Guide puts residential code in your pocket

A new pocket guide published by the International Code Council and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) provides answers to the most frequently asked residential construction jobsite code questions.

Home Builders’ Jobsite Codes: A Pocket Guide to the 2006 International Residential Code is for home builders, contractors, inspectors, architects, engineers, and other construction professionals who don’t want to lug code books or return to the office to check code requirements. The convenient field guide is a quick reference to the 2006 International Residential Code (IRC) that provides easy-to-read code requirements for every aspect of residential construction.

The guide covers the IRC’s most important safety requirements such as egress, emergency escape, protection from falling, safe design criteria, fire protection, energy efficiency, and safe and healthy living environments. It also answers questions about phases of construction including foundations, floors, walls, roofs, chimneys and fireplaces, mechanical, fuel gas, plumbing and electrical systems.

Written by Code Council Senior Technical Staff Stephen A. Van Note, the guide features illustrations, tables and figures to help the reader understand specific code requirements, as well as a glossary that provides definitions of construction-related terms. A certified building official and plans examiner, Van Note has 15 years of experience in code administration and enforcement and more than 20 years of experience in the construction field, including project planning and management for residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

To purchase the new Home Builders’ Jobsite Codes: A Pocket Guide to the 2006 International Residential Code, visit the International Code Council website at www.iccsafe.org or call 1-800-786-4452. The Guide is also available from NAHB at www.BuilderBooks.com or by calling 1-800-223-2665.

The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt codes choose the International Codes developed by the International Code Council.

The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington-based trade-association representing more than 235,000 members involved in home building, remodeling, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction. Known as “the voice of the housing industry,” NAHB is affiliated with more than 800 state and local home builders associations around the country. NAHB’s builder members will construct 80 percent of the more than 1.56 million new housing units projected for 2007.