Building Code Glossary
Pressure Test: Building Code Definition
How the IRC 2009 define pressure test, 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
Pressure test is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Fuel Gas. The code's own words are: “An operation performed to verify the gas-tight integrity of gas piping following its installation or modification.” 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 7 chapters of this corpus, most often in Fuel Gas (IRC 2009), Commercial Energy Efficiency (IECC 2009), Aviation Facilities (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?
Pressure Test — IRC 2009, Fuel Gas:
An operation performed to verify the gas-tight integrity of gas piping following its installation or modification.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Pressure Test is defined once in this corpus, in the Fuel Gas chapter of the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009:
An operation performed to verify the gas-tight integrity of gas piping following its installation or modification.
Where pressure test is used in the code
The term appears in 7 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel Gas | IRC 2009 | 12 |
| Commercial Energy Efficiency | IECC 2009 | 3 |
| Aviation Facilities | IFC 2009 | 3 |
| Hydronic Piping | IMC 2009 | 3 |
| Hvdronic Piping | IRC 2009 | 3 |
| Refrigeration | IMC 2009 | 2 |
| Special Piping and Storage Systems | IPC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about pressure test, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
In the event repairs or additions are made after the pressure test, the affected piping shall be tested.
Individual hydronic heating and cooling coils shall be equipped with means for balancing and pressure test connections.
The terms pressure test 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 pressure test covers:
- Gas Piping — IRC 2009: An installation of pipe, valves or fittings installed on a premises or in a building and utilized to convey fuel gas.
- Piping — IRC 2009: Where used in this code, “piping” refers to either pipe or tubing, or both.
Pressure Test: 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 | Fuel Gas | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Fuel Gas (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Commercial Energy Efficiency (IECC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Aviation Facilities (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Hydronic Piping (IMC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Gas Piping | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Piping | |
| 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?
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 pressure test?
The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Fuel Gas as: “An operation performed to verify the gas-tight integrity of gas piping following its installation or modification.” 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 pressure test?
In this corpus the term is used across 7 chapters, led by Fuel Gas 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 the definition of a pressure test?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Fuel Gas: “An operation performed to verify the gas-tight integrity of gas piping following its installation or modification.” 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.
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