Building Code Glossary
Other Structures: Building Code Definition
How the IBC 2009 define other structures, 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
Other structures is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Structural Design. The code's own words are: “Structures, other than buildings, for which loads are specified in this chapter.” 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 12 chapters of this corpus, most often in Structural Design (IBC 2009), Building Planning (IRC 2009), Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (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?
Other Structures — IBC 2009, Structural Design:
Structures, other than buildings, for which loads are specified in this chapter.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Other Structures is defined once in this corpus, in the Structural Design chapter of the International Building Code (IBC) 2009:
Structures, other than buildings, for which loads are specified in this chapter.
Where other structures is used in the code
The term appears in 12 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Structural Design | IBC 2009 | 24 |
| Building Planning | IRC 2009 | 9 |
| Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy | IBC 2009 | 4 |
| Flammable and Combustible Liquids | IFC 2009 | 2 |
| Flammable Gases and Flammable Cryogenic Fluids | IFC 2009 | 2 |
| Tents and Other Membrane Structures | IFC 2009 | 2 |
| Fixtures, Faucets and Fixture Fittings | IPC 2009 | 2 |
| Sanitary Drainage | IPC 2009 | 2 |
| Water Supply and Distribution | IPC 2009 | 2 |
| Services | IRC 2009 | 2 |
| Definitions | IBC 2009 | 1 |
| Fuel Gas | IRC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about other structures, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
Buildings and other structures, and parts thereof, shall be designed and constructed to support safely the factored loads in load combinations defined in this code without exceeding the appropriate strength limit states for the materials of construction.
For a site where multiple detached one- and two-family dwellings, townhouses or other structures are to be constructed as part ofa subdivision' master-planned community, or otherwise designated as a developed area by the authority having jurisdiction, the exposure category for an individual structure shall be based upon the site conditions that will exist at the time when all adjacent structures …
Children's playground structures shall have a minimum horizontal separation from other structures within the mall of 20 feet (6090 mm).
The terms other structures 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 other structures covers:
- Loads — IBC 2009: Forces or other actions that result from the weight of building materials, occupants and their possessions, environmental effects, differential movement and restrained dimensional changes.
Other Structures: 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 | Structural Design | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Structural Design (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Building Planning (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Loads | |
| 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
- Loads: Building Code Definition
- Design Flood Elevation: Building Code Definition
- Seismic Design Category: Building Code Definition
- Design Flood: 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 other structures?
The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Structural Design as: “Structures, other than buildings, for which loads are specified in this chapter.” 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 other structures?
In this corpus the term is used across 12 chapters, led by Structural Design 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 is considered a structure 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 other structures, which the IBC 2009 defines as “Structures, other than buildings, for which loads are specified in this chapter.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.
What are considered other structures in insurance?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Structural Design: “Structures, other than buildings, for which loads are specified in this chapter.” It is defined in IBC 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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