Updated 2026-09-07

Building Code Glossary

Cell: Building Code Definition

How the IBC 2009 define cell, 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.

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Direct answer

Cell is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy. The code's own words are: “A room within a housing unit in a detention or correctional facility used to confine inmates or prisoners.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IBC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 50 chapters of this corpus, most often in Accessibility (IBC 2009), Building Services and Systems (IFC 2009), Fire and Smoke Protection Features (IBC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. Record the jurisdiction, the adopted edition, the application date and any local amendment that rewrites the definition before you use it on a live project, because a term redefined by amendment changes every requirement that depends on it.

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?

Cell — IBC 2009, Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy:

A room within a housing unit in a detention or correctional facility used to confine inmates or prisoners.

Labeled code-term definition diagram: Cell: Building Code Definition — How the IBC 2009 define cell, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

What must be verified before using this guidance?

Cell is defined once in this corpus, in the Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy chapter of the International Building Code (IBC) 2009:

A room within a housing unit in a detention or correctional facility used to confine inmates or prisoners.

Where cell is used in the code

The term appears in 50 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

Chapter	Code	Mentions
Accessibility	IBC 2009	63
Building Services and Systems	IFC 2009	28
Fire and Smoke Protection Features	IBC 2009	24
Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy	IBC 2009	24
Pyroxylin (cellulose Nitrate) Plastics	IFC 2009	23
Manufacture of Organic Coatings	IFC 2009	21
Wall Construction	IRC 2009	18
High-piled Combustible Storage	IFC 2009	15
Building Planning	IRC 2009	15
Masonry	IBC 2009	10
Fire Protection Systems	IFC 2009	10
Fire Protection Systems	IBC 2009	9

38 further chapters mention the term.

The term in use

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

Where central holding cells are provided and are not separated by age or sex, at least one accessible cell shall be provided.

— IBC 2009 §1108.4.2.1

For battery systems containing lead acid, nickel cadmium or other types of batteries with free-flowing electrolyte, the method and materials shall be capable of neutralizing a spill of the total capacity from the largest cell or block to a pH between 5.0 and 9.0.

— IFC 2009 §608.5.1

Latches and door closures are not required on cell doors.

— IBC 2009 §408.8.4

The terms cell 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 cell covers:

Facility — IBC 2009: All or any portion of buildings, structures, site improvements, elements and pedestrian or vehicular routes located on a site.

Cell: 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	Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Accessibility (IBC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Building Services and Systems (IFC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Fire and Smoke Protection Features (IBC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009)
Confirm the dependent definition	Facility
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.

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 cell?

The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy as: “A room within a housing unit in a detention or correctional facility used to confine inmates or prisoners.” 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 cell?

In this corpus the term is used across 50 chapters, led by Accessibility 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 cell code?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy: “A room within a housing unit in a detention or correctional facility used to confine inmates or prisoners.” It is defined in IBC 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 is the definition of a building code?

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 cell, which the IBC 2009 defines as “A room within a housing unit in a detention or correctional facility used to confine inmates or prisoners.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

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