Building Code Glossary
Repair Garage: Building Code Definition
How the IFC 2009 define repair garage, 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
Repair garage is a defined term in the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009, in Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages. The code's own words are: “A building, structure or portion thereof used for servicing or repairing motor vehicles.” 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 13 chapters of this corpus, most often in Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages (IFC 2009), Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009), Fire Protection Systems (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?
Repair Garage — IFC 2009, Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages:
A building, structure or portion thereof used for servicing or repairing motor vehicles.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Repair Garage is defined once in this corpus, in the Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages chapter of the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009:
A building, structure or portion thereof used for servicing or repairing motor vehicles.
Where repair garage is used in the code
The term appears in 13 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages | IFC 2009 | 52 |
| Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy | IBC 2009 | 19 |
| Fire Protection Systems | IBC 2009 | 17 |
| Fire Protection Systems | IFC 2009 | 17 |
| Definitions | IFC 2009 | 4 |
| Scope and Administration | IFC 2009 | 4 |
| Exhaust Systems | IMC 2009 | 3 |
| General Regulations | IMC 2009 | 3 |
| Use and Occupancy Classification | IBC 2009 | 2 |
| Flammable and Combustible Liquids | IFC 2009 | 1 |
| Flammable Gases and Flammable Cryogenic Fluids | IFC 2009 | 1 |
| Traps, Interceptors and Separators | IPC 2009 | 1 |
1 further chapters mention the term.
The term in use
How the code actually writes about repair garage, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
Where a fuel-dispensing facility also includes a repair garage, the repair operation shall comply with Section 2211.
Mixed uses shall be allowed in the same building as a repair garage subject to the provisions of Section 508.1.
The terms repair garage 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 repair garage covers:
- Structure — IPC 2009: That which is built or constructed or a portion thereof.
- Building — IBC 2009: Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.
Repair Garage: 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 | Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages (IFC 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 | Fire Protection Systems (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Fire Protection Systems (IFC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Structure | |
| 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
- Structure: Building Code Definition
- Building: 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 repair garage?
The International Fire Code (IFC) 2009 defines it in Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages as: “A building, structure or portion thereof used for servicing or repairing motor vehicles.” 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 repair garage?
In this corpus the term is used across 13 chapters, led by Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages 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.
What does "car repair garage" mean?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IFC 2009 states, in Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages: “A building, structure or portion thereof used for servicing or repairing motor vehicles.” It is defined in IFC 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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