Updated 2026-09-07

Building Code Glossary

Limited Spraying Space: Building Code Definition

How the IFC 2009 define limited spraying space, 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.

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Direct answer

Limited spraying space is a defined term in the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009, in Flammable Finishes. The code's own words are: “An area in which operations for touch-up or spot painting of a surface area of 9 square feet (0.84 m2) or less are conducted.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IFC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 3 chapters of this corpus, most often in Flammable Finishes (IFC 2009), Exhaust Systems (IMC 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?

Limited Spraying Space — IFC 2009, Flammable Finishes:

An area in which operations for touch-up or spot painting of a surface area of 9 square feet (0.84 m2) or less are conducted.

Labeled code-term definition diagram: Limited Spraying Space: Building Code Definition — How the IFC 2009 define limited spraying space, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

What must be verified before using this guidance?

Limited Spraying Space is defined once in this corpus, in the Flammable Finishes chapter of the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009:

An area in which operations for touch-up or spot painting of a surface area of 9 square feet (0.84 m2) or less are conducted.

Where limited spraying space 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
Flammable Finishes	IFC 2009	7
Exhaust Systems	IMC 2009	4
Definitions	IFC 2009	1

The term in use

How the code actually writes about limited spraying space, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:

Electrical wiring within 10 feet (3048 mm) of the floor and 20 feet (6096 mm) horizontally of the limited spraying space shall be designed for Class I, Division 2 locations in accordance with NFPA 70.

— IFC 2009 §1504.9.4

Limited Spraying Space: 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 IFC	Flammable Finishes
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Flammable Finishes (IFC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Exhaust Systems (IMC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Definitions (IFC 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.

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 limited spraying space?

The International Fire Code (IFC) 2009 defines it in Flammable Finishes as: “An area in which operations for touch-up or spot painting of a surface area of 9 square feet (0.84 m2) or less are conducted.” 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 limited spraying space?

In this corpus the term is used across 3 chapters, led by Flammable Finishes in the IFC 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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