260 Chapter 11
11.3 MODEL CODE ORGANIZATIONS.
International Code Council.
The International Code Council (ICC) was established in 1994 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to
developing a single set of comprehensive and coordinated national model construction codes. The
founders of the ICC are Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), Interna-
tional Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), and Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc.
(SBCCI). Although regional code development has been effective and responsive to our country's
needs, the demand arose for a single set of codes. The nation’s three model code groups responded by
creating the International Code Council, which combines the strengths of the regional codes without re-
gional limitations. The ICC developed the series of International Codes (I-Codes). I-Codes respond to
the needs of the construction industry and public safety. A single set of codes has strong support from
government, code-enforcement officials, fire officials, architects, engineers, builders, developers, and
building owners and managers.
ICC made great strides when in 2000 it published the International Building Code (IBC)—a single
family of codes that is being adopted across the nation. It is hoped that, as the IBC gains popularity, the
existing regional and local model codes will be phased out.
Today, an overwhelming majority (97 percent) of cities, counties, and states that adopt building and
safety codes are using documents published by the International Code Council and its members. The
IBC, like its predecessors, will be updated every three years and will gradually replace the existing model
codes. BOCA, ICBO, and SBCCI have agreed to merge their respective organizations into one model
code group. This will allow a single approach to the proper interpretation, training, and other services for
the International Codes.
The ICC published the first complete set of International Codes (I-Codes) in 2000, followed by the
2003 and 2006 editions. In 2007, one or more of the I-Codes were in use within 47 states as well as the
District of Columbia, Puerto, Rico and the United States Department of the Navy, either enforced
statewide or at the local level. ICC has developed and made available numerous publications pertaining
to: building, energy conservation, fire, fuel gas, mechanical, plumbing, residential, property mainte-
nance, private sewage disposal, zoning, and electricity as well as code administrative provisions and the
ICC Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities. All of the above codes are comprehensive and co-
ordinated with one another.
The Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) model code was incorporated in 1938 and
is the oldest professional association of construction code officials in America. BOCA was specifically
set up as a forum for the interchange of information and expertise concerning building safety and con-
struction regulation. BOCA is now incorporated in the International Code Council (ICC).
The Uniform Building Code (UBC) is published by the International Conference of Building Officials
(ICBO). The Uniform Building Code is used mainly on the west coast of the United States.
The Standard Building Code (SBCCI) is used in much of the southeastern United States. SBCCI
joined with BOCA and ICBO in 1994.
The Council of American Building Officials (CABO) One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code is a com-
pilation of BOCA, SBCCI and NFPA. The latest edition (2000) of the code has been renamed the Inter-
national Residential Code (IRC). CABO also established the Building Officials Certification Program to
enhance professionalism in the field of building-code enforcement.