Virginia

State Building Official
Cindy Davis, Deputy Director of Building and Fire Regulation
Department of Housing and Community Development

600 East Main Street, Suite 300
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 371-7089
cindy.davis@dhcd.virginia.gov

Adopted I-Codes:

2018 Virginia Residential Code

2018 Virginia Construction Code

2018 Virginia Energy Conservation Code

For a full list of codes used in the state, check the ICC Code Adoption Map.

Applicability (statewide, local, limited): STATEWIDE

Virginia’s state building codes and regulations are promulgated and regulated by the DHCD. Codes and regulations are adopted by the Board of Housing and Community Development and periodic amendments are utilized to update codes and incorporate new reference standards. Effective July 1, 2021, Virginia adopted the 2018 I-codes as referenced in the Virginia Construction Code Part 1 and the 2018 Statewide Fire Prevention Code, and the 2017 National Electrical Code.

The 2021 Tall Mass Timber provisions in the 2021 IBC have been adopted for use into the statewide building code. Please review the following for additional information on Tall Mass Timber use in Virginia as well as general code adoption information:

https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/VCC2018P3/supplemental-mass-timber-information

https://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/codes

Tall Mass Timber Adoption

The tall mass timber provisions went into effect in 2021.

Notes:

Virginia is currently in the process of reviewing code change proposals for incorporating the 2021 I-Codes into the VA USBC. Public meetings were conducted by DHCD in March of 2022.

Page last updated: December 2023