ICC Digital Codes (free read-only I-Codes)
International Code Council
Official full text of the International Building, Residential, Fire, Energy Conservation and Plumbing Codes, from 2000 editions through the current 2024 set. The Basic tier gives free read-only viewing; copying, printing and advanced search need a paid subscription. The regulation itself rather than commentary about it.
More resources on Building Codes & Standards
Building Codes Illustrated: A Guide to Understanding the 2018 International Building Code
Illustrated guide to the 2018 International Building Code, explaining how the code is organised and applied to occupancy classification, allowable heights and areas, fire-resistive construction, means of egress, accessibility and structural provisions. Architects learn to read and apply the requirements that shape design decisions.
Code Check Complete, 3rd Edition: An Illustrated Guide to the Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Electrical Codes
Spiral-bound illustrated digest of the 2021 IRC, UPC and UMC plus the 2020 NEC, organised around the violations building inspectors cite most often. Covers framing, electrical, plumbing and mechanical requirements needed to pass permit inspection.
ICC Digital Codes - the I-Codes (free read-only access)
The International Code Council's official online library of the I-Codes, including the International Residential and Building Codes, readable free in a browser. Readers can look up the model code requirements behind construction and renovation work, then check them against local amendments.
DOE Building Energy Codes Program
Department of Energy hub tracking which energy code each US state has adopted, with the free REScheck and COMcheck compliance tools, residential and commercial field studies, and the determination analyses that evaluate successive IECC and ASHRAE 90.1 editions.
Read-Only Versions of ASHRAE Standards
Free read-only viewers for current ASHRAE standards, including 90.1 energy efficiency, 62.1 ventilation and 55 thermal comfort — documents that US energy and mechanical codes adopt by reference. Viewing costs nothing; a purchase is needed for a downloadable copy.
Building Codes Illustrated: A Guide to Understanding the 2024 International Building Code, 8th Edition
Walks through the 2024 IBC section by section with Ching's line drawings, explaining occupancy classification, construction types, height and area limits, fire resistance, means of egress and accessibility, and the reasoning behind each provision.