Nevada building code
Nevada does not adopt one unified statewide building code. The table below lists the governing edition for every discipline a plan check touches, followed by the Nevada cities and counties that amend it locally.
- Current edition
- No single statewide cycle; currently 2024 IECC statewide (GOE, eff. 2024-08-18) + 2024 IFC statewide (State Fire Marshal, enforced from 2026-01-01); building/residential/trade codes are locally adopted
- Prior edition
- 2018 codes (State Fire Marshal); 2021 IECC (GOE)
- Code authority
- None for general construction (local option per NRS 278.580); Nevada Governor's Office of Energy (energy, NAC 701); Nevada State Fire Marshal (fire, NAC 477); Nevada State Public Works Division (state-owned buildings only, NAC 341.045)
Edition changeover: Projects with a complete application on or before SFM 2018 codes enforced until 2025-12-31; 2021 IECC until 2024-08-17 may still be reviewed under the 2018 codes (State Fire Marshal); 2021 IECC (GOE).
Adopted code by discipline
| Discipline | Adopted code | Local amendment |
|---|---|---|
| Fire | 2024 IFC | n/a |
| Energy | 2024 IECC | n/a |
Overlays that can apply
Mapped hazard and district overlays stack on top of the adopted code. These are the overlays recorded for Nevada. They apply by parcel, not jurisdiction-wide, so confirm the parcel before assuming one is in play. Check CAL FIRE's fire hazard severity viewer and FEMA's flood map service.
- Seismic design category overlay
- Wildland-urban interface area
Sources
- https://www.energy.nv.gov/notices2/nac-701-building-energy-codes/
- https://www.energy.nv.gov/programs/building-energy-codes/
- https://fire.nv.gov/bureaus/FPE/FPE_Main/
- https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nac/nac-477.html
- https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Register/2024Register/R205-24A.pdf
- https://publicworks.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/publicworksnvgov/content/Documents/Permitting_Code_Enforcement/2024%20Adopted_Codes.pdf
- https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/NRS-278.html
- https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/adoptions-map/nevada/
Common questions
What building code does Nevada use?
Nevada does not adopt a single unified statewide building code for general construction. Building, residential, and trade codes are adopted locally by ordinance, so the governing edition is whatever the city or county reviewing the permit has enacted. Narrow-scope state programs: None for general construction (local option per NRS 278.580); Nevada Governor's Office of Energy (energy, NAC 701); Nevada State Fire Marshal (fire, NAC 477); Nevada State Public Works Division (state-owned buildings only, NAC 341.045)
Do cities in Nevada amend the state code?
Local amendments are adopted by ordinance at the city or county level. Confirm with the building department that reviews your permit.
Which edition applies to a permit already in review in Nevada?
Projects with a complete application on or before SFM 2018 codes enforced until 2025-12-31; 2021 IECC until 2024-08-17 may still be reviewed under the 2018 codes (State Fire Marshal); 2021 IECC (GOE).
Check a plan set against Nevada code
Knowing the adopted edition is the easy half. Architechtura reads your drawings, resolves which of these provisions actually apply to the project, and returns the corrections a plan checker would write up, each one cited to the section it came from.
Your first check is free, no card required.
Compiled from published state and municipal adoption ordinances. Local governments amend their codes on their own schedule, and a pending ordinance can change what applies to your permit. Confirm the governing edition with the building department before you submit. This page is reference information, not a code determination.