Updated 2026-09-07

Building Code Glossary

DWV: Building Code Definition

How the IRC 2009 define dwv, 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

DWV is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Definitions. The code's own words are: “Abbreviated term for drain, waste and vent piping as used in common plumbing practice.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IRC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 7 chapters of this corpus, most often in Sanitary Drainage (IRC 2009), Definitions (IRC 2009), Plumbing Administration (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?

DWV — IRC 2009, Definitions:

Abbreviated term for drain, waste and vent piping as used in common plumbing practice.

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

What must be verified before using this guidance?

DWV is defined once in this corpus, in the Definitions chapter of the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009:

Abbreviated term for drain, waste and vent piping as used in common plumbing practice.

Where dwv is used in the code

The term appears in 7 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

Chapter	Code	Mentions
Sanitary Drainage	IRC 2009	10
Definitions	IRC 2009	5
Plumbing Administration	IRC 2009	5
Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy	IBC 2009	3
Exhaust Systems	IMC 2009	1
Vents	IPC 2009	1
Vents	IRC 2009	1

The term in use

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

The drainage, waste and vent (DWV) system shall consist of all piping for conveying wastes from plumbing fIXtures, appliances and appurtenances, including fixture traps;

— IRC 2009 §P3001.1

DWV systems shall be tested on completion of the rough piping installation by water or air with no evidence of leakage.

— IRC 2009 §P2503.5.1

Electrical, mechanical and plumbing drain, waste and vent (DWV) systems installed within the hangar shall be independent of the systems installed within the dwelling.

— IBC 2009 §412.5.4

The terms DWV 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 DWV covers:

Plumbing — IRC 2009: For the purpose of this code, plumbing refers to those installations, repairs, maintenance and alterations regulated by Chapters 25 through 33.
Piping — IRC 2009: Where used in this code, “piping” refers to either pipe or tubing, or both.
Waste — IRC 2009: Liquid-borne waste that is free of fecal matter.
Drain — IRC 2009: Any pipe that carries soil and water-borne wastes in a building drainage system.

DWV: 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	Definitions
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Sanitary Drainage (IRC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Definitions (IRC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Plumbing Administration (IRC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009)
Confirm the dependent definition	Plumbing
Confirm the dependent definition	Piping
Confirm the dependent definition	Waste
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 dwv?

The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Definitions as: “Abbreviated term for drain, waste and vent piping as used in common plumbing practice.” 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 dwv?

In this corpus the term is used across 7 chapters, led by Sanitary Drainage in the IRC 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 are the 6 mandatory requirements for a drainage system?

Drainage System is a separate defined term. The IPC 2009 defines it as: “Piping within a public or private premise that conveys sewage, rainwater or other liquid wastes to a point of disposal. A drainage system does not include the mains of a public sewer system or a private or public sewage treatment or disposal plant.” That is not the same as DWV, which the IRC 2009 defines as “Abbreviated term for drain, waste and vent piping as used in common plumbing practice.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

What is the definition of a DWV in plumbing?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Definitions: “Abbreviated term for drain, waste and vent piping as used in common plumbing practice.” It is defined in IRC 2009. It is not the same as Plumbing, which the IRC 2009 defines separately as “For the purpose of this code, plumbing refers to those installations, repairs, maintenance and alterations regulated by Chapters 25 through 33.” 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 IRC plumbing code?

Plumbing is a separate defined term. The IRC 2009 defines it as: “For the purpose of this code, plumbing refers to those installations, repairs, maintenance and alterations regulated by Chapters 25 through 33.” That is not the same as DWV, which the IRC 2009 defines as “Abbreviated term for drain, waste and vent piping as used in common plumbing practice.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

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