Building Code Glossary
Awning: Building Code Definition
How the IBC 2009, IFC 2009 define awning, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.
On this page
Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Direct answer
Awning is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Definitions. The code's own words are: “An architectural projection that provides weather protection, identity or decoration and is wholly supported by the building to which it is attached. An awning is comprised of a lightweight frame structure over which a covering is attached.” The IFC 2009 defines the same term with different wording, so the controlling text depends on which code governs the question in front of you — the comparison below sets the versions side by side. The term is used in 10 chapters of this corpus, most often in Encroachments Into the Public Right-of-way (IBC 2009), Special Construction (IBC 2009), Structural Design (IBC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.
What does this term mean?
Awning — IBC 2009, Definitions:
An architectural projection that provides weather protection, identity or decoration and is wholly supported by the building to which it is attached. An awning is comprised of a lightweight frame structure over which a covering is attached.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Two of the I-Codes in this corpus define Awning, and the wording is not identical — read the version that governs your question.
| Code | Where it is defined | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| IBC 2009 | Definitions | An architectural projection that provides weather protection, identity or decoration and is wholly supported by the building to which it is attached. An awning is comprised of a lightweight frame structure over which a covering is attached. |
| IFC 2009 | Definitions | An architectural projection that provides weather protection, identity or decoration and is wholly supported by the building to which it is attached. An awning is comprised of a lightweight, rigid skeleton structure over which a covering is attached. |
Where awning is used in the code
The term appears in 10 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Encroachments Into the Public Right-of-way | IBC 2009 | 15 |
| Special Construction | IBC 2009 | 9 |
| Structural Design | IBC 2009 | 7 |
| Building Services and Systems | IFC 2009 | 4 |
| Definitions | IBC 2009 | 3 |
| Scope and Administration | IFC 2009 | 3 |
| Plastic | IBC 2009 | 2 |
| Scope and Administration | IBC 2009 | 2 |
| Definitions | IFC 2009 | 2 |
| Scope and Administration | IRC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about awning, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
Drainage water collected from a roof, awning, canopy or marquee, and condensate from mechanical equipment shall not flow over a public walking surface.
Awning compared with Canopy
These two are the closest pair in the 2009 I-Codes: about 50 per cent of their defining words are the same. The code states both and compares neither, so the difference is worth naming.
| Wording unique to it | |
|---|---|
| Awning (IBC 2009) | wholly, awning, comprised, lightweight, frame |
| Canopy (IBC 2009) | permanent, rigid, construction, structurally, independent, attachment, one, end, less, stanchion, outer |
Everything else in the two definitions is shared. If a project turns on which of the two applies, those words are the whole of the test — and a local amendment that edits one of them without editing the other moves the boundary between awning and canopy.
The terms awning is built out of
The definition above leans on 3 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what awning covers:
- Frame Structure — IBC 2009: A building or other structure in which vertical loads from floors and roofs are primarily supported by columns.
- Structure — IPC 2009: That which is built or constructed or a portion thereof.
- Building — IBC 2009: Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.
Awning: what to open, and in what order
Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.
| Check | Where | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Read the definition in the adopted IBC | Definitions | |
| Read the definition in the adopted IFC | Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Encroachments Into the Public Right-of-way (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Special Construction (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Structural Design (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Building Services and Systems (IFC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Frame Structure | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Structure | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Building | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list |
A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.
Where can you explore related guidance?
- Explore all glossary guidance
- Frame Structure: Building Code Definition
- Structure: Building Code Definition
- Building: Building Code Definition
Sources and method
Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Source links
Frequently asked questions
What is the code definition of awning?
The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Definitions as: “An architectural projection that provides weather protection, identity or decoration and is wholly supported by the building to which it is attached. An awning is comprised of a lightweight frame structure over which a covering is attached.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.
Which parts of the code depend on awning?
In this corpus the term is used across 10 chapters, led by Encroachments Into the Public Right-of-way in the IBC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.
What is an awning on a building?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Definitions: “An architectural projection that provides weather protection, identity or decoration and is wholly supported by the building to which it is attached. An awning is comprised of a lightweight frame structure over which a covering is attached.” It is defined in IBC 2009, IFC 2009. It is not the same as Building, which the IBC 2009 defines separately as “Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.” Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
What is the definition of an awning?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Definitions: “An architectural projection that provides weather protection, identity or decoration and is wholly supported by the building to which it is attached. An awning is comprised of a lightweight frame structure over which a covering is attached.” It is defined in IBC 2009, IFC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
What does IBC mean in building codes?
Building is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.” That is not the same as awning, which the IBC 2009 defines as “An architectural projection that provides weather protection, identity or decoration and is wholly supported by the building to which it is attached. An awning is comprised of a lightweight frame structure over which a covering is attached.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.
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