now, here's a bonus for you. Suppose the state doesn't list a specific code. You do the work, something happens, and you are in court defending yourself against claims that your work resulted in an unsafe installation. There's no inspection report, because there was no standard required by your state. But wait. You did the work per the applicable ICC codes. Now, assuming good workmanship and good materials, the other party has a frivolous case.

Safety first. The International Codes, or I-Codes, published by ICC, provide minimum safeguards for people at home, at school, and in the workplace. The I-Codes are a complete set of comprehensive, coordinated building safety and fire prevention codes. Building codes benefit public safety and support the industry’s need for one set of codes without regional limitations.

Federal applications. Many federal agencies (such as the Architect of the Capitol, General Services Administration, National Park Service, Department of State, U.S. Forest Service and the Veterans Administration) require work to be done per thethe I-Codes. The Department of Defense references the International Building Code for constructing military facilities, including those that house U.S. troops, domestically and deployed.

Where ICC came from. The founders of the ICC are Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), and Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBCCI). At one time, they each published their own codes. But in 1994, they established the International Code Council (ICC)as a non-profit organization dedicated to developing a single set of construction codes. The International Code Series subsequently replaced the codes previously published by these organizations.

The NFPA claims to be "the world's leading advocate of fire prevention and an authoritative source on public safety," and few would argue that is is. The NFPA is most well-known as the publisher of the Life Safety Code and the National Electrical Code, but it also develops, publishes, and disseminates more than 300 other codes and standards. All of these codes are intended to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks.

These documents are called "consensus codes and standards" because they are developed by experts working in the applicable fields. For example, a code-making panel for a given standard or part of a standard might consist of ten or more people with varying backgrounds all pertinent to that standard. Those backgrounds might be: design engineer, field engineer, consulting engineer, tradesperson, manufacturer's engineer, subject instructor, trade publication editor (with appropriate engineering or trade experience credentials), or (related) association representative. What you won't find is a code-making panel consisting of people who have no stake in developing a workable, useful code.

NFPA membership totals more than 70,000 individuals around the world. Employers often pay for membership, plus for participation in NFPA activities. The NFPA has many programs and initiatives to further the cause of public safety.

• Obviously, you need to know what the regulations and requirements are. That's why you should buy this standard.
• As you apply a requirement, look at the principle behind it. If you satisfy the principle, you won't be subject to "interpretation revisions" being forced on you later.
• To understand a particular provision, understand its context. So rather than look up a sentence and try to parse out its meaning, look at the entire code and how it's arranged. Where does the provision fit within this framework, and what is that chapter or section trying to accomplish?
• Remember that members of all code-making bodies write the codes in respect to the laws of physics, and to the body of knowledge in the respective trade or skill area addressed by the code. If you also understand these things, then you will be able to more properly apply a given code requirement.
• Codes are nearly always written as minimum requirements. You may need to go beyond the code requirements for optimum operational efficiency or to satisfy engineering requirements based on best practices. The codes almost never limit you from going beyond the requirements.