Quick Roofing Guide to the International Residential Code

Click Here to See More Roofing Topics

Search this page: This is a pretty long page. We highly recommend using CTRL+F to search for the exact words you’re looking for. Here’s how you do it on desktop and tablet. Here’s how you do it on mobile. If you don’t know this one simple trick, click that link, read the article, and learn how to do it. It will save you a lot of time in the future if you learn how. It’s easy.

Chapter 1 Scope and Administration

See the full code for Chapter 1 on the ICC website.

See the full code for Chapter 1 on the UpCodes website.

Section R104 Duties and Powers of the Building Official

R104.10 Modifications
R104.11 Alternative materials, design and methods of construction and equipment

Section R105 Permits

R105.2 Work exempt from permit
R105.2.2 Repairs

Section R106 Construction Documents

Chapter 3 Building Planning

See the full code for Chapter 3 on the ICC website.

See the full code for Chapter 3 on the UpCodes website.

Section R301 Design Criteria

(Roof Online Note: This section mentions roofs over 100 times.)

R301.2 Climatic and geographic design criteria
R301.2.1 Wind design criteria
R301.2.2.2 Weights of materials
R301.6 Roof load

Section R302 Fire-Resistant Construction

R302.2.4 Parapets for townhouses
R302.2.5 Parapet construction
R302.2.6 Structural independence

Section R308 Glazing

R308.6 Skylights and sloped glazing
R308.6.8 Curbs for skylights

Section R316 Foam Plastic

R316.5 Specific requirements
R316.5.2 Roofing
R316.5.3 Attics

Section R324 Solar Energy Systems

R324.4 Rooftop-mounted photovoltaic systems
R324.5 Building-integrated photovoltaic systems
R324.6 Roof access and pathways

Chapter 4 Foundations

See the full code for Chapter 4 on the ICC website.

See the full code for Chapter 4 on the UpCodes website.

Section R406 Foundation Waterproofing and Dampproofing

Chapter 6 Wall Construction

See the full code for Chapter 6 on the ICC website.

See the full code for Chapter 6 on the UpCodes website.

(Roof Online Note: This chapter mentions roofs over 200 times, mostly having to do with wall construction requirements which ensure that the walls can support the loads imposed on them.)

Chapter 7 Wall Covering

See the full code for Chapter 7 on the ICC website.

See the full code for Chapter 7 on the UpCodes website.

Section R703 Exterior Covering

R703.3 Wall covering nominal thickness and attachments
R703.3.1 Soffit installation
R703.3.3 Fasteners
R703.4 Flashing
(Roof Online Note: Flashing requirements at wall and roof intersections, chimneys.)
R703.8 Anchored stone and masonry veneer, general
R703.8.2 Exterior veneer support
R703.8.2.2 Support by roof construction

Chapter 8 Roof-Ceiling Construction

See the full code for Chapter 8 on the ICC website.

See the full code for Chapter 8 on the UpCodes website.

(Roof Online Note: This chapter covers rafters, among other things. It mentions rafters over 200 times and includes rafter span tables.)

Section R801 General

Section R802 Wood Roof Framing

Section R803 Roof Sheathing

Section R804 Cold-Formed Steel Roof Framing

Section R806 Roof Ventilation

Section R807 Attic Access

Chapter 9 Roof Assemblies

See the full code for Chapter 9 on the ICC website.

See the full code for Chapter 9 on the UpCodes website.

(Roof Online Note: This is the main roofing chapter of the code. In particular, note that the Section R905 subsections for each different type of roofing material cover deck requirements, slope, fasteners, underlayment, and flashing for that specific roof type.)

Section R902 Fire Classification

Section R903 Weather Protection

R903.2 Flashing
R903.3 Coping
R903.4 Roof drainage

Section R904 Materials

Section R905 Requirements for Roof Coverings

R905.1 Roof covering application
R905.1.1 Underlayment
R905.1.2 Ice barriers
(Roof Online Note: “Ice Barriers” covers the installation requirements for ice and water shield.)
R905.2 Asphalt shingles
R905.2.8 Flashing
R905.2.8.2 Valleys
R905.2.8.5 Drip Edge
R905.3 Clay and concrete tile
R905.4 Metal roof shingles
R905.5 Mineral-surfaced roll roofing
R905.6 Slate shingles
R905.7 Wood shingles
R905.8 Wood shakes
R905.9 Built-up roofs
R905.10 Metal roof panels
R905.11 Modified bitumen roofing
R905.12 Thermoset single-ply roofing
(Roof Online Note: This section covers EPDM roofing.)
R905.13 Thermoplastic single-ply roofing
(Roof Online Note: This section covers PVC and TPO roofing.)
R905.14 Sprayed polyurethane foam roofing
R905.15 Liquid-applied roofing
R905.16 Photovoltaic shingles
R905.17 Building-integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) roof panels applied directly to the roof deck

Section R906 Roof Insulation

Section R907 Rooftop-Mounted Photovoltaic Panel Systems

Section R908 Reroofing

(Roof Online Note: This section covers the requirements for replacing an existing roof or installing a new roof over an old roof. It also tells you how many roofs (how many layers of roofing) you can put down on top of one another on a building and under what conditions.)

Chapter 10 Chimneys and Fireplaces

See the full code for Chapter 10 on the ICC website.

See the full code for Chapter 10 on the UpCodes website.

Section R1003 Masonry Chimneys

Section R1005 Factory-Built Chimneys

Chapter 11 [RE] Energy Efficiency

See the full code for Chapter 11 on the ICC website.

See the full code for Chapter 11 on the UpCodes website.

Section N1101 General

N1101.6 (R202) Defined terms
(Roof Online Note: We recommend reading this subsection first.)
N1101.7 (R301.1) Climate zones
TABLE N1101.7 (R301.1)
CLIMATE ZONES, MOISTURE REGIMES, AND WARM-HUMID DESIGNATIONS BY STATE, COUNTY AND TERRITORY
N1101.10 (R303.1) Identification

Section N1102 (R402) Building Thermal Envelope