ICC 77 cheat sheet

The building official is the officer charged with enforcement of the adopted code; authority derives from statute or local ordinance, not from the code document alone.

Adopted code editions and local amendments take effect on the dates fixed by the adopting ordinance; permits issued before the effective date are generally reviewed under the code in force at application.

Duties typically include reviewing applications, issuing permits, conducting inspections, issuing notices of violation and stop-work orders, and maintaining public records of permits and certificates.

A stop-work order is issued in writing when work is contrary to the code or the permit; work may not resume until the official authorizes it in writing.

Right of entry: inspectors may enter premises at reasonable times to inspect; if entry is refused, the official must obtain a warrant or other legal process rather than force entry.

The official may accept alternative materials and methods of construction when the proposed design is at least equivalent in quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability, and safety.

Appeals of the official's interpretations go to the board of appeals within the time stated in the ordinance; an appeal does not stay enforcement unless the board orders a stay.

Records of permits, inspections, and certificates are public documents; retention periods are set by state or local records law, not by the code itself.

A permit is required for construction, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, or change of occupancy, with exemptions typically limited to minor work such as ordinary repairs, painting, and small accessory structures.

Permit applications must be accompanied by construction documents showing the nature and extent of work, and by information demonstrating code compliance; the official may require plans sealed by a registered design professional.

A permit lapses if work does not commence within the period fixed by the ordinance (commonly 180 days) or is suspended or abandoned for a stated period (commonly 180 days).

Work must be inspected at stages the code specifies - footing/foundation, framing, rough-in, insulation, and final - and the permit holder must request each inspection when the stage is ready.

Partial or phased occupancy may be approved only where the portion meets all applicable life-safety requirements, including egress, fire separation, and fire-protection systems.

A certificate of occupancy is issued after final inspection confirms the work complies with the permitted documents and the code; a temporary certificate may be issued for a stated term with conditions.

A change of occupancy requires compliance with the new occupancy requirements, including egress, fire separation, and, where applicable, height and area limits.

Approval of a portion of work does not relieve the permit holder of responsibility for compliance of the whole; concealed work must be inspected before it is covered.

Occupancy groups are classified by use: assembly (A), business (B), educational (E), factory (F), high-hazard (H), institutional (I), mercantile (M), residential (R), storage (S), and utility (U).

Accessory occupancies are subordinate to the main occupancy and do not exceed the area and height thresholds set for accessory use; incidental uses are small and must be separated by fire barriers.

Construction types I through V are ranked by fire resistance; Type I is the most fire-resistive and Type V the least, with Type V-B being unprotected wood-frame construction.

Allowable height and building area are read from tables indexed by occupancy group and construction type; both the number of stories and the building height in feet must be checked.

Frontage increase: allowable area may be increased where the building fronts on a public way or open space, computed from the open perimeter and the frontage formula in the code.

Mixed occupancies are handled by one of three methods: accessory, nonseparated, or separated occupancies, each with its own limits and separation requirements.

Fire-resistance ratings for structural elements are keyed to construction type; primary structural frame, bearing walls, floor and roof construction, and exterior walls carry different required ratings.

Incidental uses such as boiler rooms, furnace rooms, and trash rooms require separation by fire barriers with ratings set by the incidental-use table.

The means of egress has three parts: exit access (travel to the exit), the exit itself, and exit discharge (travel from the exit to the public way).

Occupant load is computed from the floor area divided by the occupant load factor for the use; the calculated load may be increased where fixed seating or actual use justifies it.

Egress width is based on occupant load: capacity per unit of width differs for stairs versus level components, and the width may not decrease in the direction of travel.

Two exits are generally required where occupant load or common path of travel exceeds thresholds; the two means must be remote from each other by the distance the code specifies.

Travel distance limits are measured along the path of travel to the nearest exit and vary by occupancy and whether the space is sprinklered.

Exit signs and means-of-egress illumination are required for most occupancies; emergency lighting must be provided where the path would otherwise be dark.

Doors in the means of egress must swing in the direction of travel where the occupant load is 50 or more, must be side-hinged, and must have panic hardware in assembly and educational occupancies above stated loads.

Exit enclosures (stairwells) must be separated from the building by fire-resistance-rated construction and must discharge directly to the exterior or through an exit passageway.

Automatic sprinkler systems are required by occupancy, height, area, and construction type; the code's sprinkler threshold table shows where suppression substitutes for fire-resistance or area limits.

Fire alarm systems must be provided where required by occupancy; notification must meet audibility and visibility criteria and be coordinated with the sprinkler system.

Standpipes are required in buildings where the highest occupied floor exceeds the height set by the code, and in certain large-area buildings.

Fire-resistance-rated assemblies must be protected; openings in fire barriers and fire walls require fire-rated door and window assemblies with ratings matched to the wall rating.

Smoke barriers and smoke partitions serve different functions: smoke barriers resist smoke migration and are typically required in institutional and certain assembly occupancies.

Fire walls divide a building into separate buildings for area and height purposes and must be structurally independent, with openings protected by fire-rated assemblies.

Portable fire extinguishers must be provided in accordance with the referenced standard, with placement, travel distance, and hazard classification rules.

Fire department access roads and water supply requirements are part of the code's fire-protection provisions and must be shown on the site plan.

The building code adopts referenced structural standards for loads, concrete, steel, masonry, and wood; design loads include dead, live, snow, wind, and seismic.

Live load reductions are permitted only where the code allows, based on tributary area and the number of floors supported, and never for certain occupancies such as public assembly.

Accessibility requirements derive from the adopted accessibility standard; the official enforces accessible routes, entrances, toilet rooms, parking, and signage.

An accessible route must connect the site arrival point, building entrance, and all accessible spaces; changes in level are limited and must be ramped or otherwise resolved.

Alterations and additions trigger accessibility upgrades to the path of travel serving the altered area, up to a cost limit proportional to the project cost.

Energy code compliance is demonstrated by prescriptive or performance methods; the official verifies that the permit documents include the required compliance documentation.

Structural observation, special inspection, and testing requirements are set by the code for specified elements such as high-strength bolting, welding, and certain foundations.

Existing buildings are governed by the existing building provisions, which classify work as repair, alteration, addition, or change of occupancy and set compliance levels accordingly.