Texas Building and Residential Codes

As of August 1st, 2017, all industrialized housing and buildings, modules, and modular components must comply with the 2015 International Building Code (IBC) and 2015 International Residential Code (IRC).

Jurisdictions are authorized by state law to adopt later editions of the 2003 International Building Code (IBC), and 2000 (municipalities) and 2006 (counties) International Residential Code (IRC).

The municipal commercial building code for the state is the 2012 IBC, but municipalities can review and adopt any amendments made by the ICC to the code after May 1st, 2012.

Building Code Compliance Software for Texas

Plan Analyst code compliance software programs make it easy for building officials, architects and other designers to quickly perform commercial and residential building code plan reviews / code studies.   Plan Analyst for the IBC and Plan Analyst for the IRC simplifies the plan review / code study process enabling compliance to specific code years.  This proven software allows modifications to accommodate local amendments, where applicable.  Users have the ability to add code requirements and to add to the checklist.  Changes can be made permanent by changing the data file using the setup section of Plan Analyst, or specific reports can be edited for special conditions.

Plan Analyst Calculators: Deck – Sign – Beam & Column

Plan Analyst Deck, Sign and Beam & Column Calculators are additional simple and effective design and code review software tools that will quickly become your go-to resources when working on associated tasks.

Users of Plan Analyst in Texas have included:

City of BoydAGTM Engineering, LLC
City of Cedar ParkBarham Architects
City of Live OakBerntsen & Associates
City of LucasEstudio Architecture, PC
City of NacogdochesFoster Wheeler USA Corp
City of WillisStephen J. Kramer Architecture
City of WylieTexas State University

Building and Residential Code Resources in Texas

Energy Code Compliance Software for Texas

Visit the U.S. Department of Energy website to see the latest on energy code adoption in Texas, including the use of COMcheck and REScheck Energy Code compliance software. COMcheck enables architects, builders, designers, and contractors to determine whether new commercial or high-rise residential buildings, additions, and alterations meet the requirements of the IECC and ASHRAE Standard 90.1.  REScheck product enables builders, designers, and contractors to determine whether new homes, additions, and alterations meet the requirements of the IECC or a number of state energy codes.

The “Building Codes Assistance Project” also provides information on Texas’s building energy codes.

FEMA Building Code Adoption Tracking

The FEMA Building Code Adoption Tracking program reports on the status of hazard-resistant building code adoption in each state. Texas is in FEMA Region 6. Read the 2023 Region 6 fact sheet showing the annual metric of the percent of communities adopting hazard-resistant building codes in Texas.

AIA and ICC

American Institute of Architects  – AIA Texas represents architects in the state.  There are over 12,000 registered and reciprocal architects in Texas.

Texas has ICC Chapters throughout the State.

Texas code adoption status on the ICC website.