Iowa DNR Energy: Iowa's Building Energy Codes

The Iowa Department of Public Safety's State Building Code Commissioner is the regulator and enforcer of the state's building energy codes. Iowa communities can choose to adopt and enforce building codes locally. However, any jurisdiction that adopts a building energy code must adopt the state building energy code or a better standard that exceeds the state building energy code.

Iowa's current Residential Building Energy Code is the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (2006 IECC)

Iowa's current Commercial Building Energy Code is the ASHRAE 90.1-2004 as referenced in the 2006 IECC. Buildings that exceed 100,000 cubic feet of conditioned space are required to meet the ASHRAE 90.1-2004 or better standard and must be reviewed and approved by a licensed architect or engineer.

What are Iowa's Building Energy Codes?

2006 International Building Code
2006 International Residential Code
2006 International Mechanical Code
2006 International Energy Conservation Code
2006 International Existing Building Code
2005 National Electrical Code (No edition change)
2006 International Fire Code by reference.

Projects required to be submitted to the State Fire Marshal's Office and State Building Code Bureau for plans review may not begin construction until written approval is received from this office. Please take the necessary steps in the planning of your projects to ensure that construction does not begin before written approval is granted. It is recommended that approval be received prior to the bid letting, in order to avoid potentially expensive change orders.

Any non-state owned building, whose construction is paid for wholly or in part with state appropriated funds, must be submitted to the State Building Code Bureau for construction plans review and approval, if it is built in a jurisdiction without local building code enforcement. Local building code enforcement must include both the adoption and enforcement of a local building code through plan reviews and inspections. All state-owned buildings are already required to be submitted to the Building Codes Bureau office for plan review and approval.

The State Building Code Bureau conducts construction inspections of buildings subject to State plans review, with the exclusion of additions, renovations and repairs. This includes all state-owned buildings and non-state owned buildings which are funded wholly or in part with state appropriated funds if constructed in areas without local building code enforcement. Any school system that utilizes local sales and services tax moneys for school infrastructure, must comply with the state building code in the absence of a local building code.

You may contact the Building Code Bureau by phone at 515-725-6145, electronic mail at bcinfo@dps.state.ia.us, or regular mail to Building Code Bureau, State Fire Marshal Division, Iowa Department of Public Safety, 215 East 7th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319. The web site is http://www.dps.state.ia.us/fm/building/index.shtml.