Updated 2026-09-07

Building Code Glossary

Ungrounded: Building Code Definition

How the IRC 2009 define ungrounded, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

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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.

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Direct answer

Ungrounded is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Electrical Definitions. The code's own words are: “Not connected to ground or to a conductive body that extends the ground connection.” 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 9 chapters of this corpus, most often in Services (IRC 2009), Branch Circuit and Feeder Requirements (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?

Ungrounded — IRC 2009, Electrical Definitions:

Not connected to ground or to a conductive body that extends the ground connection.

Labeled code-term definition diagram: Ungrounded: Building Code Definition — How the IRC 2009 define ungrounded, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

What must be verified before using this guidance?

Ungrounded is defined once in this corpus, in the Electrical Definitions chapter of the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009:

Not connected to ground or to a conductive body that extends the ground connection.

Where ungrounded is used in the code

The term appears in 9 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	19
Branch Circuit and Feeder Requirements	IRC 2009	9
General Requirements	IRC 2009	7
Electrical Definitions	IRC 2009	4
Swimming Pools	IRC 2009	4
Power and Lighting Distribution	IRC 2009	2
Boilers, Water Heaters and Pressure Vessels	IMC 2009	1
Appliance Installation	IRC 2009	1
Devices and Luminaires	IRC 2009	1

The term in use

How the code actually writes about ungrounded, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:

Ungrounded service conductors shall have an ampacity of not less than the load served.

— IRC 2009 §E3602.1

Except where all ungrounded conductors are opened simultaneously by the branch-circuit overcurrent device, multiwire branch circuits shall supply only line-to-neutralloads or only one appliance.

— IRC 2009 §E3701.5

Conductors with insulation or individual covering that is green, green with one or more yellow stripes, or otherwise identified as permitted by this section shall not be used for ungrounded or grounded circuit conductors.

— IRC 2009 §E3407.2

Ungrounded: 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	Branch Circuit and Feeder Requirements (IRC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	General Requirements (IRC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Electrical Definitions (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.

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 ungrounded?

The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Electrical Definitions as: “Not connected to ground or to a conductive body that extends the ground connection.” 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 ungrounded?

In this corpus the term is used across 9 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 an example of an ungrounded system?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Electrical Definitions: “Not connected to ground or to a conductive body that extends the ground connection.” It is defined in IRC 2009. It is not the same as System, which the IFC 2009 defines separately as “An assembly of equipment consisting of a tank, container or containers, appurtenances, pumps, compressors and connecting piping.” 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 IRC mean in building code?

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 ungrounded, which the IRC 2009 defines as “Not connected to ground or to a conductive body that extends the ground connection.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

What does "ungrounded" mean?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Electrical Definitions: “Not connected to ground or to a conductive body that extends the ground connection.” 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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