Updated 2026-09-07

Building Code Glossary

Drip: Building Code Definition

How the IRC 2009, IMC 2009 define drip, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

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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

Drip is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Fuel Gas. The code's own words are: “The container placed at a low point in a system of piping to collect condensate and from which the condensate is removable.” The IMC 2009 carries the same definition word for word, so the term means the same thing in each. The term is used in 16 chapters of this corpus, most often in Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures (IBC 2009), Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009), Fuel Gas (IRC 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?

Drip — IRC 2009, Fuel Gas:

The container placed at a low point in a system of piping to collect condensate and from which the condensate is removable.

Labeled code-term definition diagram: Drip: Building Code Definition — How the IRC 2009, IMC 2009 define drip, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

What must be verified before using this guidance?

Two of the I-Codes in this corpus define Drip, in identical words.

Code	Where it is defined	Definition
IRC 2009	Fuel Gas	The container placed at a low point in a system of piping to collect condensate and from which the condensate is removable.
IMC 2009	Definitions	The container placed at a low point in a system of piping to collect condensate and from which the condensate is removable.

Where drip is used in the code

The term appears in 16 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

Chapter	Code	Mentions
Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures	IBC 2009	14
Flammable and Combustible Liquids	IFC 2009	12
Fuel Gas	IRC 2009	8
Exhaust Systems	IMC 2009	6
Services	IRC 2009	6
Flammable Finishes	IFC 2009	5
Dry Cleaning	IFC 2009	4
Oxidizers, Oxidizing Gases and Oxidizing Cryogenic Fluids	IFC 2009	3
Exterior Walls	IBC 2009	2
Gypsum Board and Plaster	IBC 2009	2
Indirect/special Waste	IPC 2009	2
Water Heaters	IPC 2009	2

4 further chapters mention the term.

The term in use

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

Eave drip edges shall extend 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) below sheathing and extend back on the roof a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm).

— IBC 2009 §1507.2.9.3

Where wet gas exists, a drip shall be provided at any point in the line of pipe where condensate could collect.

— IRC 2009 §G2419.2

Filter units shall be arranged in place or provided with drip-intercepting devices to prevent grease or other condensate from dripping into food or on food preparation surfaces.

— IMC 2009 §507.11.1

The terms drip is built out of

The definition above leans on 4 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what drip covers:

Condensate — IRC 2009: The liquid that separates from a gas due to a reduction in temperature, e.g., water that condenses from flue gases and water that condenses from air circulating through the cooling coil in air conditioning equipment.
Container — IFC 2009: A vessel of 60 gallons (227 L) or less in capacity used for transporting or storing hazardous materials.
Piping — IRC 2009: Where used in this code, “piping” refers to either pipe or tubing, or both.
System — IFC 2009: An assembly of equipment consisting of a tank, container or containers, appurtenances, pumps, compressors and connecting piping.

Drip: 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 IRC	Fuel Gas
Read the definition in the adopted IMC	Definitions
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures (IBC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Fuel Gas (IRC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Exhaust Systems (IMC 2009)
Confirm the dependent definition	Condensate
Confirm the dependent definition	Container
Confirm the dependent definition	Piping
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 drip?

The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Fuel Gas as: “The container placed at a low point in a system of piping to collect condensate and from which the condensate is removable.” 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 drip?

In this corpus the term is used across 16 chapters, led by Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures 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 the IRC code for drip edges on shingle roofs?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Fuel Gas: “The container placed at a low point in a system of piping to collect condensate and from which the condensate is removable.” It is defined in IRC 2009, IMC 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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