Building Code Glossary
Service Conductors: Building Code Definition
How the IRC 2009 define service conductors, 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
Service conductors is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Electrical Definitions. The code's own words are: “The conductors from the service point to the service disconnecting means.” 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 4 chapters of this corpus, most often in Services (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?
Service Conductors — IRC 2009, Electrical Definitions:
The conductors from the service point to the service disconnecting means.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Service Conductors is defined once in this corpus, in the Electrical Definitions chapter of the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009:
The conductors from the service point to the service disconnecting means.
Where service conductors is used in the code
The term appears in 4 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Services | IRC 2009 | 26 |
| Electrical Definitions | IRC 2009 | 8 |
| General Requirements | IRC 2009 | 1 |
| Wiring Methods | IRC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about service conductors, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
This chapter covers service conductors and equipment for the control and protection of services and their installation requirements.
The minimum size of service conductors shall be as specified in Chapter 36.
Underground service conductors that are not encased in concrete and that are buried 18 inches (457 mm) or more below grade shall have their location identified by a warning ribbon that is placed in the trench not less than 12 inches (305 mm) above the underground installation.
The terms service conductors 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 service conductors covers:
- Disconnecting Means — IRC 2009: A device, or group of devices, or other means by which the conductors of a circuit can be disconnected from their source of supply.
- Service — IRC 2009: The conductors and equipment for delivering energy from the serving utility to the wiring system of the premises served.
Service Conductors: 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 | Services (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Electrical Definitions (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | General Requirements (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Wiring Methods (IRC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Disconnecting Means | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Service | |
| 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
- Disconnecting Means: Building Code Definition
- Service: 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 service conductors?
The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Electrical Definitions as: “The conductors from the service point to the service disconnecting means.” 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 service conductors?
In this corpus the term is used across 4 chapters, led by Services 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 NEC code for service entrance conductors?
Service Entrance is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “An entrance intended primarily for delivery of goods or services.” That is not the same as service conductors, which the IRC 2009 defines as “The conductors from the service point to the service disconnecting means.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.
What are considered service conductors?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Electrical Definitions: “The conductors from the service point to the service disconnecting means.” 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.
Related pages
- Self-luminous: Building Code Definition
Self-luminous — IBC 2009 definition: Illuminated by a self-contained power source, other than batteries, and operated independently of external power sources.
- Semiconductor Fabrication Facility: Building Code Definition
Semiconductor Fabrication Facility — IFC 2009 definition: A building or a portion of a building in which electrical circuits or devices are created …
- Septic Tank: Building Code Definition
Septic Tank — IRC 2009 definition: A water-tight receptor that receives the discharge of a building sanitary drainage system and is constructed …
- Service Corridor: Building Code Definition
Service Corridor — IBC 2009 definition: A fully enclosed passage used for transporting HPM and purposes other than required means of egress.
- Service Entrance: Building Code Definition
Service Entrance — IBC 2009 definition: An entrance intended primarily for delivery of goods or services.
- Service Equipment: Building Code Definition
Service Equipment — IRC 2009 definition: The necessary equipment, usually consisting of a circuit breaker(s) or switch(es) and fuse(s), and their accessories …