Building Code Glossary
Hospitals and Mental Hospitals: Building Code Definition
How the IBC 2009, IFC 2009 define hospitals and mental hospitals, 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
Hospitals and mental hospitals is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Use and Occupancy Classification. The code's own words are: “Buildings or portions thereof used on a 24-hour basis for the medical, psychiatric, obstetrical or surgical treatment of inpatients who are incapable of self-preservation.” The IFC 2009 carries the same definition word for word, so the term means the same thing in each. The term is used in 3 chapters of this corpus, most often in Use and Occupancy Classification (IBC 2009), Definitions (IFC 2009), Definitions (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?
Hospitals and Mental Hospitals — IBC 2009, Use and Occupancy Classification:
Buildings or portions thereof used on a 24-hour basis for the medical, psychiatric, obstetrical or surgical treatment of inpatients who are incapable of self-preservation.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Two of the I-Codes in this corpus define Hospitals and Mental Hospitals, in identical words.
| Code | Where it is defined | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| IBC 2009 | Use and Occupancy Classification | Buildings or portions thereof used on a 24-hour basis for the medical, psychiatric, obstetrical or surgical treatment of inpatients who are incapable of self-preservation. |
| IFC 2009 | Definitions | Buildings or portions thereof used on a 24-hour basis for the medical, psychiatric, obstetrical, or surgical treatment of inpatients who are incapable of self-preservation. |
Where hospitals and mental hospitals 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Use and Occupancy Classification | IBC 2009 | 3 |
| Definitions | IFC 2009 | 2 |
| Definitions | IBC 2009 | 1 |
Hospitals and Mental Hospitals compared with Ambulatory Health Care Facility
These two are the closest pair in the 2009 I-Codes: about 58 per cent of their defining words are the same. The code states both and compares neither, so the difference is worth naming.
| Wording unique to it | |
|---|---|
| Hospitals and Mental Hospitals (IBC 2009) | obstetrical, treatment, inpatients |
| Ambulatory Health Care Facility (IBC 2009) | provide, nursing, similar, care, less, individuals, rendered |
Everything else in the two definitions is shared. If a project turns on which of the two applies, those words are the whole of the test — and a local amendment that edits one of them without editing the other moves the boundary between hospitals and mental hospitals and ambulatory health care facility.
Hospitals and Mental Hospitals: 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 | Use and Occupancy Classification | |
| Read the definition in the adopted IFC | Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Use and Occupancy Classification (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IBC 2009) | |
| 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
- Corrosive: Building Code Definition
- Hazardous Materials: Building Code Definition
- Combustible Liquid: Building Code Definition
- Handling: 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 hospitals and mental hospitals?
The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Use and Occupancy Classification as: “Buildings or portions thereof used on a 24-hour basis for the medical, psychiatric, obstetrical or surgical treatment of inpatients who are incapable of self-preservation.” 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 hospitals and mental hospitals?
In this corpus the term is used across 3 chapters, led by Use and Occupancy Classification 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.
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