Significant changes to the 2018 International Fire Code

The 2018 Significant Changes guides are available for the International Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes. This valuable series can help any code user save time by zeroing in on the most critical changes in the 2018 International Codes. The Code Council’s technical experts provide summaries, analysis and graphics for these changes making them clear and easy to understand.

2018 International Fire Code

A modification to Section 1031.4 (Exit Signs in Existing Buildings) states that the application of exit sign requirements in existing buildings has been clarified for both installation and maintenance.

The previous language had been interpreted to require existing buildings to install exit signs to meet the provisions of Section 1013 in the 2015 International Fire Code. This meant that every time the requirements were modified in Section 1013, all buildings would need to comply with those revised requirements. Since Section 1031 covers maintenance, the original intent was to require that the exit signs were maintained.

To correct this language, the revision clarifies that existing exit signs must be maintained in accordance with the original code that required their installation and any additional requirements found in Section 1104.

Click here to read the full significant change.