A Primer on the International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes

By Jay Peters, ICC Executive Director of Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas

Plumbing Codes

Aside from those specific to a single state or jurisdiction - Minnesota, Chicago and Kentucky, for example -- there are only three U.S. plumbing codes currently under continuous development, utilizing a defined process open to the public and involving stakeholders within the industry. These are the National Standard Plumbing Code (NSPC), the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and the International Plumbing Code (IPC).

Although it has a very long history, the NPSC, developed by the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association, is adopted in only a few jurisdictions today. The most notable of these are New Jersey and Maryland.

The UPC, developed by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), also has a long history and is predominantly adopted in the western states. The UPC continues to be adopted statewide in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

Adoption of the IPC continues at a very brisk pace, with a current total of 23 statewide implementations: in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado (by the state Examining Board of Plumbers), Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri (for state-owned and modular construction), New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

Although the IPC itself does not go back as far, the plumbing codes of the three organizations that founded ICC have histories just as long as the NSPC and UPC.

Mechanical Codes

There are only two U.S. model mechanical codes under continuous development, utilizing a defined process open to the public and involving stakeholders within the industry. These are the Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC) and the International Mechanical Code (IMC), and it is worth noting that they share many overlapping provisions for heating, air-conditioning, refrigeration and appliance installation.

Developed by IAPMO, the UMC is maintained through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) code development process and a new edition is printed every three years.

Like all of ICC's International Codes, the IMC is developed through the governmental consensus process and is a widely adopted mechanical code. Current statewide adoptions total 38: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa (for state-owned and -leased structures), Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri (for state-owned and modular construction), Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. In addition, the IMC is adopted in Colorado by the state Examining Board of Plumbers, Division of Housing, and Division of Oil and Public Safety, and its use is mandated for all state-owned buildings.

Fuel Gas Codes

There is currently only one U.S. model code specifically dedicated to requirements for fuel gas installations, one national standard developed for fuel gas installations, one model plumbing code with fuel gas provisions and one model mechanical code with provisions for fuel gas. The fuel gas standard, plumbing code and mechanical code all contain similar provisions and, in some cases, exact duplication.

Developed jointly by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the American Gas Association (AGA) the National Fuel Gas Code (NFGC) is designated both as NFPA 54 and ANSI/AGA Z223.1. It is developed within the ANSI process and, although stand-alone adoptions are sparse, it receives recognition in almost every state due to its reference as a standard in the most widely used model codes.

The International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) is  the most widely adopted fuel gas code, with 30 statewide adoptions: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri (for state-owned and modular construction), Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. It is also adopted in jurisdictions in 16 other states and, all told, is more commonly used than all other gas codes combined.

Commentary

As can be seen, the IPC, IMC and IFGC are widely adopted PMG codes in the nation - but why? Is it because they are the safest?

This issue comes up often in code adoption discussions and hearings. Specific sections are often singled-out for study or comparison, but all sides are passionate about their codes' overall superiority in safeguarding the public, providing clean and safe water, removing all waste that can cause serious disease and other health issues, protecting from smoke damage and fires, and providing safe ventilation rates. You could easily line up 100 people who support each organization and will attest that their codes have better and safer requirements than the others, but the reality is that any of the modern model codes will accomplish the goal of protecting the health and safety of the public.

So what other reasons might account for such widespread adoption of ICC's PMG codes? Perhaps it is the development process that carries the day. If so, that means that the open governmental process makes a better code than the ANSI process, right? Well, the reality is that by the time either process concludes - proposals debated, votes tallied, changes made - the final documents are more similar than they are different. Again, this should come as little surprise because both reflect the work of highly engaged professionals dedicated to the safety of the public.

Then perhaps differing levels of participation provide the answer? It must be that ICC benefits from more participation and professional input from stakeholders, right? Actually, in most cases stakeholders take equal interest in multiple codes. The same active participants attend the code hearings to provide their expert opinions and propose changes and updates. It is not at all unusual to find the same person, representing a single organization, sitting on multiple organizations' code change committees and, often, proposing the exact same text to each.

Which leads us back to our original question: why do many jurisdictions, large and small, adopt the I-Codes? There are several key reasons.

First, ICC prides itself on the amount of technical plumbing, mechanical, and fuel gas expertise on staff. We have over a dozen PMG experts on staff to support jurisdictions and stakeholders who - taken together - comprise licensed HVAC, plumbing, and mechanical contractors; a master plumber; certified journeyman sheet metal, plumbing and refrigeration installers; multiple mechanical engineers; certified medical gas inspectors; backflow experts; several individuals with many decades of PMG inspection and enforcement experience; and experienced instructors and trainers.

In addition, ICC provides more than 60,000 code-related interpretations per year to its membership. When it comes to PMG questions, most are answered in 1 to 3 days: easily among the fastest turnarounds in the industry.

Other key facts to consider are that the International Building Code and International Fire Code are adopted in more jurisdictions than any others and that ICC is the only code development organization that has a Code Correlation Committee dedicated solely to ensuring the seamless coordination of its comprehensive family of codes.

Finally, ICC and its members know that jurisdictions need to consider important services such as training, certification, plan review, building department accreditation, product evaluation and certification, and support publications. We're of the opinion that the Code Council excels in each of these areas.

The Big Picture

An integral component of ICC's PMG vision is to partner with organizations that share the mission to protect the public through safe and sound plumbing and sanitation practices.  Is code important to our industry and membership? Yes, but it is only one element. We have made a concerted effort to reach out to the industry to work together and we are proud of the response we have received. Organizations such as the Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors, Air Conditioning Contractors of America, NSF, and UL have met with our staff in Washington, D.C. to discuss ways to collaborate. The American Backflow Prevention Association and the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals have signed Memorandums of Understandings that will enhance each organization's ability to improve our industry.

In the global community, great strides have also been made. The most recent accomplishments in this endeavor was the acceptance of the Code Council's application to become a voting member of the World Plumbing Council, our attendance at the meeting in Japan and the signing of an MOU with the World Toilet Organization. With many member countries represented, the ICC is proud to forward its mission to provide safe sanitation and water supply for billions of people that do not have access to these crucial services.  We look forward to being a part of such prestigious organizations and the opportunity it offers to promote our membership's values on both the domestic and global fronts. 

I encourage you to be a part of the movement and to visit the PMG Resource Center at www.iccsafe.org/pmg, 1-888-ICCSAFE (422-7233), extension 4PMG (4764), or via e-mail at PMGResourceCenter@iccsafe.org.  If you have an idea, problem or issue of interest pertaining to any service related to PMG within the industry, we want to know about it. 

Looking back at these accomplishments, it is easy to see why the members of the Code Council are motivated and excited about the years to come.

Jay Peters, Executive Director of Plumbing Mechanical and Fuel Gas (PMG) Activities for the International Code Council (ICC), is responsible for the 45,000 member association’s policy and direction in matters related to PMG. He is a long-time member of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America’s Technical Advisory Committee, a founding member and past chair of the National Codes Task Team and has participated and presented at multiple ACCA conferences. Mr. Peters has been a licensed HVAC contractor in several states, holds journeyman certifications in plumbing, sheet metal and refrigeration, and has held multiple inspector certifications. Previous to his appointment at the ICC, Peters held the position of Senior Director of Codes and Education for the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO). He has presented at conferences and participated on technical committees in the Philippines, Laos, Scotland, and throughout the United States.