Building Code Glossary
Venting: Building Code Definition
How the IRC 2009 define venting, 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
Venting is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Definitions. The code's own words are: “Removal of combustion products to the outdoors.” 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 48 chapters of this corpus, most often in Fuel Gas (IRC 2009), Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009), Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages (IFC 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?
Venting — IRC 2009, Definitions:
Removal of combustion products to the outdoors.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Venting is defined once in this corpus, in the Definitions chapter of the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009:
Removal of combustion products to the outdoors.
Where venting is used in the code
The term appears in 48 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel Gas | IRC 2009 | 143 |
| Flammable and Combustible Liquids | IFC 2009 | 92 |
| Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages | IFC 2009 | 62 |
| Definitions | IRC 2009 | 29 |
| Chimneys and Vents | IRC 2009 | 27 |
| Chimneys and Vents | IMC 2009 | 24 |
| Fire Protection Systems | IFC 2009 | 23 |
| Definitions | IMC 2009 | 21 |
| Vents | IPC 2009 | 18 |
| Vents | IRC 2009 | 13 |
| Elevators and Conveying Systems | IBC 2009 | 10 |
| Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy | IBC 2009 | 9 |
36 further chapters mention the term.
The term in use
How the code actually writes about venting, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
Where an appliance equipped with a mechanical forced draftsystem creates a positive pressure in the venting system, the venting system shall be designed for positive pressure applications.
Tank vents for normal venting shall be installed and maintained in accordance with Sections 3404.2.7.3.1 through 3404.2.7.3.6.
Enclosed secondary containment systems shall be provided with emergency venting in accordance with Section 2206.6.2.5.
The terms venting 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 venting covers:
- Combustion Products — IRC 2009: Constituents resulting from the combustion of a fuel with the oxygen of the air, including the inert gases, but excluding excess air.
- Combustion — IRC 2009: In the context of this code, refers to the rapid oxidation of fuel accompanied by the production of heat or heat and light.
Venting: 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 | Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Fuel Gas (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IRC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Combustion Products | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Combustion | |
| 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
- Combustion Products: Building Code Definition
- Combustion: 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 venting?
The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Definitions as: “Removal of combustion products to the outdoors.” 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 venting?
In this corpus the term is used across 48 chapters, led by Fuel Gas 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 plumbing rule for venting?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Definitions: “Removal of combustion products to the outdoors.” It is defined in IRC 2009. It is not the same as Plumbing, which the IRC 2009 defines separately as “For the purpose of this code, plumbing refers to those installations, repairs, maintenance and alterations regulated by Chapters 25 through 33.” 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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