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Search the building code.

Every 2024 IRC section and the IBC as it loads, by number or topic, plus the local rules for your city. Free to search.

Detached houses, duplexes and townhouses up to 3 stories with their own exits use the IRC; every other building uses the IBC (IBC 101.2).

A random sample from 1,598 sections for San Antonio, TX, the 2024 IRC

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  • R313.1

    Minimum Height

    Used in checks
    • Habitable rooms and hallways have at least 7 ft ceilings; baths, toilet rooms and laundries at least 6 ft 8 in.
    • With sloped ceilings, the required area has at least 5 ft of headroom and half of it at least 7 ft.
    • A showerhead needs 6 ft 8 in of ceiling over a 30 x 30 in area.
    • Beams, ducts and other obstructions in a habitable basement may hang down to 6 ft 4 in; beams spaced 36 in or more apart may come to 78 in.

    International Residential Code, 2024 · Chapter 3, Building PlanningRead the full text (opens UpCodes in a new tab)

  • R806.2

    Minimum Vent Area

    • Attic vents total 1/150 of the attic floor area, or 1/300 when 40-50% of it is high vents within 3 ft of the ridge (plus a ceiling vapor retarder in zones 6-8).

    International Residential Code, 2024 · Chapter 8, Roof-Ceiling ConstructionRead the full text (opens UpCodes in a new tab)

  • R608.2

    Applicability Limits

    • Prescriptive concrete walls cover buildings up to 60 ft, two stories and 35 ft tall, floors spanning 32 ft and roofs 40 ft, overhangs to 2 ft, in SDC A-B (detached homes C too).

    International Residential Code, 2024 · Chapter 6, Wall ConstructionRead the full text (opens UpCodes in a new tab)

  • R403.1.2

    Continuous Footing in Seismic Design Categories D

    • In SDC D, exterior walls always sit on continuous concrete or grouted masonry footings; interior braced panels need them on larger or taller buildings.
    • Where interior bracing footings are needed, they may be spaced up to 50 ft apart if cripple walls are 4 ft or less, panels sit on doubled joists or beams, and bracing lines are no more than twice the building width apart.

    International Residential Code, 2024 · Chapter 4, FoundationsRead the full text (opens UpCodes in a new tab)

Searches all 4,276 IRC 2024 sections, 5,532 IBC 2024 sections and defined terms (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 so far) and each city's local rules as they are added. Section numbers and titles from the International Residential Code and International Building Code, 2024 editions, copyrighted by the International Code Council; the IRC's electrical chapters (34 to 43) follow NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code. Requirements are summarized in our words (IRC Chapters 3 to 43, IBC Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33); read the full text at the link on each result. Local values come from each city's published documents.

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