Building Code Glossary
Floor Drain: Building Code Definition
How the IRC 2009 define floor drain, 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
Floor drain is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Definitions. The code's own words are: “A plumbing fixture for recess in the floor having a floor-level strainer intended for the purpose of the collection and disposal of waste water used in cleaning the floor and for the collection and disposal of accidental spillage to the floor.” 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 18 chapters of this corpus, most often in Indirect/special Waste (IPC 2009), Fixtures, Faucets and Fixture Fittings (IPC 2009), Plumbing Fixtures (IRC 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?
Floor Drain — IRC 2009, Definitions:
A plumbing fixture for recess in the floor having a floor-level strainer intended for the purpose of the collection and disposal of waste water used in cleaning the floor and for the collection and disposal of accidental spillage to the floor.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Floor Drain is defined once in this corpus, in the Definitions chapter of the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009:
A plumbing fixture for recess in the floor having a floor-level strainer intended for the purpose of the collection and disposal of waste water used in cleaning the floor and for the collection and disposal of accidental spillage to the floor.
Where floor drain is used in the code
The term appears in 18 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Indirect/special Waste | IPC 2009 | 11 |
| Fixtures, Faucets and Fixture Fittings | IPC 2009 | 10 |
| Plumbing Fixtures | IRC 2009 | 6 |
| Vents | IRC 2009 | 5 |
| Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages | IFC 2009 | 4 |
| Definitions | IPC 2009 | 4 |
| Traps, Interceptors and Separators | IPC 2009 | 4 |
| General Regulations | IPC 2009 | 3 |
| Vents | IPC 2009 | 3 |
| Definitions | IRC 2009 | 3 |
| Elevators and Conveying Systems | IBC 2009 | 2 |
| Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy | IBC 2009 | 2 |
6 further chapters mention the term.
The term in use
How the code actually writes about floor drain, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
Where a floor drain is located within an area subject to freezing, the waste line serving the floor drain shall not be trapped and shall indirectly discharge into a waste receptor located outside of the area subject to freezing.
The floor drain shall be constructed so that the drain is capable of being cleaned.
The floor drain shall be constructed so that the drain can be cleaned.
The terms floor drain 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 floor drain covers:
- Plumbing Fixture — IRC 2009: A receptor or device that requires both a water-supply connection and a discharge to the drainage system, such as water closets, lavatories, bathtubs and sinks.
- Plumbing — IRC 2009: For the purpose of this code, plumbing refers to those installations, repairs, maintenance and alterations regulated by Chapters 25 through 33.
- Waste — IRC 2009: Liquid-borne waste that is free of fecal matter.
Floor Drain: 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 | Indirect/special Waste (IPC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Fixtures, Faucets and Fixture Fittings (IPC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Plumbing Fixtures (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Vents (IRC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Plumbing Fixture | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Plumbing | |
| 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.
Where can you explore related guidance?
- Explore all glossary guidance
- Plumbing Fixture: Building Code Definition
- Plumbing: Building Code Definition
- Waste: 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 floor drain?
The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Definitions as: “A plumbing fixture for recess in the floor having a floor-level strainer intended for the purpose of the collection and disposal of waste water used in cleaning the floor and for the collection and disposal of accidental spillage to the floor.” 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 floor drain?
In this corpus the term is used across 18 chapters, led by Indirect/special Waste in the IPC 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.
Is a floor drain considered a cleanout?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Definitions: “A plumbing fixture for recess in the floor having a floor-level strainer intended for the purpose of the collection and disposal of waste water used in cleaning the floor and for the collection and disposal of accidental spillage to the floor.” It is defined in IRC 2009. It is not the same as Cleanout, which the IBC 2009 defines separately as “An opening to the bottom of a grout space of sufficient size and spacing to allow the removal of debris.” 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 considered a floor drain?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Definitions: “A plumbing fixture for recess in the floor having a floor-level strainer intended for the purpose of the collection and disposal of waste water used in cleaning the floor and for the collection and disposal of accidental spillage to the floor.” It is defined in IRC 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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