Updated 2026-09-07

Building Code Glossary

Ventilated: Building Code Definition

How the IRC 2009 define ventilated, 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

Ventilated is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Electrical Definitions. The code's own words are: “Provided with a means to permit circulation ofair sufficient to remove an excess of heat, fumes or vapors.” 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 38 chapters of this corpus, most often in Exhaust Systems (IMC 2009), Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009), Interior Environment (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?

Ventilated — IRC 2009, Electrical Definitions:

Provided with a means to permit circulation ofair sufficient to remove an excess of heat, fumes or vapors.

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

What must be verified before using this guidance?

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

Provided with a means to permit circulation ofair sufficient to remove an excess of heat, fumes or vapors.

Where ventilated is used in the code

The term appears in 38 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

Chapter	Code	Mentions
Exhaust Systems	IMC 2009	33
Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy	IBC 2009	21
Interior Environment	IBC 2009	18
Flammable and Combustible Liquids	IFC 2009	12
Highly Toxic and Toxic Materials	IFC 2009	12
Fuel Gas	IRC 2009	12
Cryogenic Fluids	IFC 2009	9
Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities	IFC 2009	9
Ventilation	IMC 2009	7
Masonry	IBC 2009	5
Explosives and Fireworks	IFC 2009	4
Flammable Finishes	IFC 2009	4

26 further chapters mention the term.

The term in use

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

Each room where rubber cement is used or mixed, or where flammable or combustible solvents are applied, shall be ventilated in accordance with the applicable provisions of NFPA 91.

— IMC 2009 §502.17

Repair garages shall be mechanically ventilated in accordance with the International Mechanical Code.

— IBC 2009 §406.6.3

The net free ventilating area shall not be less than 1/300 of the area of the space venti-1ated' with 50 percent of the required ventilating area provided by ventilators located in the upper portion of the space to be ventilated at least 3 feet (914 mm) above eave or cornice vents with the balance of the required ventilation provided by …

— IBC 2009 §1203.2

The terms ventilated is built out of

The definition above leans on 1 other defined term. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what ventilated covers:

Permit — IBC 2009: An official document or certificate issued by the authority having jurisdiction which authorizes performance of a specified activity.

Ventilated: 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	Exhaust Systems (IMC 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	Interior Environment (IBC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009)
Confirm the dependent definition	Permit
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 ventilated?

The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Electrical Definitions as: “Provided with a means to permit circulation ofair sufficient to remove an excess of heat, fumes or vapors.” 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 ventilated?

In this corpus the term is used across 38 chapters, led by Exhaust Systems in the IMC 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 definition of ventilation in a building?

Ventilation is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “The natural or mechanical process of supplying conditioned or unconditioned air to, or removing such air from, any space.” That is not the same as ventilated, which the IRC 2009 defines as “Provided with a means to permit circulation ofair sufficient to remove an excess of heat, fumes or vapors.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

What are the IRC roof ventilation requirements?

Roof Ventilation is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “The natural or mechanical process of supplying conditioned or unconditioned air to, or removing such air from, attics, cathedral ceilings or other enclosed spaces over which a roof assembly is installed.” That is not the same as ventilated, which the IRC 2009 defines as “Provided with a means to permit circulation ofair sufficient to remove an excess of heat, fumes or vapors.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

What does "ventilated" mean?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Electrical Definitions: “Provided with a means to permit circulation ofair sufficient to remove an excess of heat, fumes or vapors.” 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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