Building Code Glossary
Service Entrance: Building Code Definition
How the IBC 2009 define service entrance, 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 entrance is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Accessibility. The code's own words are: “An entrance intended primarily for delivery of goods or services.” 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 4 chapters of this corpus, most often in Services (IRC 2009), Accessibility (IBC 2009), Definitions (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?
Service Entrance — IBC 2009, Accessibility:
An entrance intended primarily for delivery of goods or services.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Service Entrance is defined once in this corpus, in the Accessibility chapter of the International Building Code (IBC) 2009:
An entrance intended primarily for delivery of goods or services.
Where service entrance 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 | 9 |
| Accessibility | IBC 2009 | 7 |
| Definitions | IBC 2009 | 1 |
| Branch Circuit and Feeder Requirements | IRC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about service entrance, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
Means shall be provided to disconnect all conductors in a building or other structure from the service entrance conductors.
If a service entrance is the only entrance to a building or a tenant space in a facility, that entrance shall be accessible.
All panelboards shall have a rating not less than that of the minimum service entrance or feeder capacity required for the calculated load.
Service Entrance: 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 | Accessibility | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Services (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Accessibility (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Branch Circuit and Feeder Requirements (IRC 2009) | |
| 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
- Accessible: Building Code Definition
- Facility: Building Code Definition
- Site: Building Code Definition
- Accessible Route: 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 entrance?
The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Accessibility as: “An entrance intended primarily for delivery of goods or services.” 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 entrance?
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 considered a service entrance?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Accessibility: “An entrance intended primarily for delivery of goods or services.” 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.
What is considered outside the building for service entrance conductors?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Accessibility: “An entrance intended primarily for delivery of goods or services.” It is defined in IBC 2009. It is not the same as Building, which the IBC 2009 defines separately as “Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.” 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 IBC mean in building codes?
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 service entrance, which the IBC 2009 defines as “An entrance intended primarily for delivery of goods or services.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.
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