# Building Official: Building Code Definition

> How the IBC 2009, IRC 2009, IFC 2009 define building official, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

- Canonical: https://harth.build/resources/glossary/building-official/
- Last updated: 2026-09-07
- Data source: 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.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Defined in | IBC 2009, IRC 2009, IFC 2009 (2009 editions transcribed in this corpus) |
| Primary source | IBC 2009 Definitions (model text, not a jurisdiction's adopted text) |
| Chapters using the term | 41 (counted across the codes hosted here) |
| Wording identical across codes | No (compare before citing one code's wording under another) |

## Direct answer

Building official is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Definitions. The code's own words are: “The officer or other designated authority charged with the administration and enforcement of this code, or a duly authorized representative.” The IRC 2009, IFC 2009 define 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 41 chapters of this corpus, most often in Scope and Administration (IBC 2009), Scope and Administration (IRC 2009), Soils and Foundations (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](https://nz.linkedin.com/in/barrington), Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.*

## What does this term mean?

**Building Official** — IBC 2009, Definitions:

> The officer or other designated authority charged with the administration and enforcement of this code, or a duly authorized representative.

![Labeled code-term definition diagram: Building Official: Building Code Definition](https://efwwel0vyt9vy5so.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/images/glossary/building-official/diagram-1344.webp)

*How the IBC 2009, IRC 2009, IFC 2009 define building official, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.*

## What must be verified before using this guidance?

Three of the I-Codes in this corpus define **Building Official**, and the wording is not identical — read the version that governs your question.

| Code | Where it is defined | Definition |
| --- | --- | --- |
| IBC 2009 | [Definitions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/definitions.md) | The officer or other designated authority charged with the administration and enforcement of this code, or a duly authorized representative. |
| IRC 2009 | [Definitions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/definitions.md) | The officer or other designated authority charged with the administration and enforcement of this code. |
| IFC 2009 | [Definitions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/definitions.md) | The officer or other designated authority charged with the administration and enforcement of the International BUilding Code, or a duly authorized representative. |

## Where building official is used in the code

The term appears in 41 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Scope and Administration](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/scope-and-administration.md) | IBC 2009 | 141 |
| [Scope and Administration](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/scope-and-administration.md) | IRC 2009 | 125 |
| [Soils and Foundations](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/soils-and-foundations.md) | IBC 2009 | 91 |
| [Structural Tests and Special Inspections](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/structural-tests-and-special-inspections.md) | IBC 2009 | 46 |
| [Concrete](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/concrete.md) | IBC 2009 | 15 |
| [Means of Egress](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/means-of-egress.md) | IBC 2009 | 15 |
| [Structural Design](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/structural-design.md) | IBC 2009 | 15 |
| [Means of Egress](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/means-of-egress.md) | IFC 2009 | 15 |
| [Foundations](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/foundations.md) | IRC 2009 | 14 |
| [Existing Structures](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/existing-structures.md) | IBC 2009 | 13 |
| [Fire and Smoke Protection Features](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/fire-and-smoke-protection-features.md) | IBC 2009 | 9 |
| [Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/special-detailed-requirements-based-on-use-and-occupancy.md) | IBC 2009 | 9 |

_29 further chapters mention the term._

### The term in use

How the code actually writes about building official, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:

> The legal occupancy of any structure existing on the date of adoption of this code shall be permitted to continue without change, except as is specifically covered in this code, the International Property Maintenance Code or the International Fire Code, or as is deemed necessary by the building official for the general safety and welfare of the occupants and the …

— [IBC 2009 §102.6](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/scope-and-administration.md)

> The legal occupancy ofany structure existing on the date of adoption of this code shall be permitted to continue without change, except as is specifically covered in this code, the International Property Maintenance Code or the International Fire Code, or as is deemed necessary by the building official for the general safety and welfare of the occupants and the public.

— [IRC 2009 §RI02.7](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/scope-and-administration.md)

> Where required by the building official or where geotechnical investigations involve in-situ testing, laboratory testing or engineering calculations, such investigations shall be conducted by a registered design professional.

— [IBC 2009 §1803.1](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/soils-and-foundations.md)


## The terms building official is built out of

The definition above leans on 1 other defined term. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what building official covers:

- **[Building](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/building.md)** — IBC 2009: Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.

## Building Official: what to open, and in what order

Every row is a document this term depends on. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) cover the middle rows.

| Check | Where | Confirmed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Read the definition in the adopted IBC | Definitions | |
| Read the definition in the adopted IRC | Definitions | |
| Read the definition in the adopted IFC | Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Scope and Administration (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Scope and Administration (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Soils and Foundations (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Structural Tests and Special Inspections (IBC 2009) | |
| 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](https://harth.build/resources/glossary.md)
- [Building: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/building.md)
- [Construction Documents: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/construction-documents.md)
- [Registered Design Professional: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/registered-design-professional.md)
- [Dwelling Unit: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/dwelling-unit.md)

## 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](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.

### Source links

- [codes.iccsafe.org](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes)

- [iccsafe.org](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the code definition of building official?

The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Definitions as: “The officer or other designated authority charged with the administration and enforcement of this code, or a duly authorized representative.” 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 building official?

In this corpus the term is used across 41 chapters, led by Scope and Administration 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 a certified building official?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Definitions: “The officer or other designated authority charged with the administration and enforcement of this code, or a duly authorized representative.” It is defined in IBC 2009, IRC 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.

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