Updated 2026-09-07

Building Code Glossary

Gypsum Veneer Plaster: Building Code Definition

How the IBC 2009 define gypsum veneer plaster, 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

Gypsum veneer plaster is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Gypsum Board and Plaster. The code's own words are: “Gypsum plaster applied to an approved base in one or more coats normally not exceeding ¼ inch (6.4 mm) in total thickness.” 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 3 chapters of this corpus, most often in Gypsum Board and Plaster (IBC 2009), Definitions (IBC 2009), Definitions (IFC 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?

Gypsum Veneer Plaster — IBC 2009, Gypsum Board and Plaster:

Gypsum plaster applied to an approved base in one or more coats normally not exceeding ¼ inch (6.4 mm) in total thickness.

Labeled code-term definition diagram: Gypsum Veneer Plaster: Building Code Definition — How the IBC 2009 define gypsum veneer plaster, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

What must be verified before using this guidance?

Gypsum Veneer Plaster is defined once in this corpus, in the Gypsum Board and Plaster chapter of the International Building Code (IBC) 2009:

Gypsum plaster applied to an approved base in one or more coats normally not exceeding ¼ inch (6.4 mm) in total thickness.

Where gypsum veneer plaster is used in the code

The term appears in 3 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

Chapter	Code	Mentions
Gypsum Board and Plaster	IBC 2009	4
Definitions	IBC 2009	1
Definitions	IFC 2009	1

The terms gypsum veneer plaster is built out of

The definition above leans on 2 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what gypsum veneer plaster covers:

Gypsum Plaster — IBC 2009: A mixture of calcined gypsum or calcined gypsum and lime and aggregate and other approved materials as specified in this code.
Approved — IBC 2009: Acceptable to the code official or authority having jurisdiction.

Gypsum Veneer Plaster: 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	Gypsum Board and Plaster
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Gypsum Board and Plaster (IBC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Definitions (IBC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Definitions (IFC 2009)
Confirm the dependent definition	Gypsum Plaster
Confirm the dependent definition	Approved
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 gypsum veneer plaster?

The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Gypsum Board and Plaster as: “Gypsum plaster applied to an approved base in one or more coats normally not exceeding ¼ inch (6.4 mm) in total thickness.” 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 gypsum veneer plaster?

In this corpus the term is used across 3 chapters, led by Gypsum Board and Plaster 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 are the differences between gypsum plaster and veneer plaster?

Gypsum Plaster is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “A mixture of calcined gypsum or calcined gypsum and lime and aggregate and other approved materials as specified in this code.” That is not the same as gypsum veneer plaster, which the IBC 2009 defines as “Gypsum plaster applied to an approved base in one or more coats normally not exceeding ¼ inch (6.4 mm) in total thickness.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

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