Applying the Building Code During Design by 
Building Codes for Existing and Historic Buildings by MADCAD publishes the latest building code publications, including International Code Council (ICC). Select "eLibrary" for list of digital holdings. Requires SCI-Arc username and password.
Fernado Pages Ruiz, "The role of I-Codes in building resilience," Green Building Advisor, March 2, 2022 (Blog post)
The International Building Code in a 'Nutshell', arkishare, May 3, 2021 (via YouTube)
Master the building code in 20 minutes!, arkishare, 2021 (YouTube)
CITY
All codes sourced from American Legal Publishing's Code Library unless otherwise noted.
City of Los Angeles Administrative Code, Revision 3, 2024 (Code consists of administrative and procedural ordinances for the city.)
City of Los Angeles Municipal Code, Revision 3, 2024 (Compilation of laws passed by the city.)
City of Los Angeles Building Code, Revision 3, 2024
City of Los Angeles Electrical Code, Revision 3, 2024
City of Los Angeles Fire Code, 2023 (via ICC Digital Codes)
City of Los Angeles Mechanical Code, Revision 3, 2024
City of Los Angeles Plumbing Code, Revision 3, 2024
City of Los Angeles Planning and Zoning Code, Revision 3, 2024 (Regulates the use of land in the city.)
City of Los Angeles Zoning Code Manual and Commentary, Revision 9, 2021 (via Los Angeles Department of Building Services)
COUNTY
All codes sourced from librarymunicode.com unless otherwise noted.
County of Los Angeles, Dept. of Public Works - DPW is responsible for building code enforcement, roads, sewers, and the environment in unincorporated county areas.
County of Los Angeles Building Code, 2025
County of Los Angeles Electrical Code, 2025
County of Los Angeles Fire Code, 2025
County of Los Angeles Green Building Standards, 2025
County of Los Angeles Mechanical Code, 2025
County of Los Angeles Planning and Zoning Code, 2025
STATE
All codes sourced from MADCAD database unless otherwise noted. MADCAD is accessible with a SCI-Arc username and password.
ICC, Online California Code Library – Free, but searching and printing are limited.
State of California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) - Produces state building standards and administrative regulations that implement or enforce those standards. (via California Department of General Services)
State of California Building Standards Administrative Code, 2022 (with 2024 Supplement)
State of California Building Code, (Volumes 1&2), 2022
State of California Elevator and Escalator Code, 2019 (via ICC Digital Codes)
State of California Energy Code, 2022 (Part 6 of the state building standards code, related to laws regarding energy efficiency in new buildings.)
State of California Existing Building Code, 2022 - Provides standards and minimum requirements to safeguard the public health, safety and welfare insofar as they are affected by the repair, alteration, change of occupancy, addition to and relocation of existing buildings.
State of California Fire Code, 2022
State of California Green Buildings Standards, 2022 (Title 24, Part 11)
State of California Mechanical Code, 2022
State of California Plumbing Code, 2022
State of California Residential Code, 2022
State of California State Historical Building Code, 2022 - Provides regulations and standards for the rehabilitation, preservation, restoration (including related reconstruction) or relocation as applicable to all historical buildings, structures and properties deemed of importance to the history, architecture, or culture of an area by an appropriate local or state governmental jurisdiction. (via ICC Digital Codes)
State of California Code of Regulations, 2022 (Includes full-text of all Titles 1 through 28, via Thomas Reuters Westlaw)
State of California Division of the State Architect - provides design and construction oversight for K–12 schools, community colleges, and various other state-owned and leased facilities. The Division also develops accessibility, structural safety, and historical building codes and standards utilized in various public and private buildings throughout the State of California.
State of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, 2018 update (via California Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation)
LOCAL PLAN CHECK, INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT OFFICES
City of Beverly Hills Community Development Department
City of Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety
City of Santa Monica Building & Safety Division
City of Glendale Building & Safety Division
City of Pasadena Building & Safety Department
Culver City Building Safety Department
West Hollywood Building & Safety Division
Department for Communities and Local Government, Building and Planning - Government site for the United Kingdom.
Canadian National Code Documents – Includes both current and historical editions of Canadian building codes.
European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Construction Sector Network – An international non-profit which develops voluntary European Standards (ENs).
Building Regulations (UK) – Includes building regulations and amendments, reports, case studies, and impact assessments.
In 2000 the International Code Council (ICC) model codes replaced the model codes produced by BOCA, ICBO, SBCCI, and others. Updates are produced every 3 years. The most recent free PDFs are listed below. Current 2018 editions can be purchased through the ICC’s store: http://shop.iccsafe.org/codes/2018-international-codes-and-references/2018-international-building-code-and-references.html.
International Code Council (ICC), http://www.iccsafe.org/
ICC, International Building Code, 2015 – offers regulations for all phases of commercial construction.
ICC, International Code Council Performance Code, 2015
ICC, International Energy Conservation Code, 2015 – encourages efficiency in envelope design, mechanical and lighting systems, and imparts information on the use of new materials and techniques.
ICC, International Existing Building Code, 2015 - addresses repair, alteration, addition or change of occupancy in existing buildings.
ICC, International Fire Code, 2015
ICC, International Fuel Gas Code, 2015
ICC, International Mechanical Code, 2015
ICC, International Residential Code for one-and-two family dwellings (IRC): 2015 - comprehensive code regulating the construction of single-family houses, two-family houses (duplexes) and buildings consisting of three or more townhouse units. All buildings within the scope of the IRC are limited to three stories above grade plane. The IRC contains coverage for all components of a house or townhouse, including structural components, fireplaces and chimneys, thermal insulation, mechanical systems, fuel gas systems, plumbing systems and electrical systems.
ICC, International Plumbing Code, 2015
ICC, International Private Sewage Disposal Code, 2015 - addresses the safe and sanitary installation of individual sewage disposal systems.
ICC, International Property Maintenance Code, 2015
ICC, International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, 2015
ICC, International Zoning Code, 2015 - establishes minimum regulations for zoning ordinances.
Ching, Francis D. K. & Steven R. Winkel, Building codes illustrated : a guide to understanding the 2021 international building code, Wiley, TH420 .C49 2022
NFPA, National Electrical Code, 2017 – link provides free access to the document but requires registration. Standards cannot be downloaded or printed. (The National Fire Protection Association’s National Electrical Code replaced the ICC’s International Electrical Code in 2012.)
ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities - The Access Board's ADA Accessibility Guidelines, (ADAAG) serve as the minimum baseline for the standards. The guidelines and standards are very similar, but only the standards have legal authority.
Access Board / U.S. Architectural & Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
ADA, ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities - based on the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
ICC, American National Standard: Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities
Perritt, Henry H., Americans with Disabilities Act Handbook, 3rd ed., KF3469.P47 1997 v.1-3 & supplement
Rhoads, Marcela Abadi, The ADA companion guide: understanding the Americans With Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), John Wiley, KF5709.3. H35 R48 2010
Rhoads, Marcela Abadi, Applying the ADA: Designing for the Americans With Disabilities Act Standards for accessible design in multiple building types, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2013 (via Ebook Central)
U.S. Department of Justice ADA Home Page
Kind-Barkauskas, Friedbert, Concrete Construction Manual, Birkhäuser, Office - TH1461.C6 2002
Laska, Walter, Masonry and Steel Detailing Handbook, Aberdeen Group, TH2025.L37 1993
Pauley, T. & M. J. N. Priestly, Seismic design of reinforced concrete and masonry buildings, John Wiley & Sons. Inc., TA658.44 .P38 1992
Peck, Martin, Modern Concrete Construction Manual: Structural Design, Material Properties, Sustainability, Institut für internationale Architektur-Dokumentation, 2014 (via Ebook Central)
Pfeifer, Günter, et al, Masonry Construction Manual, Birkhäuser, TH1199 .M27413 2001
Jones & Bartlett Learning, Ugly’s Electrical Reference, 2017 edition, free download.
Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
National Electrical Safety Code (NESC)- ***Link is to purchase site, not actual code.***
NFPA, National Electrical Code, 2017 edition, free download
State of California Electrical Code, 2016
City of Los Angeles Fire Code, 2017 - Article 7 of Ch. V of the Los Angeles Municipal Code.
County of Los Angeles Fire Code, 2016 – Title 32 of the County of Los Angeles Code of Ordinances.
ICC, International Fire Code, 2015 – Regulates minimum fire safety requirements for new and existing buildings.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), - An authority on fire, electrical and building safety. Contains codes, standards and training information.
NFPA, Installation of Sprinklers, 2016 – Free to view, but requires registering online.
NFPA, Life Safety Code, 2018 – Free to view, but requires registering online.
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
OSHA, Construction Industry webpage - provides information on workplace safety standards, workers’ rights, employer responsibilities, etc.
OSHA, Electrical Standards - includes electrical construction regulations.
City of Los Angeles Plumbing Code - Article 4, Chapter IX of the Municipal Code
IAPMO, California Plumbing Code, 2016
ICC, International Plumbing Code, 2015
AIA Historic Resources Committee (HRC), Mission is to identify, understand, and preserve architectural heritage, both nationally and internationally.
California State Historical Building Code, intended to save California’s architectural heritage by recognizing the unique construction issues inherent in maintaining and adaptively reusing historic buildings.
California Seismic Safety Commission
Arkansas Earthquake Center – Contains many good links to Federal and AR state codes, as well as relevant information from other states, including CA.
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute - A national, nonprofit, technical society of engineers, geoscientists, architects, planners, public officials, and social scientists working to reduce earthquake risks.
American Institute of Steel Construction, Manual of Steel Construction, 9th ed., v.1, AISC, TA684.L558 1989
American Institute of Steel Construction, Steel Construction Manual, AISC, TA684.A47 2011
Brockenbrough, R. L., Structural Steel Designer’s Handbook: AISC, AASHTO, AISI, ASTM and ASCE-07 design standards, 4th ed., McGraw-Hill Professional, TA640.S79 2006
Schulitz, Helmut C., et al, Steel Construction Manual, (Birkhäuser Edition Detail), TA684.S352 2000, and via Ebook Central
AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) - serves as the community voice on behalf of AIA architects regarding sustainable design and building science and performance.
Hegger, Manfred, et al, Energy Manual: Sustainable Architecture, (Birkhäuser Edition Detail) NA2542.36 .E5313 2008, and via Ebook Central
ICC, International Energy Conservation Code, 2015
Jaeschke, Aleksandra, The greening of America's building codes : promises and paradoxes, Princeton Architectural Press, TH880 .J347 2022
City of Los Angeles Planning and Zoning Code – Regulates the use of land in the city.
County of Los Angeles Planning and Zoning Code, 2016
ICC, International Zoning Code, 2015
