Building Code Glossary
Smoke Compartment: Building Code Definition
How the IBC 2009, IFC 2009 define smoke compartment, 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
Smoke compartment is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Fire and Smoke Protection Features. The code's own words are: “A space within a building enclosed by smoke barriers on all sides, including the top and bottom.” The IFC 2009 carries the same definition word for word, so the term means the same thing in each. The term is used in 10 chapters of this corpus, most often in Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009), Definitions (IFC 2009), Use and Occupancy Classification (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?
Smoke Compartment — IBC 2009, Fire and Smoke Protection Features:
A space within a building enclosed by smoke barriers on all sides, including the top and bottom.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Two of the I-Codes in this corpus define Smoke Compartment, in identical words.
| Code | Where it is defined | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| IBC 2009 | Fire and Smoke Protection Features | A space within a building enclosed by smoke barriers on all sides, including the top and bottom. |
| IFC 2009 | Definitions | A space within a building enclosed by smoke barriers on all sides, including the top and bottom. |
Where smoke compartment is used in the code
The term appears in 10 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy | IBC 2009 | 37 |
| Definitions | IFC 2009 | 28 |
| Use and Occupancy Classification | IBC 2009 | 18 |
| Fire Protection Systems | IBC 2009 | 16 |
| Fire Protection Systems | IFC 2009 | 14 |
| Fire and Smoke Protection Features | IBC 2009 | 8 |
| Duct Systems | IMC 2009 | 3 |
| Definitions | IBC 2009 | 1 |
| Means of Egress | IBC 2009 | 1 |
| Flammable and Combustible Liquids | IFC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about smoke compartment, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
Such stories shall be divided into smoke compartments with an area of not more than 22,500 square feet (2092 m2) and the travel distance from any point in a smoke compartment to a smoke barrier door shall not exceed 200 feet (60 960 mm).
This occupancy condition shall include buildings in which free movement is allowed from sleeping areas and any other occupied smoke compartment to one or more other smoke compartments.
The terms smoke compartment 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 smoke compartment covers:
- Building — IBC 2009: Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.
- Enclosed — IRC 2009: Surrounded by a case, housing, fence or walls that will prevent persons from accidentally contacting energized parts.
Smoke Compartment: 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 | Fire and Smoke Protection Features | |
| Read the definition in the adopted IFC | Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Use and Occupancy Classification (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Fire Protection Systems (IBC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Building | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Enclosed | |
| 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 smoke compartment?
The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Fire and Smoke Protection Features as: “A space within a building enclosed by smoke barriers on all sides, including the top and bottom.” 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 smoke compartment?
In this corpus the term is used across 10 chapters, led by Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy 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 smoke compartment?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Fire and Smoke Protection Features: “A space within a building enclosed by smoke barriers on all sides, including the top and bottom.” It is defined in IBC 2009, 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.
What is a smoke barrier?
Smoke Barrier is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “A continuous membrane, either vertical or horizontal, such as a wall, floor or ceiling assembly, that is designed and constructed to restrict the movement of smoke.” That is not the same as smoke compartment, which the IBC 2009 defines as “A space within a building enclosed by smoke barriers on all sides, including the top and bottom.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.
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