Confirm the IFC edition and local amendments the fire authority enforces, then trace fire apparatus access, water supply, fire protection systems, fire department features, and any hazardous materials through the site, building, and system drawings. AI can flag conflicts; the fire code official decides compliance.
What does the IFC cover?
ICC describes the International Fire Code as establishing minimum regulations for fire prevention and fire protection systems, addressing conditions hazardous to life and property from fire, explosion, and the handling or use of hazardous materials, and the use and occupancy of buildings and premises.
ICC publishes the I-Codes as model codes in editions. ICC’s 2024 I-Codes collection includes the IFC, and the ICC IFC overview describes how it is adopted; both were checked on October 1, 2026. States and cities adopt a specific edition, often with amendments, and many still enforce an earlier one. Record the edition and amendments the authority having jurisdiction actually enforces; the newest published edition does not establish local adoption.
The fire code and the building code are adopted separately and can be on different editions. The fire authority may be a separate agency from the building department. California adopts its own version as the California Fire Code.
Gather the site, systems, and hazards
Collect the site plan with fire apparatus access roads and hydrants, the fire service and water supply documents, sprinkler, standpipe, and fire alarm drawings, the fire department connection and riser locations, key box and command center information, and any hazardous materials inventory or storage plans. Add the code summary and specifications for fire protection systems.
Note where civil, architectural, and fire protection drawings each show the same feature, such as a fire department connection, and whether they share a revision.
Connect fire department features across disciplines
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Edition and amendments | Code summary, fire protection notes, local fire requirements | Resolve which fire code edition and local amendments the documents use. |
| Apparatus access | Site plan, civil plans, landscape plans | Trace access roads, turning areas, and obstructions shown in different documents. |
| Water supply | Civil utility plans, hydrant locations, fire service documents | Match hydrants, fire mains, and connections across civil and fire protection sheets. |
| Fire department connections | Site plan, elevations, sprinkler and standpipe risers | Confirm the connection location matches on every sheet that shows it. |
| Fire protection systems | Code summary, sprinkler, standpipe, and alarm drawings | Check that systems the code summary relies on appear in the system drawings. |
| Hazardous materials | Room uses, storage plans, inventory, specifications | Ask the designer to confirm the basis for rooms storing hazardous materials. |
System-level reviews continue in the NFPA 13 sprinkler, NFPA 14 standpipe, NFPA 24 fire main, and NFPA 72 fire alarm guides.
Example: the fire department connection moved on one sheet
Hypothetical example. The architectural elevation relocates the fire department connection to a different facade, while the civil site plan and the sprinkler riser diagram still show the earlier location near the hydrant.
The current architectural elevation shows the fire department connection on a different facade than the civil site plan and sprinkler riser. Please confirm the intended location and coordinate the site, architectural, and fire protection drawings.
The design team confirms the location with the fire authority’s requirements and updates every sheet. The conflict is a coordination question; the fire code official accepts the location.
Review fire code coordination with Groundbook
Upload the current drawings and specifications to Groundbook, and state the code edition, amendments, and review scope in your instructions. Add the applicable IFC from a copy you are licensed to use, where the license permits uploading it, and add the jurisdiction’s published amendments. See how Groundbook works with local and licensed codes.
Compare fire apparatus access, hydrants, fire service, fire department connections, and fire protection systems across the civil, architectural, and fire protection drawings and the code summary. Flag conflicting locations and missing features. Use the supplied IFC edition and local amendments where applicable and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets involved. Verify the edition and the fire authority’s local requirements before sending a comment.
Document review does not approve fire access, calculate fire flow, or replace the fire code official, the fire protection engineer, or required inspections.