Technical Support Services
The International Code Council offers its members and customers a comprehensive package of technical support services.
Code Commentaries
The Code Council produces hundreds of publications to support its International Codes (I-Codes), the most widely used and adopted set of building safety codes in the world. Among the most popular are code commentaries. The commentaries are reliable, easy-to-use references that demonstrate and explain the code, discuss when and how to apply code requirements, and include the entire code text along with historical and technical background information.
Code Opinions
Technical opinions on codes and standards are an exclusive benefit of Code Council Membership and are issued directly by Code Council staff.
Committee interpretations provide technical support and clarification of code text for adopting jurisdictions, design professionals and members of the construction industry. They are processed in accordance with Code Council Policy CP # 11, Committee Interpretations on International Code Provisions, as mandated by the Code Council Board of Directors. Code Council staff initiate this process; final disposition of the opinion rests with the committee. Please note: Due to the extensive time requirement for processing committee interpretations, they are not intended to resolve code issues that are time sensitive.
Plan Reviews
From high-rise commercial buildings and retail facilities to residential developments, schools, hospitals and civic institutions, no other plan review service has as much expertise in all the I-Codes as the code experts that staff the Code Council Plan Review Services.
The Code Council provides comprehensive plan reviews for engineers, architects and code officials. The end product is a plan review worksheet and a comprehensive report that outlines any code deficiencies in the proposed building plan. Code Council plan reviews usually result in quick approvals when submitted to jurisdictions that can save the customers money and enhance a jurisdiction’s reputation among its citizens and in the design and construction industry.
TechNotes
The Code Council and ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) are working with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) to distribute the TechNotes series developed by NAHB’s Construction Technology Research Subcommittee and Innovation Research Lab. TechNotes are designed to assist builders in understanding and applying the latest code requirements as well as implementing best practices in order to avoid building performance issues related to interior humidity levels, condensation in wall and roof assemblies, and interior air quality.
Free Online Tools
The Heights and Areas (H&A) Calculator is a joint effort of the American Wood Council, WoodWorks – The Wood Products Council, and the International Code Council (ICC). It provides users with an app-based approach to calculating maximum heights and areas for buildings of various occupancies and fire protection based on 2006 to 2021 editions of ICC’s International Building Code® (IBC®) provisions. Input a given building geometry, site conditions (e.g., open frontage), type of construction and occupancy, and allowable heights and areas can be determined. Links to download Android, iOS and MS Windows versions are available at the link below along with additional resources for wood building design and construction.
Building Valuation Data
The International Code Council is pleased to provide Building Valuation Data (BVD) for its members. The BVD will be updated at six-month intervals. ICC strongly recommends that all jurisdictions and other interested parties actively evaluate and assess the impact of this BVD table before utilizing it in their current code enforcement related activities.