Check that the finish schedule or specification states the required class for each wall, ceiling, and exposed material, and that the product data for each scheduled product reports a test that supports it. ASTM E84 and UL 723 are the surface-burning test methods; the adopted code decides the class each room needs. AI can flag conflicts; the architect and code official decide compliance.
What do ASTM E84 and UL 723 cover?
ASTM describes E84 as a fire-test-response standard for the comparative surface burning behavior of building materials, applicable to exposed surfaces such as walls and ceilings, and as a 10-minute test. UL describes UL 723, Test for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials, as applicable to building materials capable of supporting themselves in position.
ASTM’s store shows E84-26a as the active edition, last updated April 15, 2026, with earlier 2024 to 2026 editions marked historical. UL Standards & Engagement lists UL 723 as active, Edition 11, last revised and ANSI approved June 23, 2025. Checked October 14, 2026. Neither page states which code edition references which test edition.
Some finishes are evaluated by room-scale tests instead; see the NFPA 286 guide, the NFPA 253 floor covering guide, and the NFPA 701 textiles guide. Occupancy, which drives the required class, is reviewed in the IBC Chapter 3 guide.
Gather the finish schedule and the product evidence
Collect the finish schedule and finish plans, the room and occupancy information from the code analysis, the interior finish specification sections (paint, wall coverings, acoustical panels, wood and plastic paneling, ceilings), and the product data or test reports for each scheduled product. Add the exposed insulation and foam plastic data if the set has any.
Finish classes are often stated once in a general note and never repeated in the schedule. Note where the requirement lives so a reviewer can trace it to each room.
Trace each finish from requirement to test report
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Class stated | Finish schedule, general notes, specifications | Find rooms or materials with no stated class, or two different classes. |
| Room use | Code analysis, room names, finish plans | Confirm the class the schedule assigns uses the room’s actual occupancy and location. |
| Product evidence | Product data, test reports, specifications | Check each scheduled product has a test report that supports the stated class. |
| Test method and mounting | Test reports, specifications, details | Compare the tested mounting and substrate with the detail that installs it. |
| Substitutions | Submittals, specifications, finish schedule | Ask for test evidence for any substituted product. |
| Exposed plastics and insulation | Sections, specifications, product data | Identify exposed materials that need test evidence of their own. |
Paint and coatings continue in the painting specifications guide, ceilings in the acoustical ceiling specifications guide, and floors in the resilient flooring guide.
Example: a wood wall panel with no test evidence
Hypothetical example. A lobby finish schedule specifies wood veneer wall panels with a class stated in the general notes. The product data included in the set covers a different panel series and reports no surface-burning test, and the specification allows the wood finish without mentioning fire-retardant treatment.
Lobby wall panels WP-1 are required to meet the interior finish class in the general notes, but the product data provided covers a different series and includes no ASTM E84 or UL 723 result. Provide test evidence for the scheduled product or revise the selection.
The architect resolves the product and its evidence before procurement. Whether the class is right for the lobby is the designer’s and code official’s decision.
Review interior finishes with Groundbook
Upload the current drawings and specifications to Groundbook, and state the edition, amendments, and review scope in your instructions. Upload the product data and test reports for scheduled finishes as supporting documents. Add the adopted code and any test standard only from copies you are licensed to upload. See how Groundbook works with local and licensed codes.
Compare the finish schedule, finish plans, code analysis, interior finish specifications, and product data. Flag rooms or materials with no stated class or conflicting classes, products without a supporting surface-burning test result, and tested mountings that differ from the details. Cite each source.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the schedule rows, sheets, and product documents involved.
Document review does not classify a material, interpret a test report, or replace the architect or code official.