2018 International Codes® Designer Collection — IBC, IRC, IFC, IECC & IEBC

About this publication

The 2018 International Codes® Designer Collection brings together five of the International Code Council’s most important 2018 model building codes in one comprehensive professional reference package.

The official ICC Designer Collection includes:

• 2018 International Building Code® (IBC®)

• 2018 International Residential Code® (IRC®)

• 2018 International Fire Code® (IFC®)

• 2018 International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC®)

• 2018 International Existing Building Code® (IEBC®)

ICC specifically created the Designer Collection to combine these five major codes for professionals involved in building design, architecture, engineering, plan review, fire and life safety, energy compliance, residential construction, renovation, alteration, and existing-building projects.

Rather than purchasing and managing five separate code references, the collection provides a coordinated 2018 I-Code library covering the building lifecycle from new commercial and residential construction through fire safety, energy performance, renovations, additions, alterations, changes of occupancy, and work on existing structures.

The centerpiece of the collection is the 2018 International Building Code (IBC). The IBC establishes comprehensive requirements for commercial buildings and other structures, including occupancy classification, allowable heights and areas, types of construction, fire-resistance-rated construction, means of egress, accessibility, interior environments, structural design, special inspections, materials, building services, and safeguards during construction.

Important changes in the 2018 IBC include revised business occupancy load factors, increased deck and balcony live-load criteria, updated wind-speed maps, revised seismic site coefficients, new requirements addressing medical gas systems and higher-education laboratories, and changes affecting wood truss special inspections and structural design.

The 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) complements the IBC by providing requirements for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses within its scope. It integrates building, structural, mechanical, plumbing, fuel-gas, and electrical-related residential provisions into a single coordinated code.

Major 2018 IRC updates include revised seismic design maps, new options for townhouse separation, changes involving emergency escape and rescue openings, smoke-alarm interconnection requirements, revised wood header and girder tables, and new provisions for alternative wood-stud heights and high-wind construction.

The 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) provides the fire- and life-safety component of the collection. It addresses fire prevention, emergency planning, means of egress, fire protection systems, hazardous materials, special operations, emergency responder access, building uses, and ongoing fire-safety requirements.

Important 2018 IFC changes include expanded sprinkler requirements for certain educational occupancies, revised fire-alarm thresholds, mass-notification provisions for college and university buildings, new exit-discharge illumination requirements, updated fire-watch provisions, enhanced maintenance requirements for fire and smoke protection features, integrated testing of fire-protection and life-safety systems, and revised gas-detection provisions. The edition also introduced a new chapter addressing energy systems.

The 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) provides the collection’s energy-efficiency requirements for residential and commercial buildings. It addresses the building thermal envelope, insulation, fenestration, air leakage, HVAC systems, service water heating, electrical power and lighting, commissioning, and alternative compliance methods.

Important 2018 IECC changes include lower allowable fenestration U-factors in several climate zones, use of ICC/RESNET 380 for air-leakage testing, changes to the Energy Rating Index compliance path, revised lighting power budgets and controls, clearer commissioning requirements, limits on heated or cooled vestibules, and reorganized mechanical provisions.

Completing the collection is the 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), which provides a specialized framework for work involving existing buildings.

The IEBC is particularly important because existing structures cannot always be treated as though they were newly constructed buildings. The code establishes methods for evaluating and regulating repairs, alterations, additions, changes of occupancy, relocated buildings, historic buildings, structural modifications, accessibility improvements, fire-safety upgrades, and other work involving existing structures.

The 2018 IEBC includes three principal compliance approaches:

• Prescriptive compliance

• Work-area compliance

• Performance compliance

These alternatives allow designers and code officials to select an appropriate method based on the nature and extent of work being performed.

Important 2018 IEBC changes include reorganized accessibility requirements, consolidated live-load provisions, revised structural requirements for snow-damaged buildings, updated requirements for additions, structural evaluation of buildings undergoing changes of occupancy, seismic evaluation when risk categories increase, storm-shelter provisions for certain educational occupancy additions, and expanded carbon-monoxide requirements.

The strength of the Designer Collection is the interaction among these five codes.

A commercial building project may begin with the IBC for overall building requirements, use the IFC for fire and life safety, rely on the IECC for energy performance, and later require the IEBC when the building is altered or renovated.

Residential designers can rely on the IRC, while still benefiting from the broader fire, energy, existing-building, and commercial-building requirements contained in the other volumes.

This makes the collection particularly valuable to architectural and engineering firms that work across multiple project types. Instead of maintaining isolated code references, designers have a coordinated collection covering new buildings, residences, fire safety, energy conservation, and existing buildings.

The 2018 codes also remain important even though newer ICC editions have been published. Building-code adoption occurs at the state and local level, and many jurisdictions continue to enforce older I-Code editions or locally amended versions based on them. Projects involving existing permits, legacy designs, renovations, litigation, forensic work, historical code research, and jurisdiction-specific requirements may therefore still require the 2018 codes.

The official ICC 2018 Designer Collection was available in print, loose-leaf, digital, and PDF/Redline configurations. ICC’s PDF/Redline version included both the base codes and redline versions identifying changes from the preceding edition. Unless a specific product includes those redline files, however, the listing should simply describe the five underlying 2018 I-Codes.

Together, the five codes provide approximately 2,780 pages of building-code material, creating a substantial professional reference library for building designers, architects, engineers, inspectors, plans examiners, contractors, code officials, and organizations working with the 2018 I-Code family.

What’s Included

1. 2018 International Building Code® (IBC®)

The primary model building code for commercial and other buildings outside the scope of the IRC.

Major areas include:

• Occupancy classification

• Building height and area

• Types of construction

• Fire-resistance-rated construction

• Fire and smoke protection

• Interior finishes

• Means of egress

• Accessibility

• Interior environment

• Structural design

• Special inspections

• Concrete

• Masonry

• Steel

• Wood

• Glass and glazing

• Gypsum construction

• Building services

• Safeguards during construction

Publisher: International Code Council
Code Year: 2018
Pages: 728
Soft-Cover ISBN: 978-1-60983-735-8

2. 2018 International Residential Code® (IRC®)

Comprehensive requirements for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses within the scope of the IRC.

Major areas include:

• Building planning

• Foundations

• Floors

• Wall construction

• Roof and ceiling construction

• Energy-related residential provisions

• Mechanical systems

• Plumbing

• Fuel gas

• Electrical provisions

• Residential fire and life safety

Publisher: International Code Council
Code Year: 2018
Pages: Approximately 962
ISBN: 978-1-60983-737-2

3. 2018 International Fire Code® (IFC®)

Comprehensive fire prevention and life-safety requirements.

Major areas include:

• Fire department access

• Emergency planning

• Means of egress

• Fire protection systems

• Sprinkler systems

• Fire alarms

• Smoke control

• Hazardous materials

• Combustible materials

• Special occupancies and operations

• Construction and demolition fire safety

• Energy systems

Publisher: International Code Council
Code Year: 2018
Pages: 602
ISBN: 978-1-60983-707-5

4. 2018 International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC®)

Energy-efficiency requirements for residential and commercial construction.

Major areas include:

• Building thermal envelope

• Insulation

• Fenestration

• Air leakage

• Mechanical systems

• HVAC efficiency

• Service water heating

• Lighting

• Electrical power

• Commissioning

• Residential energy efficiency

• Commercial energy efficiency

• Alternative compliance methods

Publisher: International Code Council
Code Year: 2018
Pages: 190
Soft-Cover ISBN: 978-1-60983-749-5

5. 2018 International Existing Building Code® (IEBC®)

Specialized requirements for existing buildings.

Major areas include:

• Repairs

• Alterations

• Additions

• Changes of occupancy

• Historic buildings

• Relocated buildings

• Structural evaluation

• Accessibility

• Fire and life-safety upgrades

• Prescriptive compliance

• Work-area compliance

• Performance compliance

Publisher: International Code Council
Code Year: 2018
Pages: 298
Soft-Cover ISBN: 978-1-60983-752-5

Why This Collection Matters

The 2018 International Codes Designer Collection is particularly useful for:

• Architects

• Building designers

• Structural engineers

• Civil engineers

• Fire protection engineers

• Energy consultants

• Residential designers

• Building officials

• Plans examiners

• Building and fire inspectors

• Code consultants

• Contractors

• Construction managers

• Developers

• Facility professionals

• Government agencies

• Architectural and engineering firms

• Building-code libraries

• Professionals working in jurisdictions based on the 2018 I-Codes

Collection Features

• Official ICC-defined Designer Collection

• Includes 5 major 2018 I-Codes

• Includes 2018 IBC

• Includes 2018 IRC

• Includes 2018 IFC

• Includes 2018 IECC

• Includes 2018 IEBC

• Approximately 2,780 combined pages

• Covers commercial building design

• Covers residential construction

• Covers structural requirements

• Covers fire and life safety

• Covers energy conservation

• Covers existing-building projects

• Covers repairs and alterations

• Covers additions

• Covers changes of occupancy

• Covers accessibility

• Covers means of egress

• Covers building envelope and energy systems

• Covers fire protection systems

• Useful for both new and existing structures

• Excellent integrated reference library for designers and code professionals

Product Details

Title: 2018 International Codes® Designer Collection
Publisher: International Code Council (ICC)
Code Year: 2018
Titles Included: 5
Approximate Combined Pages: 2,780
Language: English

Codes Included:

• 2018 International Building Code®

• 2018 International Residential Code®

• 2018 International Fire Code®

• 2018 International Energy Conservation Code®

• 2018 International Existing Building Code®

Subject: Building Codes / Architecture / Engineering / Fire Safety / Energy Conservation / Existing Buildings / Residential Construction

Edition Status & Jurisdiction Note

The 2018 Designer Collection has been superseded as an ICC product collection by later I-Code editions, including the 2021 Designer Collection.

That does not make the 2018 codes irrelevant.

Building codes become legally enforceable through adoption by the applicable state or local jurisdiction, and jurisdictions may:

• Continue using the 2018 editions

• Adopt local amendments

• Transition between editions on different schedules

• Require an older code for previously permitted projects

• Use 2018-based state or municipal codes

Users should verify the edition and amendments legally applicable to their particular project and jurisdiction.