Building Code Glossary
Location, Dry: Building Code Definition
How the IRC 2009 define location, dry, 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
Location, dry is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Electrical Definitions. The code's own words are: “A location not normally subject to dampness or wetness. A location classified as dry may be temporarily subject to dampness or wetness, as in the case of a building under construction.” 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 3 chapters of this corpus, most often in Swimming Pools (IRC 2009), Electrical Definitions (IRC 2009), General Requirements (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?
Location, Dry — IRC 2009, Electrical Definitions:
A location not normally subject to dampness or wetness. A location classified as dry may be temporarily subject to dampness or wetness, as in the case of a building under construction.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Location, Dry is defined once in this corpus, in the Electrical Definitions chapter of the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009:
A location not normally subject to dampness or wetness. A location classified as dry may be temporarily subject to dampness or wetness, as in the case of a building under construction.
Where location, dry 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Swimming Pools | IRC 2009 | 2 |
| Electrical Definitions | IRC 2009 | 1 |
| General Requirements | IRC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about location, dry, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
The forming shell location and length of cord in the forming shell shall permit personnel to place the removed luminaire on the deck or other dry location for such maintenance.
The terms location, dry is built out of
The definition above leans on 1 other defined term. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what location, dry covers:
- Building — IBC 2009: Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.
Location, Dry: 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 | Electrical Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Swimming Pools (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Electrical Definitions (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | General Requirements (IRC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Building | |
| 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
- Building: Building Code Definition
- Appliance: Building Code Definition
- Plenum: Building Code Definition
- Outlet: 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 location, dry?
The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Electrical Definitions as: “A location not normally subject to dampness or wetness. A location classified as dry may be temporarily subject to dampness or wetness, as in the case of a building under construction.” 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 location, dry?
In this corpus the term is used across 3 chapters, led by Swimming Pools 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 is a dry location?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Electrical Definitions: “A location not normally subject to dampness or wetness. A location classified as dry may be temporarily subject to dampness or wetness, as in the case of a building under construction.” 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.
What does IRC mean in building code?
Building is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.” That is not the same as location, dry, which the IRC 2009 defines as “A location not normally subject to dampness or wetness. A location classified as dry may be temporarily subject to dampness or wetness, as in the case of a building under construction.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.
What is an IRC dwelling?
Dwelling is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “A building that contains one or two dwelling units used, intended or designed to be used, rented, leased, let or hired out to be occupied for living purposes.” That is not the same as location, dry, which the IRC 2009 defines as “A location not normally subject to dampness or wetness. A location classified as dry may be temporarily subject to dampness or wetness, as in the case of a building under construction.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.
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