Texas building code
Texas has adopted 2012 IBC based on 2012 IBC (as it existed on May 1, 2012). The table below lists the governing edition for every discipline a plan check touches, followed by the Texas cities and counties that amend it locally.
- Current edition
- No unified state code: 2012 IBC/IRC statutory municipal baseline; 2023 NEC; 2015 IECC + 2015 IRC Ch.11 (energy); 2021 NFPA 1/101 (State Fire Marshal scope); 2012 TAS
- Code authority
- Decentralized - no single building-code agency. Key agencies: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR: electrical, accessibility/TAS, industrialized housing); State Energy Conservation Office (SECO, Comptroller: energy); Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE: plumbing); Texas State Fire Marshal's Office (TDI: fire, limited scope); building/residential codes set by statute (Local Government Code Ch. 214/233)
Adopted code by discipline
| Discipline | Adopted code | Local amendment |
|---|---|---|
| Building | 2012 IBC based on 2012 IBC (as it existed on May 1, 2012) | n/a |
| Residential | 2012 IRC based on 2012 IRC (as it existed on May 1, 2012) | n/a |
| Fire | 2021 NFPA 1 / NFPA 101 based on 2021 NFPA 1 Fire Code and 2021 NFPA 101 Life Safety Code | n/a |
| Electrical | 2023 NEC based on 2023 NEC (NFPA 70, as it existed on Aug 25, 2022) | n/a |
| Energy | 2015 IECC / IRC Ch. 11 based on 2015 IECC (as it existed on May 1, 2015) for commercial/industrial/multi-family; 2015 IRC Chapter 11 for single-family residential | n/a |
| Accessibility | 2012 TAS based on 2012 Texas Accessibility Standards (substantially equivalent to 2010 ADA Standards) | n/a |
Overlays that can apply
Mapped hazard and district overlays stack on top of the adopted code. These are the overlays recorded for Texas. 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.
- Hurricane wind-borne debris region
- California Coastal Zone
- FEMA mapped flood hazard area
Sources
- https://guides.sll.texas.gov/building-codes/texas
- https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._local_gov't_code_section_214.212
- https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._local_gov't_code_section_214.216
- https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/news/2022/11/30/2023-national-electrical-code-is-almost-here/
- https://comptroller.texas.gov/programs/seco/code/commercial.php
- https://comptroller.texas.gov/programs/seco/code/single-family.php
- https://comptroller.texas.gov/programs/seco/code/adoption.php
- https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._occ._code_section_1301.255
- https://tsbpe.texas.gov/plumbing-license-law-board-rules/
- https://tdi.texas.gov/fire/fmfsinotices.html
- https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ab/ab.htm
- https://www.sierraclub.org/texas/blog/2025/11/texas-moves-toward-updating-building-energy-codes-what-seco-s-public-input
- https://www.iccsafe.org/adoptions
- https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/16-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-73-100
- https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/news/rulemaking/2026/03/06/summary-of-proposed-rule-changes-and-request-for-comments-and-information/
- https://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/archive/March202026/Proposed%20Rules/16.ECONOMIC%20REGULATION.html
- https://iecfwtc.org/texas-to-adopt-the-2026-national-electrical-code-on-september-1-2026/
Common questions
What building code does Texas use?
Texas uses 2012 IBC based on 2012 IBC (as it existed on May 1, 2012). It is administered by the Decentralized - no single building-code agency. Key agencies: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR: electrical, accessibility/TAS, industrialized housing); State Energy Conservation Office (SECO, Comptroller: energy); Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE: plumbing); Texas State Fire Marshal's Office (TDI: fire, limited scope); building/residential codes set by statute (Local Government Code Ch. 214/233).
Do cities in Texas 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.
Check a plan set against Texas 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.